Formerly known as Repent UK, Christian Voice is a Christian fundamentalist organisation based in the United Kingdom which strives, through the basis of prayer and public campaigning, for 'national repentance'. It is led by Stephen Green (a former Chairman of the Conservative Family Campaign), with Lord Ashbourne as its patron. Christian Voice mixes politics and religion to a radical degree by British standards. In its publication "Britain in Sin" it uses social trend statistics to contrast Britain today with the 1950s, blaming everything from rising crime and infertility to inflation and lack of social cohesion on a departure from what it calls the 'Laws of God'. It claims the 1950s-style society was a far more stable, happier, safer, and 'God-fearing' social structure. Christian Voice opposes many aspects of twenty-first century British society, such as abortion, homosexuality, and no-fault divorce. Christian Voice would like to see divorce fault-based, with divorce settlements dependant upon conduct, they call on the monarch to base British Law on the Bible (for example, they object to the proposals to end the practice of male-preference primogeniture for the succession to the Crown of the United Kingdom)[1], and would reduce the tax burden on families to encourage fathers to provide and mothers to care for their own children. They advocate British withdrawal from the European Union, claiming that British membership of the EU prevents Queen Elizabeth II from exercising her Coronation oath in which she pledged to be God's sole representative in the United Kingdom. As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ... Repentance is the feeling and act in which one recognizes and tries to right a wrong, or gain forgiveness from someone that they wronged. ... Baron Ashbourne is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby boom from returning... Infertility is the inability to naturally conceive a child or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. ... The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a supernatural Supreme Being in accordance with Christianity. ... Since its inception, the term homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody... The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... Primogeniture is the common tradition of inheritance by the first-born of the entirety of a parents wealth, estate or office; or in the absence of children, by collateral relatives, in order of seniority of the collateral line. ... Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and... A coronation is a ceremony in which a monarch is adorned with a coronation crown as a symbol of monarchy. ... The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a supernatural Supreme Being in accordance with Christianity. ...

Christian Voice deeply opposes 'safer sex' education, claiming that it is ideologically driven. They claim that condoms do not protect against sexually-transmitted infections and that the availability of contraceptives encourages promiscuity which in turn leads to sexually transmitted infections and infertility. The title of their briefing paper on the subject "A Generation Betrayed" [2] reflects their view. Christian Voice believes in restorative justice, and they advocate reintroducing the death penalty, but they also demand that convictions be soundly based on the evidence of two or three witnesses, after the Biblical pattern. The group has been highly critical of the English legal system after it allowed the mothers of cot-death children to be convicted and children to be taken from parents on the sole evidence of doctors like Roy Meadow. Safe sex (also called safer sex) is a term describing practices designed to reduce the risk of sustaining or imparting sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) (also known as sexually-transmitted diseases or STDs in the US). ... A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Condoms are also often used to keep a... Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... Sir Samuel Roy Meadow (born 1933) is a prominent British paediatrician. ...

They oppose legislation designed to protect certain groups against discrimination and violence, claiming that it accords them privileges which the rest of the population does not enjoy. They also oppose the Religious Discrimination legislation, a view ironically shared by many of their opponents.

Critics of Christian Voice have likened the organisation to the harsh Puritan-dominated state of Oliver Cromwell's Britain, but attempts to link them with the far-right British National Party have foundered in the face of Christian Voice's fierce condemnation of the BNP's racism. The Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation. ... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... The British National Party (BNP) is the largest political party of the far-right in the United Kingdom. ... A black man drinks out of a water fountain designated for black people in 1939 at a streetcar terminal. ...

Aims

The organisation aims to promote "family values" in Britain and to eliminate what it sees as immoral influences on modern British society - such as homosexuality, non-Christian religions, feminism and pro-abortion campaigns. Family values is a political buzzword first used in 1966 to describe a set of moral guidelines for defining the proper structure and role of a family and its members. ... Morality is a complex of principles based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs, by which an individual determines whether his or her actions are right or wrong. ... Since its inception, the term homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially socially, politically, and economically within a context of patriarchy. ...

