BTM's response to Welsh Government's 'Out-of-school education settings' consultation

Section 6.2 states: “However, if a person is providing education in a home setting to children other than those for which they have parental responsibility we do propose that such arrangements could fall within this scheme.”

This strongly suggests that Sunday Schools within a home based setting could fall within this scheme as a Sunday School teacher is often teaching children from more than one family from members and friends of the church.

This is an invasion of privacy into regular, but informal teachings settings of children within a home context and opens the opportunity for abuse and informants to cause mischief or harm to the Sunday School teacher should doctrinal statements contradict the politically correct values of the state.

Christian educational settings within homes, local churches and youth centres that teach Christian doctrine and Judaeo-Christian biblical values should be explicitly excluded from the scope of the proposal and the legislation.

There is sufficient other legislation to cover the health and safety of such activities, the premises and persons delivering the activities or teaching.

The proposals should not be aimed at controlling content for teaching Christian doctrine and Judaeo-Christian biblical values which only encourage ethical, moral and healthy behaviour in children.

Simple: The proposals should not be aimed at controlling content for teaching Christian doctrine and Judaeo-Christian biblical values which only encourage ethical, moral and healthy behaviour in accordance with Biblical principles.

Home Church groups, Local Churches and other Christian based groups and activity based centre should be explicitly excluded from the scope of this proposed legislation. Those who are not Christians have no idea what Christian teaching is about, or its meanings.

The only reason inspections would be carried out for house church, local church and Christian teachings settings would be to censor the content, and that is state control of religion. Is this the real aim of the legislation?

We have published our views on the very similar proposals being made by Ofsted:

BTM's response to 'Out-of-school education settings' consultation  

Ofsted’s proposals to enforce registration of Sunday Schools and other Christian Children and Youth Organisations

A non-government body of parents, without links to main stream government lobbying organisations like Stonewall, or political parties or movements.

A health and safety professional from the private sector could also be included for physical risk assessment of premises and activities but not of the content.

Section 9 is the most contentious part of the proposals as this is where the government are using the extended scope of the Prevent Strategy to control content and capture politically incorrect views or Christian doctrines that opposes the state’s legislation on such matters as Same Sex Marriage, Homosexuality, Transsexuality, Gender transience, Sex at Birth, the nature of the natural family, parenting, marriage, abortion, other religions, sin, etc.

Christian Doctrine teaches obedience to the laws of the state as long as they do not conflict with God’s laws. This includes living peaceably with all men as far as is possible.

However, Judaeo-Christian values do not accept what the state wants to promote, when it is in complete contradiction to God’s word and Biblical teaching as outlined above.

Christianity by definition is an exclusive religion, you are either saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ or not.

There can be no tolerance for the idolatrous beliefs or faith of others in the mind, heart or actions of Christian believers. Yet at the same time we must as far as we are able still live peaceably with all men.

In other words, these proposals violate the principles of free-speech and thought, because as has been reportedly widely in mainstream media, applying the Prevent Strategies definition of extremism is so wide it is a catchall to control anyone who disagrees with existing law even if that law denies reality and biological facts, which are commonly observable, to achieve a social objective e.g. to promote LGBT values. Or, to put it another way, the proposals point to meddling by government so as to push a homosexual, pro-Islam perspective, by law and not by consent.

This is where Stonewall et al can use this new legislation to enforce their perverted view of sexuality and silence the final bastion of opposition to their destructive ideology, the Christian church and all levels of it from the house church upwards. Christian doctrine should be excluded from the scope of the proposed legislation. This would be a healthy counter-balance to laws written and maintained by pressure groups, especially Stonewall.

Freedom of speech and freedom to practice the Christian religion without interference from the state should be strengthened.