Christians in Britain are being unfairly targeted for hate crime prosecutions, according to a new report by the Civitas think-tank. The report, entitled A New Inquisition: Religious Persecution in Britain Today, also warns that existing hate crime legislation poses a danger to freedom of speech. Jon Gower Davies, the report’s author, said: ‘Some police forces and the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] seem to be interpreting statutes in favour of ethnic and religious minorities and in a spirit hostile to members of the majority population, defined as ‘White’ or ‘Christian’.’ Many of the prosecutions have been for causing ‘religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress’ under the Public Order Act. The report’s findings are likely to be welcomed by many Christians who have become increasingly alarmed at the growing number of Christians encountering problems with over-zealous police officers. Critics of such offences say they are open to being misapplied, so that otherwise lawful behaviour is wrongly criminalised.

Pray: for the balance to be redressed and that which was considered normal Christian debate can once again be deemed acceptable. (1Th.2:4)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/christians-unfairly-targeted-for-hate-crime-prosecutions/