Christian Voice claims to be no more than a prayer group, but they are characterised by the way they link action to prayer and the manner in which they take prayer onto the streets, outside what they describe as "spiritual strongholds." These include the BBC, theatres, abortion clinics, primary care trusts, gay pride rallies and sex shops. Although Christian Voice refuse to disclose the extent of their membership, they probably have no more than a few hundred members, the majority of whom will do little more than subscribe to the group's newsletter. An indication of the numbers of activists on whom the group can call can be ascertained from their counter-demonstration at the high-profile London Pride event on 2005-07-02[3], where the group was represented by about ten demonstrators. Nevertheless, the group has enjoyed considerable press coverage, due in particular to its campaign against the BBC's broadcast of "Jerry Springer - The Opera". Prayer is an effort to communicate with God, or to some deity or deities, or another form of spiritual entity, or otherwise, either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions. ... See: Spirituality Spiritual music Spiritual dance The Age of Spiritual Machines Spiritual possession This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... A clinic or outpatient clinic is a small medical facility that provides health care for ambulatory patients - as opposed to inpatients treated in a hospital. ... Gay Pride in San Francisco The gay pride or simply pride campaign of the gay rights movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of what they are, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. ... A sex shop is a shop that sells products such as sex toys, pornography, erotic lingerie, erotic books, and safer sex products such as condoms and dental dams. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... David Soul stars in this controversial opera. ...

Controversy

Christian Voice was behind much of the recent controversy in the UK surrounding the BBC and the broadcast of Jerry Springer - The Opera. CV claimed the production was blasphemous in its depiction of religious figures such as Jesus, Mary and God. In protest at the BBC's decision to broadcast a performance of the show, Christian Voice published the home addresses and telephone numbers of several BBC executives on their web site, including Jana Bennett (Director of Television), and Roly Keating (Controller of BBC Two). This led to one of these people receiving death threats and having to leave their home for a while to protect their live and that of their children. Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... David Soul stars in this controversial opera. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity, most of the followers of which worship Jesus as the Messiah, son of God, and God incarnate. ... Saint Mary redirects here. ... Jana Bennett joined the BBC as Director of Television in April 2002 having previously been Executive Vice President and General Manager at Discovery Communications in the USA. External link BBC Website Categories: Substubs | People stubs ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. // History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20 pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts...

The group maintained a presence outside the Cambridge Theatre in London where it ran, attending on the last four weekends giving out evangelistic leaflets. They have vowed to do the same at any regional theatre which stages the show, and have been blamed by the producers for the postponement and reduction of a scheduled autumn tour, and its cancellation on New York's Broadway. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ... This article is about the street in New York City. ...

The group has been criticised for its role in causing a cancer charity, Maggie's Centres, to decline a substantial donation that came from the proceeds of a special performance of Jerry Springer: The Opera. The charity had been due to receive £10 per ticket for an afternoon gala - the total amount being around £10,000 (although CV claims it would only have been £3000). Christian Voice contacted Maggie's Centres, informed them of their dislike of the opera and stressed the offence that would be caused to Christian donors. A statement by Maggie's claims that Christian Voice had threatened to "picket our centres" and that the action by Christian Voice would be "effectively blocking our work" [4]. As a result, Maggie's Centres decided not to accept the donation and to raise money "ethically and in ways which do not cause offence". Christian Voice responded to criticism in the press by saying that they had helped Maggie's Centres avoid a "PR Disaster of profiting from filth and blasphemy". Since then, Maggie's Centres have reported making up the money many times over because of the publicity, leading Christian Voice to say that Almighty God is a better provider than Satan. When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ... Gustave Dores depiction of Satan from John Miltons Paradise Lost Satan (שָׂטָן Standard Hebrew Satan, Latin Sátanas, Tiberian Hebrew Śāṭān; Aramaic שִׂטְנָא Åšiá¹­nâ: both words mean Adversary; accuser) is an angel, demon, or minor god in many religions. ...

