Cancel Culture Disgracefully Strikes Glasgow Conference Opposing Sexualisation of Children
Rev. William Philip writes…
On Thursday I had an ‘SOS’ phone call from a friend asking whether a group could possibly hold a conference at our church in the centre of Glasgow on Saturday. The reason for such a last-minute request was that the group – Hands Up Scotland (HUS) – had just been told it was no longer welcome at the venue it had hired months before.
I discovered that Hands Up Scotland is a group of parents, teachers and university lecturers with various education-related concerns. These include the politicisation of Scottish education, the sexualisation of children through sex education, the promotion of transgender ideology and the lack of transparency around resources being used in schools that are created by third parties.
It had arranged a conference to discuss all these concerns and possible ways to respond. The noted sociology professor Frank Furedi would give the keynote address. Other speakers included current and former teachers, parents, feminists and university academics.
But we live in an age of cancel culture. And sure enough it had struck again.
Some people at the venue – Civic House here in Glasgow – found the planned agenda to be “in opposition to the values held by our team and staff members who comprise part of the LGBTQ+ community” and refused to staff it.
I was happy to be able to help by making our city centre premises available instead. Like many Christians, I know what it’s like to be ‘cancelled’ for speaking about truth so I’m sympathetic to those who are attacked for simply trying to have a reasonable discourse.
And these are hugely significant issues. Naturally, people will have all sorts of views on them. For the record, I share many of the same concerns being raised by Hands Up Scotland. But that’s not the point. The point is that our overall understanding of any subject matter benefits from being exposed to different views. Ideas are presented, debated, challenged and – ideally – refined. And in a democratic society we should be able to air different views to achieve this. This is even more important when we’re talking about how Government policy is implemented, as was the case with this conference.
I believe that parents have God-given authority over their children. It is also written into law that parents, not the state, are ultimately responsible for the education of their children. And it is a simple fact that many parents today are deeply troubled by what they see (rightly, in my view) as the harmful ideological indoctrination taking place in schools – sadly, perhaps even more so in Scotland than elsewhere. It is to be expected that they will want to do what they can to protect their children, and it is a Christian duty to encourage them in this.
Sadly, as the U.K. Supreme Court pronounced some years ago, the Scottish Government has a tendency towards the totalitarian. Indeed, this is especially so when it comes to the young. In that ruling, which struck down the Scottish Government’s notorious ‘Named Person Scheme’, the judges memorably said: “The first thing that a totalitarian regime tries to do is to get at the children, to distance them from the subversive, varied influences of their families, and indoctrinate them in their rulers’ view of the world.”
Christians, and all decent people, have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable and we are glad to stand with those who want to protect children from exploitation.
The Bible tells us that God cares for children, and the Lord Jesus welcomed them. The Christian Church has always given a voice for those who cannot defend themselves from exploitation and harm; not least children, whether in the womb or in their years of vulnerability as they grow and develop from birth to maturity.
We stand with families against all those who would seek to capture children through harmful ideologies and damaging indoctrination.
Making rooms available to them when another organisation refuses is the very least we can do.
William Philip is Senior Minister of the Tron Church, Glasgow.
Editor writes…
I can’t say I’m impressed with the original venue for the Hands Up Scotland (HUS) Conference. The Civic House in Glasgow doesn’t look like it can afford to turn away business. Still, the Wonders of Wokedom seems to be the proverbial gift that keeps on giving. Just when you think there can be no more ridiculous cancellations, for example, another one turns up in the news.
Let’s reflect for a moment on the hospitable response of the Minister, Dr William Philip, who has featured on this blog before here and here
When he received the SOS, the phone call from a friend seeking help in the face of the disgraceful cancel culture that struck down the HUS Conference, Dr Philip’s immediate readiness to offer his premises to save the Conference was as willing as any eco-warrior bent on saving the planet.
Can’t help wondering what might have been the response if the Scottish Bishops’ Conference – or any parish priest with a suitable hall – had received that call for help. I like to think they’d have responded with similar Christian charity, but I wonder if the very possibility of appearing to criticise the Scottish Government’s sex education programmes would have inspired, rather, a “no room at the inn – sorry” response, instead. The relationship between the Catholic hierarchy in Scotland and the SNP led Scottish Government has been too close for comfort for a long time now, in my considered opinion, but then, I don’t know everything so maybe I’m wrong about this. Before rushing to such a hasty conclusion, however, note that I’ve just checked the websites of the Scottish Catholic Media Office and the Bishops Conference of Scotland and can find nothing on any of the topic(s) of concern to the HUS Conference mentioned there, at all.
Your thoughts…
Comments (27)
ED You certainly do not want to know my thoughts [ in writing ] on the Reprobate LGBTQ2WXYZ mob, personally as far as am concerned the talking with these Queers and Self Amputated Men and Women is over. They have most certainly had enough of the ” Am Different ” excuses from me. And i firmly agree with you that our so called Catholic Hierarchy is much to cosy ,both with the Horrible S.N.P. and the Alphabet Brigade.
