Skip to main content

UK Government and Crosses—Do the right thing and back off.

A most interesting storm is brewing in the UK that is of interest to Christians of all faiths. In 2006, Nadia Eweida was suspended from British Airways for wearing a cross. Nurse Shirley Chaplin was banned from working on the wards after refusing to hide the cross she wore on a necklace. The UK Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone has instructed government lawyers to oppose these women as they go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to claim that they are victims of discrimination. The debate revolves around Article Nine of the European Convention on Human Rights which states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
The women are claiming that this right has been violated. Government lawyers are counter-arguing that the wearing of crosses or crucifixes is not a ‘requirement of the faith’ nor a manifestation of their religion or belief according to the meaning of the Article––as such, it is not covered.

This has led to a strong response. Rev Ian Galloway in Scotland has stated “[w]hatever the strict legal situation, we believe that individuals should have the right to make statements of faith, and this extends to the wearing of appropriate jewellery.” The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, argues that the government should stop meddling in areas that they ought not to. Others note that Muslims in the UK can wear the hijab and Sikhs can wear turbans—why not a cross? Former Archbishop Lord Carey accused ministers of dictating to Christians and is another example of the marginalisation of Christianity. Current Archbishop Rowan Williams thinks wearing crosses had lost its significance and has become a substitute for faith. One news article wondered whether Charing Cross and other UK place names should be renamed as a result.
In my view the UK government is mad to take this on. First, what gives a government the right to dictate what is or is not a ‘requirement of the faith’? In this case, it places the government above God, churches, and all Christians by determining this. If these two women find it a requirement, and it hurts no-one, then they should be able to wear them. The parallel with the hijab is appropriate—a person’s religion is a matter of conscience. Clearly there are limits—no-one should be allowed to wear Ku Klux clan or Nazi regalia to work—but come on, this hardly qualifies! Rowan Williams might feel that crosses have lost their meaning, but is that true for all people? Such a view is irrelevant if the people in mind find it meaningful. I don’t feel a need to wear a cross, but another might and I support that they should be able to do so. If I did feel it necessary, I would certainly not take it off for an employer. Rowan William’s comment does indicate that the UK government is facing an uphill battle on this. Crosses are now worn by all sorts of people (e.g. Madonna)—will this mean she won’t be able to wear a cross at her next concert? Will the next step be the government backing Sports organisations to ban sports-stars looking skyward, genuflexion, wearing a cross on the arm-band etc.? This sets an interesting and potentially dangerous precedent. Secondly, at its heart is a good old employer-worker scrap. The Labour Party should get in behind these workers! But they won’t, their ideology will override their real reason for existence. While an employer should have the power to require appropriate clothing and limits to what one can wear, should it stretch to small pieces of jewellery which symbolise one’s faith? What should it matter? It becomes a power-issue at this point. I say, power to the people, power to the workers.

Thirdly, by taking this line the government is creating something that is really insignificant into a benchmark for faith, it is counter-productive. It creates a dichotomy between Caesar vs. Church that is unnecessary. Their action now highlights the cross, which had seemingly become irrelevant. It is now very relevant. I suspect it makes it far more likely that people will wear them as a statement. In fact, I would suggest to all UK Christians (Catholic/Protestant—the lot), to start wearing them to work as mark of non-violent protest and act of solidarity with these two brave saints. Let’s see how the UK government goes with a national uprising of cross-wearing.
Further, this is a denial of history, a violation of their own story (and ours)—messy as it is. British and European history is enmeshed with the Christian story since the first century. Their Queen is the head of the church after all. Seems rather strange to deny wearing a symbol of their national religion—why doesn’t the Queen step in? Just a thought Queen Liz. And then if City Councils decided to dispense with Cross etc. in place names, the government would then support it. Such names “Christchurch!” (there are three of these in the UK) or “Christian Common” would go. There are in fact 134 places names in the UK with Church in it; 131 with cross, and 50 with saint of St. in them—that will go down well. It is madness for the UK government to act in this way—it is a denial of their history and a step too far. Then there is the question of consistency across faiths. A modest cross or crucifix is hardly worth the scrap is it when there is controversy over all sorts of religious clothing etc?  

So, I say to all Christians, get a cross/crucifix, heck both, and wear them as a symbol of solidarity with these courageous women. I am going shopping.