Also, the group has been involved in a number of campaigns against the Gay Police Association (GPA). Their website banner proclaims: 'The site the GPA wants to ban!'. Christian Voice are particularly opposed to police officers participating in gay pride marches, and in 2003 wrote to the chief constable of every force which allowed its officers to march in uniform at Pride events. In 2004, the organisation held a preaching rally in Bournemouth in honour of deceased street preacher Harry Hammond, who shortly before his death had been prosecuted and found guilty of harassment after a complaint brought by a gay onlooker. This rally was timed to coincide with Bournemouth Pride, and a counter demonstration took place. Christian Voice believes that homosexuality is an objective psychological disorder and treatable, and encourages lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to contact various "ex-gay" organisations. This aspect of Christian Voice's campaigning has generated hostility to the group from LGBT organisations. Gay Pride in San Francisco The gay pride or simply pride campaign of the gay rights movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of what they are, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered. ... Bournemouth is a seaside resort in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. ... Lesbian describes a homosexual woman. ... Bisexuality in human sexual behavior refers to sexual desire for both males and females. ... The ex-gay or exodus movement claims that homosexuals can become heterosexual or otherwise leave homosexuality behind through counselling, prayer, and other therapies if they choose to do so. ... LGBT (or GLBT) is an initialism used as a collective term to refer to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people. ...

Christian Voice have also campaigned against the Transgender Recognition legislation, in accordance with their belief that gender reassignment surgery represents unacceptable interference with the human body as God's creation. Transgender is generally used as an overarching, general term for a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups centered around the full or partial reversal of gender roles; however, compare other definitions below. ...

Christian Voice has been the subject of criticism over its stance on abortion. The group claims to draw on both the Bible and modern medical knowledge in regarding abortion as the wilful murder of a living human being and comparing it to the Nazi genocide. It is calling on the church to offer 'hospitality' to women who feel pressured into having an abortion, and has stated an intention to hold vigils outside abortion clinics to pray for those entering, "as soon as the Lord wills." CV often undertake actions with the UK Life League who have used similar tactics, publishing the names and addresses of pharmacists who stock morning after pills and Tesco supermarket managers who allow them to be sold in their stores. The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens For other uses, see Human (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... Look up Genocide on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Genocide is the systematic killing of substantial numbers of people on the basis of ethnicity, religion, political opinion, social status or other particularity. ... A lord is a male who has power and authority. ... This article refers to Tesco PLC - the international retailer headquartered in the UK, see also Tesco (Disambiguation). ...

On 24 June 2005, Christian Voice's bankers, the Co-Operative Bank, invited the organisation to take its account elsewhere as Christian Voice's anti-homosexual policy was in conflict with the ethical bank's own policy of support for diversity. The bank stated on their website that "Anyone visiting the Christian Voice website will see that it is engaged in discriminatory pronouncements, based on the grounds of sexual orientation. This public stance is incompatible with the position of The Co-operative Bank." [5] In response, Christian Voice have issued a statement calling for Christians to boycott the Co-operative Bank. [6] June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Co-operative Bank - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005, CV issued a statement claiming that this was the result of god's wrath and had brought "purity" to the city. Like other US based right wing groups, they seem to be blaming homosexuals for what happened, forgetting in the process that the French Quarter (where the gay community of the city is mostly based) was one of the least affected areas of the city while something like 15% of bible colleges around the Gulf Coast were destroyed. Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, third major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... French Quarter: upper Chartres street looking down towards Jackson Square and the spires of St. ...

Since taking their stance against Jerry Springer, the Opera, the group, through their "National Director", have enjoyed increased coverage in the national media; particularly on the BBC. This has raised concern about the credibility of the group and its legitimacy in appearing so much in the media. As a result of the appearance of Stephen Green on Question Time in September 2005, the group has been condemned by the Rev Dr David Peelthe, The Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church (URC), one of Britain’s major denominations, and by a string of other church bodies. Dr David Peel, said: It is a matter of some regret that … the BBC should choose to undermine the reputation of Question Time by giving a platform to a small, self-selecting group distinguished mainly by its absurd claim to represent Christians in this country. Question Time is a topical debate television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. It is currently shown on BBC One at 22:35 on Thursdays, and typically features politicians from the three major political parties and other public figures who answer questions put to them by the... Logo of The United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Christian denomination (church) in the United Kingdom. ...

See also

• Jerry Springer - The Opera
• Anti Christian Voice - spoof of the Christian Voice homepage
• Radical Christians to target abortion clinics - The Sunday Times article

David Soul stars in this controversial opera. ...

References

• Christian Voice homepage
• Christian Voice's 2003 correspondence with Chief Constables
• True Vision - a 'satire' on gays in the police funded by CV
• Times Report on the Harry Hammond trial
• Green doesn't have a prayer Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association blog entry
• Listening to the Voices resource of links on Christian Voice