Ban on conversion therapy will not criminalise the Church

CHRISTIAN teachings will not be affected by the ban on conversion therapy, the Government has promised church leaders.

Officials from the Government’s Equality Office met religious leaders after more than 2,500 of them wrote to Liz Truss warning that they are willing to be “criminalised” should proposed legislation prevent them teaching their faith.

The Rev Dr Matthew Roberts, the minister of Trinity Church in York, said that during the meeting this week they were “very clear that there is no intention to criminalise Christian teaching”.

Proposals to ban gay and transgender conversion therapy were delayed in December amid growing disquiet that they would criminalise parents, teachers and therapists who were exploring issues around gender identity.

The proposed legislation was also criticised by MPs and peers, who said the changes were being rushed through. This month the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wrote to the Government calling on it to delay the plans, as they could have a “chilling effect” on professionals.

Religious leaders have also added their voice to the concerns, warning that the changes to the law could pre

‘The Government has been played by campaigners who have orthodox Christianity in their sights’

vent them teaching traditional Christians values, such as marriage being between a man and a woman.

Officials agreed to discuss those concerns after 2,500 Christian ministers and pastoral workers, whose combined congregations run into the hundreds of thousands of people, signed a letter written to the Equality Office.

The six signatories who attended the meeting on Thursday were “concerned” that the Government did not understand “the difference between a quack therapy and a call to live according to Christian teaching”.

Dr Roberts said that when they questioned “what, actually, they were trying to ban that wasn’t already illegal” during the meeting on Thursday, officials were unable to give a clear answer. He added that they also failed to give a straight answer when asked how religious teaching would be protected under the new laws.

Sources close to the negotiations on the ban told The Sunday Telegraph that the strength of the reaction to the proposals had surprised ministers.

Dr Roberts said: “It seems that this was virtue signalling from the Government that they thought would be uncontroversial.

“But, unfortunately, it does seem that to some extent the Government has been played by campaigners who have orthodox Christianity in their sights.”