As for this good Protestant Minister their is no way that our Catholic Priests would have backed Hands Up Scotland ,simply because we know and they know that they would have been either Cancelled by our Useless Bishops or severely reprimanded.
We all on here would not bother with the Reprobates, especially if they left both us and our Children alone, but know they have to keep pushing ,and pushing their depravity onto the rest of us. As i say the talking is over and if they come near my Granddaughters then they get their Operations Free .
FOOF,
It’s a wonder you don’t sign up for those assertiveness classes that editor recommended for you a while back, LOL! You do know how to say it how it is!
It’s sad but true that the bishops/clergy in general are much too cosy with the SNP and LGBTQ+ “community” – it’s all part of the same diabolical disorientation and it crept upon us over time. It’s astounding to think how far things have changed.
I was actually taken aback to visit the sites of the Scottish Catholic Media Office and the Bishops’ Conference, and find nothing whatsoever about Catholic education or the issues of LGBTQI+ / transgenderism, nothing. That suggests a policy of tolerance which is totally at odds with the Gospels.
The minister, Rev Philip, is to be warmly commended. He is a man of action as we’ve seen before when discussing his work. In this case, he will surely be rewarded by Our Lord for his efforts to shine a much-needed light on the evil attacks on the innocence of children in schools, where they should be safe, and also the contempt for parental rights which we see over and over again in the Scottish government.
Thank you, Rev. Philip.
I was thinking while I was reading this: the Catholic bishops of Scotland will be raging when they hear about this and will be quick to respond……….then I thought…. mibbes naw!
I wish I had known about this man when I responded to the request to write to the Pope`s representative in London when we were asked to suggest a name for the new bishop of Galloway.
I wonder if I have still time to tell him I have found an ideal candidate.
Frankier,
Rev. Philip, the “ideal candidate” for bishop of Galloway – LOL! I wonder what he’d think of that!
It’s well past time we had a bishop of his calibre, though, seriously. At least in the States they have a few, so we’ll need to pray harder to catch up.
It’s absolutely disgraceful that the Civic House venue was able to cancel that conference. I’m thinking, did the HUS group not have a contract with them? If they broke the terms of that contract, I’d encourage HUS to take them to civil court for inconvenience and the return of any deposit etc.
Frankier,
A bishop of the calibre of the Rev Philip would be ideal, right enough! If only! I think we’d need to convert him first! He might be married, as well, so that would mean an annulment, LOL!
He deserves all the praise in the world for his hospitality and for risking the wrath of the LGBTQ+ people who oppose the conference. We should keep him in our prayers.
It really is an outrage that any venue can just cancel an event like a conference because they disagree with the content, short of known terrorists openly planning terrorism. Just imagine if any venue did that to the LGBTQI+ people if they were having a meeting of some kind in a hotel run by a Christian who decided to cancel on grounds of conscience, not to participate in an event which is approving and seeking to spread homosexuality/transgenderism, whatever it is? There would be a national outcry.
The double standards are sickening.
The double standards really are sickening – as you say if the situation was reversed, all hell would break loose and the msm would have a field day calling out the “bigotry”.
I keep thinking about Our Lady of Fatima and the warnings she gave about the way the world and the Church would become disorientated. Also, the Quito apparition 400 years ago revealing the attacks on the innocence of children to come in the 20th century. It’s amazing to be living through this and seeing these prophecies coming true. In this short video, Mother Miriam speaks about the bishops being complicit in the evil around us. Her words apply as much to the Scottish bishops being complicit in this situation, the indoctrination, the sexualisation of schoolchildren, as they do to the USA bishops.
Laura,
Thank you for posting that excellent video extract. Mother Miriam is wonderful – she speaks frankly but softly. I wholeheartedly agree with everything she has said there about the complicity of the bishops. God bless her.
Congratulations to Rev. William Philip for coming to the aid of Hands up Scotland and their Conference.
What is very frightening is that a group of people with legitimate concerns for their offspring, for children and for those whom they love, as God has asked us to, were originally denied the right, in our so called democracy, for freedom to meet and speak when what they wished to discuss became known to the LGBTQ+ community. This is definitely not the first time I have seen LGBTQ+ do this, neither will it be the last, not just by them but also the likes of Greens and their global warming agenda, The First Minister’s suppression of Christians right to pray publicly and . . . . . . . . . .
As warned by Our Lady, if Russia was not consecrated to her Immaculate Heart, in exactly the way she asked, Communism would spread its errors throughout the world.
The above is a typical example of communist suppression of the right to speak, meet, in our so called democratic country.
How long more will it continue, how much stronger will it grow, before we will be prepared to reject it with vigour?
