In the UK, the King’s Speech is a formal annual event that marks the opening of a new session of Parliament. Traditionally delivered by the monarch, the speech outlines the government’s agenda for the coming parliamentary year. This year the King announced, “A draft bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices.” This was feared by many although it wasn’t a surprise as the Labour party prior to the election had forewarned of a, “a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity”.
A new arrival to the West could be forgiven for thinking a ban on conversion practices is to outlaw an epidemic of involuntary conversions, where unwilling subjects are strapped to a chair and made to endure a “practice” against their will. If this were the case then such a bill is to be welcomed given that in the West, we are based on Biblical truths whereby human dignity and the right to make one’s own choices is foundational. This is irrespective of whether these choices honour God or not. But, despite how the bill has been spun, the aim of such bills is in fact to shut down even any voluntary conversation that might be interpreted as anti-LGBT. The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) in 2023 proposed a bill, so extreme, that even parents who advise their own children against such lifestyles could be thrown into prison for up to 7 years. Thankfully, it was rejected but this hasn’t stopped other Western nations dragging the bill to the fore. Similar to the Irish Government’s recent intention to extend the hate crime bill to be more inclusive of those with “protected characteristics” (with penalties of up to five years in prison), this is fundamentally about the mission of making LGBT lifestyles an accepted norm. In doing so, the heritage of West will further be deconstructed and turned away from Christian principles.
The bill is indicative of yet another confirmation that the West is post democratic – an elitist leadership knowing what is best for you that is more than willing to ignore the will of the people. Many sectors of society, from the faith world or not, see this as an attack on free speech and as a ridiculous bill not fit for a free society.
The bill is also indicative of the workings of New Marxism. Marxism at its core wants to be the sole governor in an individual’s life. It aims to de-throne the very concept of God and to set up its own ideologies as the ultimate higher power. Almost by definition it can do no wrong. Classic Marxism must have the state as the sole authority for every individual and because of this sees family authority as a challenger to its own. In Soviet Russia, the Party was the sole higher power, never to be challenged or spoken against. In the modern West, the ideologies of New Marxism, not necessarily a specific party, have conveniently developed arguments around LGBT grievances into a weapon to use against family authority. The ideology, supported by a gullible government will remove the right for parents to freely converse with and advise their children on such matters. The ideology wants to be enthroned. This goes against the universal and elementary principles of parenting. Forbidding loving mothers and fathers to guide their children as they see fit is a consequence of a post-Christian law-making. Despite it being a manifestation of evil, it is also comical. Much in the same way that the full state title of North Korea is, the Democratic [sic] People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), in similar Marxist fashion a parent-to-child chat is labelled, “conversion therapy”. Marxists love to twist the meaning of words.
Why this is a big deal to those of the Christian faith
Because they know it is a weapon targeted largely against them. LGBT activist groups have been targeting the Christian Church for decades. This is because both the Bible and the lived Christian experience, states that if a person truly devotes their life to Christ (not just attend church or have a mental assent to the Christian faith) resulting in a supernatural conversion, they can have the power to be set free from such lifestyles. This is a given in the New Testament. It is the very unique appeal of the Gospel that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can save anyone from their pattern of sin. This has been and continues to be the real-world testimony of millions of Christians including this author. LGBT activism rages at the very concept.
We are at dangerous cross roads. Europe’s first “anti-gay conversion” trial happened last year. The accusations were trumped up against Christian Charity worker Matthew Grech who was interviewed by a local free speech media outlet, PMnews, about his conversion to Christianity and the gay lifestyle he had left. At no point did Grech advocate gay conversation therapy, he merely gave his story. This is a shocking bending of the facts to bring a prosecution. Unbiassed justice is a benefit of nations with a Christian foundation and is slipping away. This wasn’t Nazi Germany or Communist Cuba, this happened in Malta, a European country, aided and abetted by EU officials (for details refer to link in Further Reading below).
Make no mistake. The target is the Christian. Freedom of Religion will be sidelined to honour the new ideological gods. Canada, under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, is probably the Western nation that has been the most militant in pulling away from its Christian roots to embrace New Marxism. The descent has been shocking to witness. In the past couple of years churches in Toronto have been sent letters by tax payer funded LGBT groups in an attempt to get them to force affiliation to their cause. Church leaders have been in a quandary about what to do? If they state the Biblical position, there will be consequences, if they don’t reply, the activists will take that as a negative and there will be consequences (NB LGBT ideology insists all people must actively “celebrate” their lifestyle choices, not merely remain passive). If you’re not thinking it already, let it be pointed out that this resonates with 1930s Germany.
The target is the Christian but others will be caught in the cross fire. The author knows of a non-faith father whose teenage daughter went through a phase of wanting to dress and act like a man. As any good, loving father would do, he chatted to his daughter about the matter so as not to encourage the desire. It was a painful experience for him but time has passed and now the daughter is fully over the phase. All has ended well for both parties. No therapy as such, no forced conversion, just a sensible chat, and a daughter that is comfortable in her own skin. Today, under the proposed bill, the father could have been prosecuted and sentenced to prison.
As with all ideologically-inspired laws, there is creep over time once the law is on the statute books. The pivotal matter is the term, “protected characteristics”. This could be expanded to include every and any characteristic upon which you cannot speak against. As far-fetched as it sounds today, paedophiles could become protected. The end game is a rejection of any notion of absolute right and wrong. If you are on the wrong side of that equation, your words will be criminalised.
These are dangerous times and no one can afford to be silent.