Nearly 25% of young people in the United Kingdom say they would ban the Bible if they believed it contained "hate speech," a new poll reveals.
Whitestone Insights, a polling group, asked 2,088 British adults if they agreed with the following statement: "Unless the offending parts can be edited out, books containing what some perceive as hate speech should be banned from general sale, including if necessary religious texts such as the Bible."
The survey found that 23% of adults aged 18 to 34 agreed with the statement, 17% of adults 35 to 54 agreed with the statement, and adults over the age of 55 agreed with the statement 13% of the time.
While some Christian leaders in the U.K. like Carl Knightly said they appreciated the poll results, others found the results troubling.
Really grateful to @PigsAndPolling @WStoneInsight for convening an excellent and insightful time together today reflecting on attitudes to Christian faith amongst the under 35s. Also appreciated @PaulTWoolley @liccltd for hosting the session. pic.twitter.com/bymaOEJxPB
— Carl Knightly (@carlknightly) November 22, 2023
Lois McLatchie of the Alliance Defending Freedom UK told GBNews, "We may no longer be a majority Christian population here in Britain. That's even more reason to protect freedom of speech and belief for all. Censoring one type of belief because it fails to fit with the dominant orthodoxy of our day is no better than imposing the illiberal blasphemy laws of the Middle Ages."
"We need a robust defense of religious freedom from those who craft our legislation, and we need to educate the 'be kind' generation on the truly hateful consequences of censorship before this type of thinking creeps further into reality," she added.
McLatchie provided examples of religious censorship in Britain including the arrest of street preachers quoting Bible scriptures in public squares or legal action taken against pro-life advocates praying silently outside of abortion clinics.
As CBN News has reported, Dr. Aaron Edwards was ousted from his position at Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, after he posted a tweet expressing that homosexuality "is invading the church."
In his Feb. 19 tweet, Edwards wrote: "Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they're busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it's true. This *is* a "Gospel issue", by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour."
In addition to his dismissal, the college revealed that, during a disciplinary hearing on March 8, administrators considered reporting Edwards to Prevent, an initiative monitoring allegations of terrorism in the U.K.
Edwards is now suing his former employer seeking damages for unfair dismissal, and compensation under the Equality Act 2010.
"The tweet was not defamatory; it was not an attack on any colleague or individual; it was not abusive; and it was not an extremist religious view. It was addressed to evangelicals as a point of doctrine, and it has been misunderstood by many who wish to cause personal and institutional trouble for those who express that view," Edwards explained.
"The impact on me and my family has been very significant. I have lost many friends as a result, and been slandered by people who do not know all of the details but who now see me as an unkind or hateful person," he continued.
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