Though today’s ruling in the Belfast County Court against the Ashers Baking Company is hugely disappointing, it is hardly surprising. Over the course of many years the Parliaments and courtrooms of our nation have increasingly legislated for sin and against righteousness.
However even allowing for this ruinous trend does not help us to understand how a judge in Belfast can reach a verdict that rules in favour of the promotion of an activity – same-sex marriage – that, by four successive votes in our legislative Assembly, remains illegal in Northern Ireland.
In legal terms, this is a significant judgment because it militates against freedom of conscience and freedom of speech and effectively opens the door to other opportunists to bring an endless stream of expensive “discrimination” cases against a wide variety of businesses, both Christian and non-Christian.
This ruling has also established what we long suspected: a bogus “equality” is being foisted upon us which dictates that a Christian may exercise his right of conscience to hold to Biblical principles when he is at home, but not when he is in the workplace, whereas a homosexual may exercise his right to promote an immoral cause both at home and in the workplace. In the latter arena, this ruling affirms that ‘gay rights’ do not equal, but trump, those of Christians.
That this outcome is not what the majority of persons in our country wished for was evidenced by a huge groundswell of support that manifested itself across Northern Ireland when the Equality Commission decided to ‘persecute’ this small family-run business. Successive polls gauged support for Ashers as running between 70% and 90%.
In Scriptural terms, the ruling against Ashers confirms the reliability and relevance of the Bible, God’s revelation to man. An outstanding commentary on current world events is provided by the Old Testament prophecy of Habakkuk. Among many salient phrases, the 4th verse of the opening chapter of this book summarises what we have witnessed today: “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”
A study of this short book of Habakkuk reveals the reasons behind events in our world today, details God’s coming judgment upon sin, and assures us that, no matter what else happens, He remains in control and will certainly build His Church. Those who read Habakkuk will not fail to be impressed by God’s prescription for His people: genuine repentance produces revival blessings.
No matter what any secular court determines, the Bible remains unshaken in its verdict that same-sex marriage is sin (Genesis 2:24, Malachi 2:15, Mark 10:7-9, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
The primary allegiance of the Christian is always to a higher authority and Judge; as the apostles of the first century avowed, so we maintain today: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
As a fellowship of churches, we express our continued support for Ashers in this contrived controversy, plus we urgently call on our government to withdraw support from the promotion of this wickedness and direct our nation back to biblical values before the greater clouds of condemnation that are gathering over our nation burst upon us.
Rev. John Greer (Moderator)
Rev. Ian Brown (Clerk)
Rev. Thomas Murray (Deputy Moderator)
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