A British Conservative MP has said new anti-extremism powers should be used against Christian teachers who teach that that same-sex marriage is wrong.
In an article carried by The Daily Telegraph, Mark Spencer, MP for Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, is quoted, in an email to a constituent, as suggesting that new‘Extremism Disruption Orders’ (EDOs), formulated to curb jihadi radicalisation in Britain, should also be used against teachers who speak out against same-sex marriage.
Insisting in his message that he views EDOs as a means of guaranteeing free speech, Mr Spencer continues: “It is those who seek to stop other people expressing their beliefs who will be targeted.
“Let me give you an example, one which lots of constituents have been writing about – talking about gay marriage in schools.”
“The new legislation specifically targets hate speech, so teachers will still be free to express their understanding of the term ‘marriage’, and their moral opposition to its use in some situations without breaking the new laws. The EDOs, in this case, would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong.”
The politician’s comments have drawn fire from Christian advocates, including the Christian Institute, whose deputy director, Simon Calvert said: “This is exactly the kind of thing we’ve been warning about.”
“The government says we’ve got nothing to worry about from their new extremism laws, but here is one of its own MPs writing to a constituent saying EDOs would stop teachers teaching mainstream Christian beliefs.”
In addition to Christian groups, Britain’s National Secular Society has also spoken out against the potential misuse of EDOs against Christian teachers. The group’s executive director, Keith Porteous Wood said: “If EDOs really could be used to prevent teachers from talking about same-sex marriage, unless they are inciting violence, they are an even greater threat to freedom of expression than I had feared.”
