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INDEX
I
Christian apologetics on 20 moral issues
The Christian Institute, March 2005
Edition 1
 
INDEX
II
Index
Foreword.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
PART I :
 
THE ISSUES
The Sanctity of Life...............................................................................................................................................................................................................31. Embryo Experiments......................................................................................................................................................................................................82. Human Cloning...............................................................................................................................................................................................................123. Abortion.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................19Abortion of the Handicapped......................................................................................................................................................................................23Register of Pro-Life Doctors.......................................................................................................................................................................................244. Euthanasia.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................25Marriage and the Family...................................................................................................................................................................................................285. Adoption............................................................................................................................................................................................................................296. Civil Partnerships...........................................................................................................................................................................................................317. Civil Partnership Sibling amendment.......................................................................................................................................................................338. Divorce..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................359. Smacking.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................42Christian Freedoms and Heritage..................................................................................................................................................................................4410. Incitement to Religious Hatred Offence................................................................................................................................................................5011. Religious Broadcasting..............................................................................................................................................................................................5312. Religious Education....................................................................................................................................................................................................5713. The Blasphemy laws..................................................................................................................................................................................................6014. Homosexual Age of Consent...................................................................................................................................................................................6215. Section 28......................................................................................................................................................................................................................6716. Homosexuals in the Armed Forces.......................................................................................................................................................................7017. Transsexualism............................................................................................................................................................................................................7418. Gender Recognition Act – Religious Liberty........................................................................................................................................................7719. Gambling........................................................................................................................................................................................................................7920. Reclassification of cannabis.....................................................................................................................................................................................83
PART II : THE VOTES
Vote on Embryo Experiments.........................................................................................................................................................................................87Vote on Cloning...................................................................................................................................................................................................................88Votes on Abortion...............................................................................................................................................................................................................89Vote on Abortion of the Handicapped...........................................................................................................................................................................92Vote on Register of Pro-Life Doctors............................................................................................................................................................................94Votes on Euthanasia.........................................................................................................................................................................................................95Votes on Adoption..............................................................................................................................................................................................................97Votes on the Civil Partnership Bill...............................................................................................................................................................................103Vote on Civil Partnership Bill Siblings Amendment...............................................................................................................................................105Vote on Divorce Based on Fault.................................................................................................................................................................................106Vote on Waiting Period Before Divorce....................................................................................................................................................................107Votes on Smacking.........................................................................................................................................................................................................108Votes on Incitement to Religious Hatred..................................................................................................................................................................111Vote on Religious Broadcasting..................................................................................................................................................................................113Votes on Religious Education......................................................................................................................................................................................115Vote on Blasphemy.........................................................................................................................................................................................................117Votes on the Age of Consent.......................................................................................................................................................................................118Votes on Section 28........................................................................................................................................................................................................121Vote on Homosexuals in the Armed Forces..........................................................................................................................................................124Votes on the Gender Recognition Bill........................................................................................................................................................................125Vote on the Gender Recognition Bill Religion Clause..........................................................................................................................................127Votes on the Gambling Bill............................................................................................................................................................................................128Vote on Reclassifying Cannabis.................................................................................................................................................................................130
© The Christian Institute, 2005First Floor, Cathedral BuildingsDean StreetNewcastle upon TyneNE1 1PGTel: 0191 281 5664Fax: 0191 281 4272www.christian.org.uk
 
FOREWORD
1
Foreword
In this report, written by the staff of 
The Christian Institute
,
 
we consider 20 major moral issues of our time.All of the issues have been voted on by the House of Commons. Part I of this report outlines the basic facts of each issue, then considers the Biblicalarguments and concludes with some key points which can be used insupport of the Biblical position. Some additional statements from some of the main Christian denominations are also included.Part II explains the technical details of the votes themselves and how wehave recorded them on our on-line database of MPs’ votes.
The scope of this publication
The subjects covered comprise
•
 
The sanctity of human life (embryo experiments, human cloning,abortion, euthanasia)
•
 
Marriage and the family (divorce, parental right to smack, the ageof homosexual consent, civil partnerships and the rights of siblings, adoption by unmarried couples or homosexuals)
•
 
Education (religious education and worship in schools, Section 28)
•
 
Religious liberties (incitement to religious hatred, religious broadcasting, protecting Churches from transsexual rights laws)
•
 
Public morality (blasphemy, homosexuals in the armed forces,reclassification of cannabis, gambling deregulation, transsexualrights)For twenty separate moral issues we have carried out an analysis of theways in which Members of Parliament have voted. The issues wereconsidered by the House of Commons in a total of twenty-three votes.Most of the votes involved a free vote. It is a matter of concern that some political parties have used the party whip to require MPs to vote for  policies which many Christians would see as morally wrong (e.g. therepeal of Section 28, or the introduction of homosexual civil partnerships).Some votes have had to be excluded. For example, the votes on Sundaytrading have proved too complex to analyse in the time available.The vote on the introduction of the national lottery was also excluded asnone of the main political parties opposes the principle of the nationallottery. The main vote in Parliament on the legislation bringing in thelottery was not actually on the principle, but rather the particular schemefor implementation. An analysis of MPs votes would yield very littleinformation about their beliefs on this question and hence has not beendone.
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