Row flares over church meetings
NEW parading legislation could stop churches holding open-air meetings or protests, a Free Presbyterian minister has claimed.
Newtownabbey minister the Rev Brian McClung denounced the draft legislation to replace the Parades Commission as a "denial of religious liberty", alleging that the planned law "smacks of an overbearing, authoritarian, anti-Christian, police state".
Writing on his Church website, he said it was impractical and unacceptable to make every organiser of a public assembly seek permission from the new government quango
"The consultation document which forms part of the review of parading published by the OFMDFM contains a direct attack upon our civil and religious liberties," he said.
"This is a blatant attempt to erode religious freedom and liberty and shame upon any who have any part in bringing it into existence."
Mr McClung's father-in-law, the Rev Ivan Foster, is the now-retired senior Free Presbyterian figure who was one of the first members of the Church Ian Paisley founded to attack its leader's political course as he prepared to enter government with Sinn Fein.
Mr McClung's comments come as Orangeman and UUP MLA David McNarry also lambasted the proposals as creating "an open season charter for protesters" at Loyal Order marches.
But last night DUP Culture Minister Nelson McCausland, who was involved in drawing up the proposals, strongly rejected both men's criticism.
Mr McCausland, himself a Christian and regular church-goer, told the News Letter: "The core issue is that there is no requirement for notification for any static open-air meeting with less than 50 people.
"I've been taking part in open-air gospel meetings for more than 30 years and can never recall one with more than 50 people taking part in it, so I anticipate no difficulties whatsoever.
"We were very careful to set the figure at 50, knowing this would accommodate the gospel meetings that are held across Northern Ireland week by week, especially over the summer."
Mr McCausland said that the Ashdown Review of Parading had initially suggested that public assemblies of more than 15 people should be covered but the DUP had increased this to 50 so that most open-air church meetings would be exempted.
He encouraged "anyone with observations or comments" to reply to the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister during the three-month consultation, stressing that it was draft legislation which could be amended.
The legislation, if enacted, would also require the organisers of public protests of more than 50 people to seek permission from the new quango.
Public protests, although uncommon in most Christian denominations, have long been a staple of the Free Presbyterian Church, and Dr Paisley often led boisterous protests against other Protestant Churches he believed were ecumenical.
Writing on his Church website, Mr McClung said: "The working group set up by Sinn Fein and the DUP have moved beyond reviewing legislation on parades and related protests and are now seeking to place restrictions on all public assemblies or protests.
“Freedom of peaceful assembly, which our forefathers fought and died for, instead of being a fundamental right will now become a privilege that has to be applied for and by inference can and will be restricted or denied in certain circumstances.”
He added: “Permission will have to be obtained from a new government quango to hold an open-air gospel meeting, where more than 50 people will be present.
“Notice will have to be given 37 days in advance and this new body will decide whether it is lawful to go ahead with the open-air meeting.
“Those opposed to the open-air meeting taking place will be able to register their objections with the purpose of having the meeting ruled unlawful or having it restricted.
“If this proposed legislation becomes law the fundamental civil and religious right of free assembly has been taken away.
“Our freedom to worship in the open air will be subject to the say so of a government quango.”
Mr McNarry said: “This is legislation open to misinterpretation, misinformation and substantial abuse.
“Martin McGuinness will have a pivotal role in appointing the 11-member adjudication body. It isn’t rocket science to conclude that his influence over the appointments will ensure an anti-Orange, anti-union veto within the new body.”
Mr McCausland said it was “disappointing” that Mr McNarry was “attempting to make what is a very important issue into a political football”.
“He is engaging in scaremongering and attempting to frighten people,” he said, pointing out that the UUP was the only major party to give no official submission to the DUP-Sinn Fein working group on parading.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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