Tristan : SHOULD CHRISTIAN VALUES BE CHOPPED FROM ST HELENA’S CONSTITUTION?
Submitted by Tristan Times (Juanita Brock) 21.10.2009 (Current Article)
A recent debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee about the Constitutions of British Overseas Territories has sparked interest in territories in the South Atlantic.
SHOULD CHRISTIAN VALUES BE CHOPPED FROM ST HELENA’S CONSTITUTION?
By J. Brock (SARTMA)
A recent debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee about the Constitutions of British Overseas Territories has sparked interest in territories in the South Atlantic.
British Overseas Territories of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha -islands in the South Atlantic - have a constitution stating that the Islands wish to respect “Christian and family values”.
But the UK Government has directly suggested that it remove references to Christian values from the Constitution.
Andrew Gurr, Governor of St. Helena, which also includes the Islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, told The Mail on Sunday: “The alterations to the constitution were being debated and, when it came to the reference to Christianity, the Foreign Office man said we might want to think about taking it out because the climate in the UK was now multi-faith. I interpreted this to mean that we might be offending people of other religions if we left it in. It was felt that while the UK may well be multi-faith, Christianity is the dominant religion on the island so we kept it in.”
HE. The Governor Mr Andrew Gurr is not alone in his thinking. The Mail on Sunday says that the Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt, sent a strongly worded letter to the committee and to Foreign Secretary, David Miliband saying that the proposal was “unnecessary” and appeared to be more about “advancing a secularising agenda” than protecting people from discrimination and he condemned the move as ‘spurious political correctness.”
Committee chairman Mr Gapes said he was not prepared to comment on the Bishop’s letter, but added: ‘Overseas territories are bound by our international obligations.’
Ann Widdecombe, a Tory MP, added that “As far as I am concerned, it is proof positive that this Government is anti-Christian and it is up to places like these to make their own decisions. There is no compelling reason for the Government to go down to this level of detail.”
But in its latest report on human rights, published in August, the Foreign Affairs Committee criticised the fact that references to Christianity have remained and the recommendation of the committee has provoked anger among Church leaders and politicians.
According to a Foreign Office guide, officials should make sure “LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] aspects are included in local activities promoting British cultural life.”
Quite frankly, I agree with Ann Widdecombe and don’t take well to micro-management. It sets a bad example in the face of conspiracy theorists, let alone the rest of us.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221173/MPs-want-God-fearing-remnants-empire-downgrade-Christianity.html#ixzz0UVVD0sYG
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