Latest newsletter from
The Christian Institute

Includes an analysis of the final vote on the Civil Partnership Bill, news on a change to the smacking law and information on likely issues for 2005. More

Red light areas:
Tolerance zones are being considered.

Institute responds to
prostitution consultation

The Christian Institute has said it opposes plans to legalise prostitution. The Institute has sent a response to a Home Office consultation on prostitution law.

Read our consultation submission: pdf   Word

David Blunkett:
Looking at plans to legalise prostitution

Home office considers
legalising prostitution

The Home Secretary is currently consulting on plans to legalise prostitution. The proposals apply only to England and Wales. The consultation ends Friday 26 November.

Download our briefing on the proposal: pdf   Word

Download the advertisement

Institute places 'gay marriage'
advertisement in The Times

A full page advertisement has appeared in The Times newspaper calling for the Civil Partnership Bill to be fairer to ordinary families. The advert was placed by The Christian Institute in the Tuesday 9 November edition and appeared nationwide.

View the poll results

Public says Civil Partnerships
should be open to siblings

A new poll shows that most people (84%) believe that if homosexual couples are to be given house-sharing rights then two sisters who live together long term should have them too.
More poll results
About the Civil Partnership Bill

Complete ban:
David Hinchliffe MP wants to outlaw all smacking

Poll shows 77% of Labour
voters support smacking

Almost eight out of ten Labour voters say it is sometimes necessary to smack a naughty child, according to the latest poll.

Legal opinion
The findings are released at the same time as a legal opinion which says the proposed new smacking law will be a lottery for parents.

Press release on the poll
The poll in full

Press release on the legal opinion
The legal opinion in full

Download our briefing on the proposed change to the law: pdf   Word

Gambling:
The plans represent a massive weakening of the law.

Commons debates plans for
huge deregulation of gambling

Proposals for sweeping deregulation of the gambling industry are to be debated by the House of Commons. The plans have come under heavy criticism from many sides.

Download our briefing on the Gambling Bill: Word

Jacqui Smith:
Minister responsible for the Bill in the Commons

MPs agree to the general
principles of 'gay marriage' Bill

MPs in the House of Commons have voted in favour of the general principles of the Government's Civil Partnership Bill. The Bill introduces 'gay marriage' in all but name. MPs voted by 426 to 49.
More.

Taste and decency code to be scrapped under OFCOM plans

Plans to scrap 'taste &
decency' rules for TV

Broadcasting regulators are consulting on plans to scrap 'taste and decency' rules and allow 'R18' hard-core porn to be broadcast on subscription channels. The plans represent a major liberalisation of broadcasting rules.

Respond to the consultation Download our briefing:

pdf   Word

Smacking:
Some MPs are using the Children Bill as an opportunity to ban smacking

Re-writing smacking law
will cause fear and confusion

The House of Commons will soon debate a proposed change to the law on smacking. The proposal is complicated and critics say it could lead to fear and confusion for many parents.

Download our briefing on the proposed change to the law: pdf   Word

Bid to ban smacking:
plus other news More

Latest edition of Update
magazine published

News on the bid to ban smacking, an editorial on David Blunkett's plans that could gag Christians, a report on our building appeal, articles on the Gender Recognition Bill and the Civil Partnership Bill, plus much more.
Click here.

David Blunkett:
Took a swipe at Evangelical Christians in his speech

Blunkett plans new law on
'inciting religious hatred'

The Home Secretary has resurrected a plan to criminalise 'incitement to religious hatred'. The original plans were defeated by the House of Lords in 2001. More...

Sweden's smacking ban:
More harm than good More

Lords firmly reject call
for total smacking ban

The House of Lords has defeated an attempt to ban all smacking by 250 votes to 75. However, the Lords supported a change to the law which removes the 'reasonable chastisement' defence in some cirmcumstances. More...

Info on the issue of smacking...

'Gay marriage' Bill changed
to be less like marriage

The Civil Partnership Bill has been amended by the Lords to allow family relatives who share a home to take advantage of the scheme. This change makes civil partnerships less like marriage. More

Constitutional Affairs Minister, David Lammy, led for the Government on the Bill

Parliament approves new
transsexual rights laws

A Bill giving sweeping new rights to transsexuals has got final approval from Parliament. Church groups fear the Bill will cause litigation against churches.

The Government has made limited concessions to meet some of these concerns, but it hasn't given religious bodies the level of protection it gave to sporting bodies.

