Banned Christian Ad Set for Review by Courts as Fight Against Marginalization Deepens
A Christian advertisement, which will go under review by Britain's High Court after being banned for clearance on air, could demonstrate the rising trend of Christian marginalization across the world.
The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC), which clears ads for broadcast, has denied permission to allow Premier to run an ad that referenced Christians being marginalized in the workplace.
The ad quoted surveys, which claimed that 60 percent of active Christians are being increasingly marginalized in the work place.
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The RACC refused to let the advert air, citing that it had a political objective. Lucy Goodwin, Head of PR, declined to comment citing that the “RACC does not comment in public on individual clearance decisions with advertisers.”
ComRes, a research consultancy, has conducted a survey on behalf of Premier Christian Media, to investigate Christian’s views on marginalization in the United Kingdom.
The survey confirmed: “81 percent of churchgoers think the marginalization of Christians is happening more and more in the media and press.”
Of those who reported they felt marginalized, “two thirds said they believed it was increasing in the workplace.”
Rev. Dr. Gary Cass, chairman and CEO of defendchristians.org, feels this issue is taking place not only in the U.K. but also in the United States. He said, “In America we’re following the same disastrous trajectory as Western Europe as far as the attempt to marginalize Christians.”
In a public speech at Westminster Hall in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI spoke: "There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere.”
He said, “I cannot but voice my concern at the increasing marginalization of religion, particularly of Christianity, that is taking place in some quarters, even in nations which place a great emphasis on tolerance."
Open Door, an organization that supports Christians in countries of high persecution has reported: "The future is all but clear for Christians in Muslim-dominated countries like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.”
Leader of Open Doors, Carl Moeller said, “So far, the signs are not encouraging.”
Premier had been granted judicial review in June, but the move was challenged by RACC. Premier's chief executive, Peter Kerridge commented: “This has been a long hard fight but, at last, we have the right for a judicial review to clarify the law in matters of religious expression."
