The BBC has openly mocked the beliefs of millions of Christians and others with socially conservative views in its election commentary.
During an interview on Monday morning, Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys laughed at former MLA Nelson McCausland when he stated that the DUP’s policies are “compassionate”.
Humphrys interrupted McCausland to argue that “most people” think the DUP – which is pro-life and pro-marriage – is “intolerant”.
Mockery
The BBC also ran a sizeable feature yesterday highlighting mockery of the DUP’s socially conservative values by various satirists.
Other media outlets have attacked the party for its views on sexual morality and marriage in recent days.
Telegraph columnist Dr Tim Stanley said the hostility shown towards the DUP because of its stance on same-sex marriage and abortion shows that mainstream Christian beliefs have become toxic in politics.
‘Rednecks’
In a comment piece for the newspaper yesterday, Dr Stanley argued that religious conservatives were among the “big losers” at the general election and that “old prejudices” against them are being reasserted.
The Roman Catholic columnist and historian noted that in today’s Britain, you “can’t simply tolerate. You must celebrate. If you don’t, there’s no place for you in politics”.
You can’t simply tolerate. You must celebrate. If you don’t, there’s no place for you in politics
Commenting on the hysterical media response to a possible alliance between the DUP and the Conservatives, Stanley wrote, “when the DUP marched into the limelight, liberals saw a chance to attack their biblical literalism and reaffirm that it is they – not the rednecks in the pews – who define what is and isn’t acceptable in 21st-century Britain”.
Marginalisation
Stanley pointed to further evidence that traditional views are not tolerated in the recent hounding of Lib Dem leader Tim Farron.
He concluded: “The religious conscience is too subtle, too human for a political process that insists on treating us all like two-dimensional fools.”
In April this year, a ComRes poll commissioned by The Christian Institute found that the British public backs the right of politicians to say that “gay sex is a sin”.
Public support
Responding to the statement, “If a politician believes that gay sex is a sin they should be free to express it”, two thirds of Brits (64 per cent) agreed, while just one third (32 per cent) disagreed.
Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “Politicians should not be silenced or hounded out of office just for holding these views, otherwise we diminish our democracy and risk marginalising millions of ordinary people.”