Homosexuality is an ideology that is being imposed upon us by the new Conservative government. Or so suggests a leading Christian campaigning group as it calls on its followers to protest against the government’s equality agenda. Christian Concern for our Nation refers to the newly published equality programme by Home Secretary, Theresa May, as a ‘major departure from the views held’ by her ‘personally and by her party more generally until relatively recently’. And so we have it – the last major political party in the UK to have held biblical views on sexuality (as defined by conservative Christianity) is seen as having walked away from this viewpoint. As CCfN’s website says, ‘Many people will be very surprised and saddened that this agenda is being pursued by a Conservative-led government’. You can almost hear the loud gasps of anguish.

There are two points to be made on this story. First, it is an historic occasion. Christians in the UK who are conservative in their views on social issues, such as human sexuality, have long depended on the Conservative Party to help them withstand the flow of a more liberal attitude towards such issues. Christendom in democracies has always been a partnership between church and political parties. Now that these churches feel that they cannot depend on the Tories this undoubtedly represents a significant breach within Christendom in the UK.

There are, of course, plenty of individuals in parliament and other places of influence that will still be pushing the Christendom agenda and we even had a specific Christian Party that put up candidates in many seats during the recent General Election. The House of Lords will continue to be lobbied by CCfN and other organisations and some bills will be amended or even defeated because of this action. But as has been obvious for many decades, the Christendom tide is leaving these shores and we will not see its return for a long time – if ever.

This does not mean that the church should be silent on moral and ethical questions, nor should it refrain from trying to change the culture we live in. But it does need to understand that those tactics used when occupying the centre will not work now it finds itself on the margins and that domination from above was never the right way to approach things.

Second, CCfN’s response to Theresa May’s paper displays the very attitudes that have ensured that this section of the church has lost support within the political sphere. It takes utterly for granted that its views alone on human sexuality are the ones that are biblical and therefore acceptable and takes no account whatsoever of the diverse views across the church spectrum.

Even if one were to accept that its understanding of sexuality is closest to those found in Scripture, its response shows no consideration to the harm done to people by homophobia. It seeks to remove from a definition of bullying any and all attempts to ‘explain that homosexual activity is morally wrong’. And yet such ‘explaining’ could cover all manner of unkind and nasty behaviour. As a minority within the population – like many other minorities – the homosexual community has suffered terribly at times and yet CCfN shows no understanding of this, let alone much compassion.

It also opposes the fact that the paper is extensive in its coverage – including schools, workplaces, civic society, sport and international affairs. In one notable paragraph May’s paper declares that the government will ‘proactively question the 42 Commonwealth countries which retain homophobic legislation, with a particular focus on those countries which have the death penalty for homosexual acts’. It also says that it will include issues of sexual orientation and the fear of imprisonment, torture or execution as legitimate causes for allowing asylum in the UK. Surely such action should be applauded and not opposed?

Christian Concern for our Nation is correct in bringing issues of ethical and moral behaviour to our attention and in calling for the church to stand for what is right and godly. But when it does so with a tone that suggests it alone has a handle on the truth, and especially when it does so with apparent little understanding of a minority’s suffering – even if it is ‘in sin’ – then it quickly looses credibility and influence.

With no more major political parties to carry the banner, the church will have to learn new ways of being salt and light. We are being marginalised – on that I am in agreement with CCfN and other conservative Christians – but we should see this as an opportunity to do things differently and to effect change from below and not from above.

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