Comments

Brian Brandon said…
I agree with you Mark that we should expect a Millenium. While there is some symbolic material in the Scriptures, especially in apocalytic writing, it is too easy to symbolise everything in the Bible. The answer to literalism is not to go to the other extreme of symbolism.My thinking on the Millennium goes like this: 1. That the ultimate usion of heaven and the physical universe is too big a jump for any kind of present day earth, and needs the intermediate next step in God's Kingdom which the Millenium seems to be. 2. The huge universe that we live in is not just for us to look at but to colonise and share the gospel in the Millenium when we have new bodies and travel methods that would be required in such an excercise. 3. That we do not live in the Millenium yet because our bodies are not resurrected bodies that are promised. Resurrected bodies are real spiritual - physical bodies that need to live in a real physical world which the Millenium is, to mean anything.
Mark J. Keown said…
Hey Brian. You can't agree with me on this, because I am an agmillennialist i.e. I am not sure. If you agreed, you would say, I am not sure. I am prone toward amillennialism, but am open to the alternative. Most interesting perspectives. Blessings. Mark.
Anonymous said…
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any
widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet
my newest twitter updates. I've been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

Feel free to surf to my web site User:TristaEng - Diaspora
Anonymous said…
Hi friends, how is the whole thing, and what you
would like to say regarding this post, in my view its in fact remarkable in support
of me.

Also visit my web blog kredit ohne Schufa anfrage
Anonymous said…
My partner and I stumbled over here coming from a different web address and thought I might check things out.
I like what I see so now i am following you.
Look forward to finding out about your web page again.


My blog ... refinancing a home with bad credit

Popular posts from this blog

Ten Reasons Why A.J. Miller is NOT Jesus!

Note: Forgive me for the long blog, but this one really got me going! Last Sunday night on TV One's Sunday aired the report A.J. The Messiah. The program was the story of A.J. Miller in Queensland in Australia, who, unlike most of us, genuinely believes that he is Jesus. Miller appears at one level to be a normal Aussie bloke, in his early thirties, longish brown hair, unshaven, good looking, articulate and charismatic. Yet, unlike anyone I know but in the manner of other Messiah-claimants, he says without inhibition, "I am actually Jesus." He claims to remember vividly his former life and death including his experience of crucifixion. The memories supposedly began when he was 2 years old and realised later that he was Jesus around 33. In the program he writes on a white-board, "I am Jesus. Deal with it"—to applause from his congregation. He has disciples, some of whom claim to have been with him 2000 years ago including Mary Magdalene who is his "soul-ma

Tribute to Stuart Lange

For anyone who is interested, I have attached my tribute to Rev Stuart Lange here. He is a legend! It was fun to roast him.... A Tribute to Stuart Lange, No Longer Vice Principal Community of Laidlaw… But still church history lecturer… so not a good bye, but my way of Saying Thanks to you for your years as VP Community… Stuart Lange, not Langey; or Longey; or not langgggg.. but Lange! Or, as I like to put it, S.lang… Slang… for good reason. Stuart Lange, history prof, a man who truly embodies his subject; the quintessential historical prof… Slightly eccentric, crooked smile, hooked and bent nose… you know he has a crook elbow too, took the dog for a walk, hit the chain, smashed the elbow… Of course the dog was unharmed… No Surprise, a lover of animals, each year looking after the animals at the Massey Christmas drive through, donkeys, lamas… etc… Then there is his Einsteinlich hair… kind of a wild man of Southland look… in fact… Stuart Lange A face a cartoonist would die for! The ne

Evangelical Presbyterians’ Statement On Same Sex Marriage

I am involved in a group called Presbyterian Affirm. It is an evangelical group within the NZ Presbyterian Church which seeks to promote the gospel and the renewal of churches. A group of us under the leadership of Stuart Lange have worked to put together a statement on same-sex marriage. Our hope is that the government will not pass the legislation, believing that the legislation is not necessary and strays from God’s ideals for humanity. Here is the recently released statement. I would appreciate your thoughts on it. PRESBYTERIAN GROUP OPPOSES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL Presbyterian AFFIRM, a widely-supported conservative network within the Presbyterian denomination, is speaking out against the Bill which would allow same-sex couples to marry, declaring its views in a “Statement on Marriage” (see below). Presbyterian AFFIRM believes that “marriage is a unique human institution and treasure” which has “always been about the pairing of a man and a woman”, and that re-definin