Anglican Mainstream

CEN  20 May   HUMAN RIGHTS campaigner Peter Tatchell has defended the decision by Greenbelt to ask him to speak at the festival, following criticism by Anglican Mainstream that this could be dangerous for vulnerable children. Mr Tatchell said: “The suggestion that my guest lecture at this year’s Greenbelt festival will leave children vulnerable to sexual abuse is an outrageous slur, wholly unbecoming a Christian.”   [Image:  Greenbelt 08, Stephen Sizer]

Dr Lisa Nolland, a consultant at Anglican Mainstream who made the recent criticism, claimed the Greenbelt organisers were irresponsible not to provide another speaker who could balance the impact of Mr Tatchell. She said: “Mr Tatchell articulates and advances an increasingly popular sexual smorgasbord ethic which includes a strong sexual liberation component.  Cohabitation, ‘open relationships’, promiscuity, the legal right to cruise (have sex in public places), and lowering the age of consent to 14 all appear to be legitimate and acceptable sexual options and views.”

This “presents a partial, selective and distorted account of my essay on sex education,” argued Mr Tatchell. He said Dr Nolland “has neglected to mention my advocacy of a sexual moral framework of mutual consent, respect and fulfillment, and my proposals to help protect young people against sex abuse. “My Greenbelt talk is not about sexuality, sex education or the age of consent. It is about the persecution of gay people in Africa, much of which is being orchestrated by Christian evangelicals who share Anglican Mainstream’s fundamentalist interpretation of scripture.”

Dr Nolland said: “Such a response indicates a superficial understanding of how people operate and social mores are formed. People come as whole packages; what they represent in their public persona is either explicitly included or tacitly embedded in all their communication. Would Greenbelt invite a renowned humanitarian who also happened to be, say, a polygamist, to address its crowds?”

Greenbelt will also feature several other speakers who exemplify more conservative sexual lifestyles, including Fr Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. Mr Tatchell has confirmed he is happy to engage with his detractors. He said: “Does [Dr Nolland] want me censored and banned by Greenbelt? It seems like an attack on freedom of speech. I am happy to debate with anyone from Anglican Mainstream. I await their invitation.”

Anglican Mainstream has disassociated itself with the violence against gay people in Africa. Dr Nolland said: “I stand against persecution of anyone because of their sexuality.  However, ‘persecution’ can mean various things.  To disagree with someone is not the same as to persecute them. To criticize then is not the same as to persecute them. To point to the risk that their views may have for others- eg the safety of children- is not to persecute them. “If Greenbelt intends to focus on persecution, which is indeed an important issue, then it would be good to see a presentation on the persecution of Christians in northern Nigeria, in this country, such as Gary McFarlane, Lillian Ladelle and Caroline Petrie, and of orthodox Anglicans in the USA.”

On this point the two my find common ground. Mr Tatchell was recently credited with helping make the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) drop charges against a Christian street preacher, Dale McAlpine, after Mr Tatchell offered to testify in defence of his right to free speech. Mr McAlpine was arrested in Workington after condemning homosexuality as a sin. He was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, contrary to the Public Order Act 1986.

Mr Tatchell said: “Although I disagree with Dale McAlpine and support protests against his homophobic views, he should not have been arrested and charged. Criminalisation is a step too far.”

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