Civitas Blog

In one of the briefing papers published on their website, members of Christian Voice explain that they ‘attempt to analyse current issues in the light of God’s eternal word [and] try to filter current events through scripture.’ Accordingly, at the risk of entering an arena of controversy into which even angels might fear to tread, I shall express some of my reasons for having misgivings with their tactic that draw on the very source from which they claim to draw their inspiration.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains that, when in a previous letter he had bid them not to associate with immoral men, he did ‘not at all mean the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.’ Paul went on to explain that he only intended to bid his Corinthian Christians not to associate with ‘any who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber… For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ”Drive out the wicked from among you” .

Now, it seems clear that many non-Christians must have been involved in attending or performing at the charity performance of the musical at which the money in question was raised. It also seems clear non-Christians work for the charity as well as make use of its services.

It seems, therefore, that, in putting pressure on Maggie’s Centres not to accept the donation from the musical, Christian Voice will have succumbed to the error against which Paul warned his fellow Christians of holding non-Christians to the same exacting standards as Christ only bid Christians observe.

At a more ad hominen level, since the leader of Christian Voice was willing to be interviewed on a radio channel of the BBC which also broadcast the musical, how can it be acceptable for him but not Maggie’s Centres to benefit from using such a tainted source?

Indeed, since all public services that derive their revenue from general taxation, how can anyone avail themselves of any of them ensure that they do not benefit from tainted money, since some of that revenue undoubtedly comes from the taxes paid by those working on musicals like Jerry Springer and other producers and distributors of material Christian Voice must find no less offensive?

Only when members of Christian Voice are willing to martyr themselves by forgoing all NHS treatment, all use of public roads, etc., should they be considered to enjoy the right to tell charities to refuse donations from musicals that they consider blasphemous. In sum, he who is without sin….