More...

Sweden's smacking ban:
More harm than good
More

Government rejects plan
to change smacking law

An attempt to effectively ban smacking has been rejected by the Government. The attempt came as Parliament debated the Government's new Children Bill. Anti-smacking groups will undoubtedly make more attempts to change the law in the coming months.

Read the Parliamentary debate...

More about the issue of smacking...

'Gay marriage' Bill
unveiled to Lords

A Civil Partnership Bill that gives all the legal rights and privileges of marriage to same-sex couples has been introduced to the House of Lords.

Smacking ban:
Children were removed from families in Sweden
Download report

Sweden's smacking ban
did more harm than good

Child-on-child violence increased by 600 per cent in Sweden following the introduction of a smacking ban in 1979, reveals a new report published by The Christian Institute and Families First.

Backbenchers, led by David Hinchliffe MP, are expected to try and ban smacking in England and Wales when the Children Bill reaches the Commons. The Bill was introduced to Parliament in the Lords on Tuesday 30 March 2004.

More...

Hull Christian Union banned
for being run by Christians

Student chiefs at Hull University have threatened to ban a student Christian Union because it doesn't allow non-believers such as atheists to run the CU.

Read our press release
Read the Yorkshire Post news report
Read the Hull Daily Mail news report

'Sex change' laws will plunge
churches into legal nightmare

The Christian Institute says that churches and religious groups will be plunged into legal chaos if Parliament approves – unamended – the Government’s transsexual rights Bill.

A new legal opinion, by the prominent and widely respected barrister James Dingemans QC, confirms that religious liberty is threatened by the Gender Recognition Bill.

Read our press release
Read James Dingemans' legal opinion

Backbenchers plot to ban
smacking in Children Bill

Backbenchers, led by David Hinchliffe MP, are expected to try and ban smacking when the up-coming Children Bill reaches the Commons. The Bill will be introduced to Parliament in the Lords on Tuesday 30 March 2004.

More...

Institute responds to plan for
Vegas-style gambling laws

The Christian Institute has responded to a consultation on Government plans for weaker gambling laws.

Download our response:

pdf   Word

Transsexuals have 'right' to
marry in Anglican churches

A 'sex-change' Bill currently being considered by the House of Commons will give transsexuals a 'right' to a wedding in an Anglican church.

Although clergy will be able to refuse to conduct the ceremony, there is no provision to deny a wedding in an Anglican church building.

Read a BBC news report
Read a Sunday Times news report

Vote to protect churches
narrowly defeated in Lords

A vote to protect religious freedom from the effects of new transsexual rights laws was lost by only five votes.

The amendment, moved by Lady O'Cathain, was narrowly defeated by 149 votes to 144.

Legal expert says Gender
Bill is a threat to churches

A religious liberties barrister has produced a legal opinion showing how proposed new 'transsexual rights' laws threaten churches. More...

Transsexual Bill: Sports get
protection but not churches

Sporting bodies have been given sweeping exemptions from the effects of proposed new transsexual laws, allowing them to refuse transsexual men for women's events.

But religious bodies still face the threat of legal action unless they accept transsexuals.
More...

Tories would reverse
cannabis downgrade

The Conservative Party leader, Michael Howard, says he would reverse the downgrading of cannabis from a class B to a class C drug if he came to power.
More...

New 'hate crimes' could be
used to silence Christians

New 'aggravated offences' could be used against Christians who speak out against homosexuality.

For the full story, plus other articles, read our latest Update magazine.

GMC inquiry into 'expert'
sex change psychiatrist

The UK's best known 'expert' in transsexualism is being investigated by the General Medical Council after claims he sent patients for sex-change surgery without adequately assessing them, reports The Guardian newspaper.
More...

New booklet on the life
of Raymond Johnston

The Christian Institute has published a booklet looking at the life of Raymond Johnston, the first Director of the organisation that became CARE.

The booklet is the first in a series looking at individuals who have been a Christian influence in secular world.

Click here for more

Lords debate proposed
'transsexual rights' laws

The House of Lords is debating the Gender Recognition Bill, which introduces a raft of 'transsexual rights' measures.

Resources:

NEW: A Christian Institute briefing on the bill: pdf A shorter briefing: pdf   Word A Christian view of transsexualism Lords' Grand Committee debate (day one) Lords' Grand Committee debate (day two)