Christian Institute

Not to be confused with Christian Institute of Southern Africa.

Abbreviation	CI
Formation	1991
Type	Christian pressure group
Headquarters	Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 8DG.
Website	http://www.christian.org.uk

The Christian Institute (CI) is a British evangelical Christian pressure group. The CI promotes a Conservative Christian viewpoint, founded on the belief that the Bible is inerrant and should be the authority on all of life.^[1][2] The CI is a registered charity.^[2]

While the CI has campaigned on issues including gambling, abortion and euthanasia, it is most notable for its unsuccessful campaigns against gay rights. The CI sought to retain Section 28 and a higher age of consent for homosexuals. The CI opposed The Civil Partnership Act, legislation giving gay couples the right to adopt, and measures to prevent gay people being discriminated against in the provision of services and goods. All these pieces of legislation were ultimately enacted by Parliament.

The Christian Institute's activities resulted in censure by The Charity Commission in 2001, for breaching rules limiting overt political campaigning by charities, by "publishing a 100-page report, Homosexuality and Young People (1998), which argued against reforming anti-homosexual law with no reference at all to a Christian view." ^[3]

In 2004 the CI funded a full-page newspaper advertisement in The Times in support of a controversial amendment to the Civil Partnership Bill. The amendment attempted to include within the scope of the Bill siblings who had lived together for longer than 12 years.^[4] The amendment was ultimately rejected in both Houses of Parliament. In response to the advertisement, Members of Parliament questioned the CI's overt political campaigning in light of its charitable status.^[5]

Legal actions

In 2000, the CI became the only group to initiate a court case for an alleged breach of the now defunct Section 28. The case failed.

In 2007, the CI and others unsuccessfully sought a judicial review of the Sexual Orientation Regulations in Northern Ireland.

In May 2008, the CI funded^[6] the legal costs of Lillian Ladele, a registrar from Islington, London, who took her employer, Islington London Borough Council, to the London Central Employment Tribunal. Ladele had refused to process the paperwork associated with civil partnerships on religious grounds, and following complaints from other staff she was disciplined under the Council's Fairness for All policy. Ladele claimed she had been subject to direct and indirect discrimination, and harassment in the workplace, on grounds of her religion. In July 2008, the tribunal found in Ladele's favour, however this ruling was overturned by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in December, 2008.^[7] The CI later launched an unsuccessful appeal against this ruling in the High Court, and has been refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.^[8][9]

In 2010, the CI funded the defence of two Christian hotel owners accused of acting unlawfully under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, by refusing to let a gay couple in a civil partnership stay in a double room reserved for married couples.^[10] The owners lost the case, however they were granted permission to appeal.

References

1. ^ Christian Institute Homepage
2. ^ ^{a b} The Christian Institute, Registered Charity no. 1004774 at the Charity Commission
3. ^ Campaigning charity told to steer clear of politics. The Daily Telegraph, 23 August 2001
4. ^ UK Parliament Publications
5. ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 Nov 2004 (pt 18)
6. ^ Sims, Paul (21 May 2008). "Christian registrar 'threatened with sack' after refusing to conduct gay marriages". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1020809/Christian-registrar-threatened-sack-refusing-conduct-gay-marriages.html. 
7. ^ Landmark rulings strengthen gay rights in workplace. The Guardian, December 20, 2008
8. ^ Islington “Christian registrar” loses High Court appeal
9. ^ Islington Registrar refused permission to appeal to Supreme Court
10. ^ "Gay couple hail hotel snub ruling". Press Association. 18 January 2011. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h-hNHGRnYPOYWvf-lm65nu8q7uig?docId=N0215851295345448354A. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 

See also

• Literalism and inerrancy
• Christian right
• Evangelicalism
• Fundamentalist Christianity