View from the Vicarage

Will persecution of Christians come to Britain?

I was very moved when standing in the ancient Roman Arena of Arles in the South of France in April to read of a civil servant who in the 3rd century was executed. His crime was to refuse to sign the death warrant of fellow Christians. I looked out onto this wonderfully preserved arena and thought to myself that it was highly likely that in this very spot many valiant Christian people lost their lives a result of their faith.

Christians have suffered for their faith throughout history (and sometimes so called Christians have caused suffering to others – I was reading recently how Edward 1st in 1290 banished all the Jews from Britain). One early form of Protestantism that emerged in Italy and Southern France in the late 12th and 13th centuries developed from the influence of Peter Waldo who wanted to serve the poor and get back to the teaching of the Bible in Lyons, France. The Waldensians, as they became known, became the bitter object of persecution by the church that resented their presence and regarded them as heretics. Many were sentenced to death and became Martyrs for their faith.

Why do I mention this? Two reasons: I have been particularly troubled by the level of persecution of Christians around the world and I am conscious that although Christians are not persecuted in Britain it is fair to say that life is more complicated and difficult for Christians than it used to be.

Space forbids me from talking about the worldwide situation, but for any who are interested Release International and Christian Solidarity Worldwide have websites which provide excellent information.

Christians who keep to a traditional view of biblical authority are finding that their views are sometimes at sharp odds with many others in our society. There was a report in March 2007 of a middle aged couple, Vincent and Pauline Matherick, who had fostered 28 children over many years. However, because of new policy guidelines now in force by Somerset County Council which insisted that they accept adoption by gay couples as something ‘normal and equal’ they no longer felt able to sign on the dotted line. Although they were most successful as foster parents their continued service as foster parents was refused.

Another example concerns a Christian teacher who spoke to me about the increasing difficulties of talking openly about faith in a primary school situation. Any comments had to be prefaced with ‘This is what Christians believe’ and comments beginning with ‘I believe…’ were considered unacceptable. Many of our more senior members will have been expected to know and learn the apostles’ creed, the 10 commandments and other essentials of the Christian faith, without any apology as part of normal schooling.

Visiting a patient about 2 years ago in the DGH I read a passage from the Bible, Mark 5:21 – 42, to one of our parishioners and a nurse came to me afterwards to question my judgment as to suitability of the passage I had read. It wasn’t unpleasant, and she was quite polite, but I was quite taken aback that she should do this.

Churches have often not helped themselves and stories about child abuse and internal church politics have further muddied the water in the eyes of a few people outside the church.


Recently I visited the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park. There was one stall devoted to helping church ministers who are attacked or feel threatened. Paul Bennett aged 59, a vicar in Wales, was stabbed to death by a 23 year old in March 2007. According to the statistics many ministers do suffer violence though fortunately this has never happened to me or my family.

I remember from my last parish a number of Christian doctors and medical students from the nearby teaching hospital said that it was increasingly difficult for Christians to work in gynaecology because of pressure to perform terminations that they could in no way agree to. Similarly Christians who work in areas to do with interfaith issues have to tread very carefully.

So what lies behind this? There is now an increasing drift of British culture away from the values and norms of the Christian faith. More and more the wider values of society are at variance with the faith of Bible believing Christians. The underpinning of Christian values in many of our national institutions has become much more tenuous. This accelerated after the Second World War and through the 1960’s. Prince Charles once said that he wanted to be ‘Defender of Faith’ and not ‘Defender of the Faith.’

So how should we as Christians respond? The Bible would teach that we need to be obedient in all things lawful that do not conflict with the word of God. (See Romans 13) Sometimes when we find that God’s pattern for life is being violated we have, as Christians, the obligation to try and find another way. This may be through campaigning, making the case in committee meetings, lobbying people of influence or in extreme cases refusing to comply. This after all was how the civil rights movement in America tackled racial segregation under Martin Luther King.

But what about the godless drift of our culture – is that redeemable? All things are possible and the potential impact of Christians being light and salt in the places where God puts us is enormous. This is because God gives us a clear purpose and set of values, which in our relativistic world are in short supply. However, for our culture to change dramatically, it would need more people to become Christian. Is that possible? Well that’s why we are here. All Saints’ has set itself the task of being committed to Jesus through sharing Jesus with others, growing to be like Jesus and serving others for Jesus. I do believe that we, along with our sister churches can make a vital difference to Eastbourne. In fact we already do make a vital difference and our prayer is that this will continue.

Will Christians face persecution? I don’t think we will face severe forms of persecution in the foreseeable future, especially compared to Christians under Islamic or communist regimes, but life may become uncomfortable at times.

Robert Lovatt