One hundred people attended a London conference on 6 January which addressed the UK government’s consideration of a Conversion Therapy Bill and the Church’s response.
The event, titled ‘The MSC Group Introduces James Parker,’ was organised by the Marriage, Sex and Culture Group in partnership with Anglican Mainstream.
Parker, who formerly identified as gay and is an ex-LGBTQ activist, speaks globally about human sexuality, gender, and identity.
‘When it comes to children and sexuality, we’re in World War III,’ Parker told attendees.
Parker encouraged Christians to engage fully with the political process surrounding the Conversion Therapy Bill.
The bill, which currently sits in the House of Lords, seeks to ban sexual-orientation and gender-identity conversion therapy. While the bill prohibits abusive practices, which are largely illegal already, campaigners also want it to extend to cover preaching, prayer, pastoral care, and even parenting.
Parker, however, has noted the ‘profound benefits of counselling and prayer’, which he said have helped him personally.
‘Government attempts to mandate sexuality and gender fly in the face of clear evidence that sexuality is fluid and will deny choice to those wanting to leave unwanted sexual identities or to reconcile gender with their natural biology,’ said Canon Dr Chris Sugden, co-convenor of the event.
Since the government announced its consideration of a Conversion Therapy Bill, The Christian Institute has instructed solicitors to prepare for a potential judicial review of any new laws restricting religious freedom.
A helpful challenge – but I don’t recognise those views
This article was written in response to the article "Same-sex attraction and identity: Are evangelicals on the right track?" …