Why Do the Police Allow Muslim Protestors to Gather Outside Batley Grammar School, But Not Christians in a Church on Good Friday?
We’re publishing an original piece by Rev Dr William J.U. Philip, a Senior Minister in The Tron Church in Glasgow, about the disgraceful behaviour of the Metropolitan Police, who told a congregation of Polish Catholics to leave a church in Balham on Good Friday. Rev Philip was one of a group of Scottish church leaders who brought a Judicial Review against the Scottish Government, forcing them to lift the suspension on worship on March 25th. As he pointed out in his piece, the Government’s guidance does not prohibit collective worship and the congregants weren’t flouting social distancing rules, so the Police really had no excuse.
One has to hope that the Police will issue an apology, and that the Government will reiterate the fact that worship is perfectly lawful, and churches responsible for managing their own worship. But there are surely further questions to be asked as to why this kind of crass and needless harassment of ordinary Christians at worship should be seen as fair game, when by contrast so many other far less managed and safe events are treated by the police with kid gloves. One comment under the video suggested that the service relocate to Batley Grammar School, where large gatherings with absolutely no distancing seem to be entirely permissible. Others asked whether this kind of thing has happened – or would ever happen – in a Mosque during Ramadan, or at any other time for that matter. Quite.
Our police today will reverently sink to their knees before violent, statue-destroying BLM protesters; but they will threaten to arrest and fine those bowing the knee before Jesus Christ on Good Friday.
Worth reading in full.
