David Davies, the M.P. for Monmouth, today announced his opposition to new legislation which will make it illegal for religious groups to live some parts of their lives according to their faiths.
The “Sexual Orientation Bill” will make it illegal for Christians and adherents of any religious faith to deny services or products on the grounds of sexual orientation and has engendered a groundswell of opposition from across the country. If the legislation is passed it will become illegal for a Christian family operating a Bed and Breakfast facility to deny their service to a homosexual couple, while a Muslim community will not be able to make exemptions as to who they hire out their facilities to.
Speaking on the subject today, David Davies said, “I very much support the drive for equality and I supported the Equality Bill during its passage through Parliament. However, after meeting with local religious communities, concerned private citizens, and Churches Together in Chepstow, I have decided to oppose this particular piece of legislation.
“My concern is that, by preventing groups and individuals from living their lives and conducting their business according to their faiths, we are crossing a line and attacking the freedom of speech and expression for which Britain is rightly famed the world over. If the law is passed then I fear it will be a great victory for the thought police and a grave defeat for those who believe that our traditional freedoms are worth fighting for.
“I do not agree with discrimination in any of its forms, but I do believe that people have the right to live according to their beliefs, even if I do not agree with their outlook or with their methods. My opposition to the “Sexual Orientation Bill” results from what I see as a disturbing erosion of basic civil liberties in this country, and I hope that we can turn the tide before it is too late.”