The Christian Institute in the U.K. has declared it worrisome that the government is being asked to ban even a "gentle non-coercive prayer" in its planned "conversion therapy" ban.
According to the organization's news section, the Christian Institute has expressed its concern to the Prime Minister over the newest threat to prayer from a prominent LGBT activist.
The letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Minister of Women and Equality Liz Truss was sent in response to Jayne Ozanne's demands to include "gentle non-coercive prayer" on sexual ethics in laws prohibiting LGBT conversion therapy.
Specifically, according to The Guardian, Ozanne has said that "all prayer that seeks to change or suppress someone's innate sexuality or gender identity is deeply damaging and causes immeasurable harm."
"While the Institute does not oppose a ban that protects people from harmful pseudo-medical practices, the idea that 'gentle non-coercive prayer' should be included in a list of illegal actions is alarming," the Institute wrote the Prime Minister in response. "In any event, it would violate the human rights of believers."
The Institute went on to claim that a legal opinion from Jason Coppel QC, one of the U.K.'s top human rights attorneys, supports their position, saying that a conversion therapy ban that include regular prayer "would be likely to violate Convention rights."
"This latest remark from Jayne Ozanne is very revealing," said Simon Calvert, Deputy Director for Public Affairs at The Christian Institute. "It shows the focus here is not about protecting people from genuinely abusive behaviour. It's about criminalizing mainstream theology that campaigners on the fringes of the church don't agree with."
A bill prohibiting conversion therapy is likely to be introduced in Parliament later this year, reports Christian Post.
According to certain LGBT activists, any treatment that attempts to assist people in overcoming undesirable sexual impulses or gender identity problems should be outlawed completely. Furthermore, such a prohibition would exclude the practice of prayer and pastoral care.
According to the Institute, Ozanne's statements are the latest in a long line of demands by LGBT activists for prayer on sexual ethics to be prohibited even in religious settings.
Christians should not be allowed to pray for someone who has an unwanted sexual attraction to them, claims Matthew Hyndman, co-founder of the advocacy organization Ban Conversion Therapy. He disputed that anybody would voluntarily seek such assistance and said that "the pernicious power of prayer must be dealt with."
"It is shocking to see activists trying to weaponise a 'harm' narrative to justify oppressing conservative religious communities with a ban affecting their prayer, preaching, pastoring and parenting,"said Simon Calvert, Deputy Director for Public Affairs in The Christian Institute.
The Christian Institute, on the other hand, is not going away. It has warned the government that it would take legal action if a planned conversion therapy ban were interpreted to prohibit the practice of prayer.
Jason Coppel QC provided the Institute with a thorough legal analysis in which he verified that the activists' proposed definitions of the legislation would criminalize the routine activity of religious organizations.
A wide conversion therapy legislation, Mr Coppel cautioned, could make prayer, evangelism, church membership, baptism, and communion all unlawful.
