Lord David Waddington Dies Aged 87: Defender of Christian Values at U.K. Parliament Passes
British politician Lord David Waddington passed away on Thursday at age 87. Several accolades were accorded him for his contributions to the U.K. government, but he was also known to be a staunch defender of Christian values.
Simon Calvert, deputy director for public affairs at Christian Institute, recalled how Waddington made known his Christian stand on critical issues during his tenure at the House of Lords. "He would feel keenly when he felt there was injustice against Christians, as the laws started to change and as equality law, sadly, started to get twisted out of shape," he said in an interview with Premiere.
Waddington successfully campaigned against legislation that threatened to criminalize criticism of homosexuality. This he did by introducing the "Waddington amendment" which prevented the inclusion of "the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices" in hate crime legislation.
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Calvert only has high regard for the Oxford-educated Member of Parliament who is remembered as a hard-line and no-nonsense right-wing politician. "He was a tireless defender of Christian freedom and of our Christian heritage. He was an extremely skillful and effective parliamentary operator. He was very persuasive," he said.
Another legislation Waddington opposed in the House of Lords was the weakening of the cannabis law in November 2003. The proposal would have reclassified marijuana as a Class C drug and thereby slap a mere warning to offenders. Not only is cannabis a dangerous substance, he noted that it was sold by the same dealers of heroin and crack cocaine.
"He would invoke our Christian heritage," Calvert went on. "He felt very strongly that historically, the Christian faith had given to Britain very many of its best qualities; it's love of freedom and tolerance, it's commitment to the family," he added.
