Greetings, and welcome the Carry-on Losing Cases blog: so named because whenever the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) is mentioned in the press, it will invariably be a story about how a case has been brought by them and subsequently lost. C'est la vie.
For those of you familiar with the Christian Legal Centre and are not raving religious lunatics, you'll likely know very well by now that they have a habit of losing cases and for very good reasons - most of which will be detailed in this blog.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Christian Legal Centre I'll sum up their primary aim in this world: "To force people to tolerate, live under and in accordance with the wishes of a select group of religious citizens: Us."
The Christian Legal Centre, hereafter referred to as the CLC unless I'm making a point, exists for (some would say) very fundamental reasons:
... to promote Christian Truth in the public arena and to protect the freedom of Bible believing Christians to speak the truth on matters such as life, marriage and the family, and to live their lives in accordance with their Christian beliefs. link
As will become perfectly clear to any half interested reader, the wish by those of the CLC ilk to "live their lives in accordance with their Christian beliefs" generally extends to the desire for those around them to abide by those beliefs and practices also. Obviously this presents problems, but in these increasingly secular times those problems are mainly for the CLC. Even after a number of years bringing numerous failed cases to court, lost appeals and multiple public humiliations, the CLC still doesn't seem to have got that message.
To promote and protect the freedoms of Bible believing Christians in the United Kingdom; to promote religious freedom as a fundamental right by means of legal action and public promotion. link
It is probably not even worth noting that the "religious freedom" mentioned here is the freedom for the Christians concerned to practice their religious beliefs without hindrance from the state, particularly when it comes to equality for homosexuals and the like. Much, much more on that later.
The CLC is not just concerned with legal cases brought by upset and 'wronged' Christians who are not getting their own way when it comes to feeling that they have a right to prothletise or direct how others live even when it contradicts the law: They also lobby to see their own goals met and campaign against such hideous potential laws as the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Bill. They also have certain views on abortion, blasphemy, assisted suicide, working practices, Islam, 'bioethics', fostering/adoption and 'Sexual Orientation' (THE GAYS!). Again, more on that later.
Mission (what we will do)
To establish an organisation dedicated to facilitating the running of cases and lobbying the legislature on Christian Legal freedoms. The organisation will carry out research into legal issues affecting Christians and will assist in identifying and preparing litigation on behalf of Christian freedoms in the United Kingdom. link
This blog aims to document the activities of the CLC, in particular it shall focus on the CLC's regular failures when it comes to legal cases for those who attempt to use their religion (guess which one?) in attempts to defend their own actions or those taken against them.
To be fair I will of course document their wins should such occurrences ever actually take place. So far I know of one.
I hope this blog is informative and as amusing as it is possible to be when dealing with the mentality and attitude of those who run the CLC and those who see fit to use such an organisation. People like the lady shown on the right.
Before anybody accuses me of choosing a less than savoury photograph of the CLC Director (and barrister-lest-we-forget) Andrea Minichiello Williams, let me point out that the first image on a google search for her name produces this same photo from churchtimes.co.uk. So there.
Suing for Yahweh. Serious business.
As well as the CLC, Ms Williams is also co-founder of Christian Concern For Our Nation, a group that seeks to "introduce a Christian voice into Law, the media and the government." Lovely.
I plan on doing a post or two on Ms Williams, of course, but will leave this first post noting this (just for giggles):
Andrea continues to focus on policy matters and Christian Interest cases, specifically freedom for Christians to speak truth in the public sphere, and to live according to biblical standards. link
Whenever I see such sentiment a smile comes to my face as I recall a special passage from the New Testament:
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. - 1 Tim 2:11-12
Oh but of course, that's a mistranslation and not meant to be taken literally at all.
Thank you and good night.
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