Parliament encourages Christians to declare their faith
Thursday 09 Apr 2009
By Michael Ireland
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
LONDON, ENGLAND (ANS) -- A campaign to see 100,000 Christians in the United Kingdom publicly declare their faith online this Easter has received backing from a British Member of Parliament.
The 'I am a Christian' campaign launches this week in as a direct response to the National Secular Society's five-year campaign which encouraged 100,000 people to "de-baptize" themselves by signing a Certificate of De-baptism.
Andrew Selous, the Member of Parliament for South-West Bedfordshire, is the first MP to support Premier Christian Media's www.IamaChristian.co.uk , according to a media release from London's Premier Radio.
Selous said, "I think it's important that Christians aren't undercover Christians. If we have a faith, we should be prepared to tell others about it. I think now is the time that we are called to be bold.
"There certainly are those who would say that the world of work and public life in particular should be entirely secular. They see that as a comfortable default position in which people of all faiths and no faith can happily get along.
"I disagree with that very strongly. I think that to say that people of faith can't take it along to work with them is a pretty intolerant way of behaving. It's not how traditionally we've operated in this country, a free country.
"We need to combat those arguments when they are made in a reasonable and tolerant way and I think this petition is part of that."
Premier Media Group hopes that MP Andrew Selous' signature will be the first of many high profile Christians to support the campaign.
"If we look at what Jesus went through in Holy Week, which we're in at the moment, just going public saying 'I am a Christian' is a mere trifle in comparison," Selous said.
"We have good news to tell others. If people see we are Christians they may ask us about the hope that is within us and maybe that will lead other people to become believers as well.
"We have everything to gain, we have good news we are not called to keep it to ourselves," he said.
Christians on Twitter and Facebook are calling others to take part at twitter.com/premierradio as well as the pre-existing Facebook group 'Are there 1,000,000 Christians in the UK who are passionate for Jesus?' with the main action is taking place at www.IamaChristian.co.uk
For more information, contact Grace Benson on +44 (0) 207 3161462 or grace.benson@premier.org.uk
