My undying thanks are due to Stephen Bates, who forwarded me this letter from The English Churchman, a magazine which is the light of a religious correpondent’s life.
If nothing else, it should correct the liberal fallacy that there could be no bigots more hysterical and narrow-minded than Christian Voice. Read on for the full story of CV’s disgraceful ecumenical involvement.
bq. Dear Sir,
Once again members of Zion Baptist Church in Glasgow made a bold militant stand in defence of their blessed Lord Jesus Christ. This time the culprit was the BBC, in their determination to broadcast ‘Jerry Springer The Opera’.
We gathered together on the Saturday evening the blasphemous opera was to be screened. Forty to fifty of our members turned up with their banners denouncing this mockery of our Saviour. As we uplifted the name of Jesus in song other Christians joined in. Our members gave out our church newspapers,’The Scottish Protestant View”.This was not the first time that we had protested outside the BBC studios in Glasgow.
We were having a wonderful time of worship, until some Roman Catholics began to complain regarding the content of our “Scottish Protestant View”. I replied that it was not given to them to offend them but as this was our church protest we would continue to give it out. The particular issue they were referring to was headed: “FREE SPEECH“.
It was at this point that Rev. Hargreaves arrived. He set up his equipment and proceeded to address our gathering, informing us as to other protests outside various other BBC studios around the country.
He then had the audacity to tell us that if the literature that we were handing out did not unite us then we should cease to give it out. Obviously the Roman Catholics had approached him with their complaints. One Roman Catholic was holding up high for everyone to see the issue of the paper that offended them.
Here was a minister — whom none of our congregation knew – making a protest against our protest, siding with Romanists and other ecumenists against Christ-exalting Bible Protestants. As far as I knew, the Rev. Hargreaves was there representing “Christian Voice” but it turned out that it was an ecumenical voice.
The Romanists became even more bold, demanding to know why I believed that the Bible was the Word of God; demanding to know why I believed Sola Scriptura; even asking if I would be offended if they offered me a set of rosary beads. They claimed that I was committing the sin of presumption by saying that I was saved and had eternal life. As a Calvinistic, separatist and non-ecumenical church, we broke away from them and crossed to the other side of the road.
The Rev. Hargreaves then moved to another location outside the BBC studios, taking with him the Romanists and other ecumenists. But I’m glad to say some Christians did return to where we were, complaining that the group with the Rev. Hargreaves had a statue of Mary. Shame on the Rev. Hargreaves and those “so called” Christians for compromising in this way!
Paul Mansbacher, a Christian who stood with us during the whole protest, was apparently put out of membership of Christian Voice because he dared to speak out regarding the disgraceful ecumenical involvement of Christian Voice – so much for ecumenical love.
DOUGLAS MILLER
A member of Zion Baptist Church
Glasgow
There was a time when it was said of Christians, ‘See how they love one another’ — Tertullian must be spinning in his grave!
Yes, but I always understood Tertullian was being ironical when he made that famous remark. It’s ages since I looked the original up, but that was the impression I got.
These are Pastor Jack Glass’s old lot. They used to demo outside BBC Scotland against Billy Connolly, whom they considered to be a blasphemer. I once had to read through years of the Scottish Protestant View (or whatever it was called then) in National Library for a Radio 4 programme looking out the Connolly stuff, and it was a right hoot.
One of my favourite things was that they had a mock gallows and an effigy which turned up in various photo shoots of their demos. In one issue the dangling dummy appeared in the guise of a Covenanter martyred by the Popish Antichristian Bishops – A BAD THING! A few issues later it turned up again, this time as a Catholic priest, the Blessed (now St.) John Ogilvy dangling from the gallows by order of King James VI and I – A GOOD THING!
They have a sister church on the Isle of Man too, who usually protest all the same things. I’m surprised they haven’t popped up on the Springer bandwagon yet.
You should do a Big Chief I Spy Book Of Protestant Nutters, m’dear. Habitat, plumage, typical calls (“A little bit of bread and no Pope”), mating habits, behaviour…
(for those who fondly remember the originals, here is an interesting glimpse behind the scenes.)
R
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