Big Brother takes exception

Let me say it again: if you believe that homosexual practice is wrong, you are not allowed to say so in public - and the Christian church appears to be doing nothing about the situation.

Former world heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield is appearing on a programme named Big Brother on Channel 5.  He is believed to be an evangelical Christian. Fellow contestant Luisa Zissman said she thought it was bad that few people speak out about being homosexual in the sports industry.

"I think it's good to be open like that because it's normal."

Said Holyfield: "But that ain't normal. The Bible lets you know there’s wrong, there’s right.”

Zissman said: "That's just the way some people are born."

Holyfield disagreed: "It don't make no difference. If you're born and your leg was turned this way, what do you do? You go to a doctor and get it fixed back right."

The conversation was broadcast. Afterward Holyfield was taken to task by the Big Brother producers.

They told him: "While Big Brother understands these are the views you hold, they aren't the views that are held by a large section of society, and expressing these views will be extremely offensive to many people. Do you understand why?

"Big Brother does not tolerate the use of offensive language and must therefore warn you to consider very carefully the effect expressing such views may have and the harm and offence you may cause by repeating these views inside the house."

Said Brendan O'Neill in his Telegraph blog: "Today, so cavalier have we become about the old Millian ideal of freedom of thought and speech for all – even for those who offend us – that we think nothing of censuring a man simply for expressing a view that is 'not held by many people in society'. . . "

He said the censuring of Holyfield had been done "in the name of tolerance yet it is actually a prime example of intolerance. In the name of promoting society-wide tolerance of homosexuals, we must not tolerate the expression of any criticisms of homosexuality, the anti-Holyfield lobby says.

 "Remarkably, some people think such censuring and punishment of outdated views about women and minorities is a sign that Britain has become more tolerant. Actually it shows the opposite – that Britain is now astonishingly intolerant of anyone who holds the 'wrong' views, views that run counter to mainstream thinking, and it will humiliate them in public if they dare to express themselves and warn them to keep their filthy ideologies to themselves."

This came at the same time as an announcement that the Rev Donald MacInnes, Church of Scotland minister of Gairbraid Church, Maryhill, Glasgow, had been sacked as chaplain of Glasgow Gaelic School.

Mr MacInnes wrote on a Facebook page: "The overwhelming support of our Scottish politicians in creating same-sex marriage is very disappointing. Many of us, myself included, agreed that the creation of civil partnerships was necessary so that individuals suffering from this disorder were not legally penalised in any way because of their sexuality. We can now expect to see the school curriculum changed to the end that our children will be taught this perversion as if it were a good thing."

Some parents saw the comments, and complained to the city council. One parent said she did not wish her children to be exposed to prejudice. Another said the comments were "absolutely disgraceful." 

So much for the clear teaching of the Bible on the subject.