The Christian Institute has issued a fresh warning over plans for an Equality Oath, as it appears the Government is pressing forward on the issue.
Cabinet minister Sajid Javid has expressed support for an oath which teachers, doctors and other public office holders would be forced to swear.
Now The Sun newspaper has reported that the minister’s officials have held meetings with concerned parties in recent weeks.
‘Airbrushed’
Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “The Government needs to come clean.
“From what we are hearing the Government’s idea seems to be to get everyone to swear an allegiance to the Equalities Act.”
“It’s particularly troubling for the millions of Christians in our country that the Government seems to be happy to airbrush God out of the oath.
“We are still a constitutionally Christian country and to forget this is a real slap in the face.”
Ashers Baking Company
A Government spokesman declined to comment.
The idea of an Equality Oath was suggested by Dame Louise Casey in a report on integration.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid then said he was “drawn” to the idea of an oath that pledged support for “equality, democracy and the democratic process”.
Previously, The Christian Institute has said: “Equality sounds nice but it is in the name of equality that Ashers Baking Company has been taken to court, B&B owners sued and a faithful Christian registrar forced out of her job.”
‘Official moral rules’
An editorial in The Independent also strongly criticised the Equality Oath, saying it would deny the right to dissent.
It said: “Why should anyone have to sign up to some officially approved list of moral rules if they don’t believe in them? This is effectively the case if their livelihood depends on it.
“If a soldier or a teacher doesn’t believe in equality, should they be forced to say they do just to hang onto their job? Would it make them better or worse citizens?”
Read more about the Equality Oath and other aspects of the Government’s extremism agenda