And I should have added:
The way so called western democracies through giving either false information, or declining to give the facts, suppressing, hidding them regarding covid, terrorised nations to get this abortion founded jab that doesn’t work – “had covid now twice since my first vacine and getting my winter booster to help me avoid” – stupid!
Such terrorism which is through false information is most definitely communism.
Scots Padre,
I agree with everything you say in both your comments, especially that second one about the covid / vaccine terrorism. Well said!
Our Lady said at Fatima that Communism would spread across the world and the Communists said they would do it without firing a shot – and so they have.
Scots Padre,
Your generous praise for Rev Philip suggests you would love to be able to do the same. The sound priests are inhibited because of the cancel culture – from the bishops! Sound priests have been in hot water with their bishops for what, for doing the right thing. It’s all part of the upside-down world and Church right now. So, that’s my best guess about you, LOL!
As for Fatima – I agree, that is the key. It’s that concern about how much worse are things going to get before we have a pope who will do the Russian Consecration properly? It can’t be much longer, surely. I keep thinking that God will act soon, but soon never comes!
I’m very impressed, yet again, with the Rev Philip. He has a thoroughly Christ-like heart. I hope and pray that he receives the grace of the Catholic faith – and soon! We need him!
I have no words for the mean-spirited Civic House venue people – as said in the intro, it doesn’t look like it can afford to turn away business! So much for the free speech and freedom of association that got the LGBTQ+ people their right to live openly after years of homosexuality being a criminal offence. It’s OK for them to have free speech etc but not for anyone who disagrees with them in any way.
The Rev. Philip is indeed a good and courageous Christian. God will will bless him in His own good time. We need men like him, men of goodwill and of all faiths to join in this fight. I know it’s so easy to slip into a false ecumenism but there is a part to be played by good people coming together on these issues that affect us all, instead of squabbling amongst ourselves.
In my opinion our leaders are mainly spineless. Why are good priests so scared of upsetting them, I ask? Not very fatherly, now is it? If the bishops had the courage AND the faith to publicly condemn this godless government, condemn from every pulpit , we’d see some changes. A US priest said to his congregation “you can’t be Catholic and a Democrat”; would that our bishops would say “you can’t be Catholic and vote SNP”. That’d make them sit up!! Before someone jumps in, I KNOW that there are a few good and principled MSPs.
Crofterlady,
The problem is, it’s not just the SNP we can’t or shouldn’t vote for, it’s ALL the Parties right now.
I don’t buy this “least harmful” – we cannot vote for evil, no matter what. We can spoil our ballot paper, say why we are not voting, but we will not find it easy to explain to God at our particular judgment why we thought it was OK to vote for people who were making evil acceptable in all sorts of way in our society.
crofterlady,
What do you mean by “squabbling among ourselves”?
I can’t remember which pope but one of the pre-Vatican II popes said there was a danger in the idea of working with non-Catholics on various issues – I wish I could remember who it was because he explained it clearly and it made sense. I think it may lead to indifferentism, along the lines that well, if we can sort out these issues in society, it doesn’t matter about the Church. I have a feeling that’s more or less what the pope said.
By discussing this action of the Protestant minister on this Catholic blog, we are not in any way suggesting that it doesn’t matter whether people are Catholics or not. In fact, some bloggers have mentioned praying for the minister to receive the grace of the faith, and that is true charity. To say, let’s work together on moral issues and it doesn’t matter, by the way, whether you are Catholic or not, is not true charity. I’m sure you don’t think the insistence on there being one true Church is “squabbling” any more than you think Jesus was “squabbling” when he refused to change his doctrine on the Eucharist and instead let the followers who couldn’t accept that teaching walk away (John’s Gospel). So, I’d be interested to know what you mean by “squabbling among ourselves”. Are you saying that the main thing is to be a “Christian”, not necessarily a Catholic? Or do you mean that only applies when working together for the good of society and if so, do you think the earlier pope was wrong to point this out as a danger?
Michaela,
You make an important point. I can’t work out which pre-Vatican II pope referred to ecumenical activity, but I found this more recently from the CDF, 2007. I think it is referring more to working with non-Christians altogether, but it is of interest in this context as well, IMHO.
3. There is today, however, a growing confusion which leads many to leave the missionary command of the Lord unheard and ineffective (cf. Mt 28:19). Often it is maintained that any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limitation of their freedom. From this perspective, it would only be legitimate to present one’s own ideas and to invite people to act according to their consciences, without aiming at their conversion to Christ and to the Catholic faith. It is enough, so they say, to help people to become more human or more faithful to their own religion; it is enough to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity. Furthermore, some maintain that Christ should not be proclaimed to those who do not know him, nor should joining the Church be promoted, since it would also be possible to be saved without explicit knowledge of Christ and without formal incorporation in the Church.
In the face of these problems, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged it necessary to publish the present Note. This document, which presupposes the entirety of Catholic doctrine on evangelization, as extensively treated in the teaching of Paul VI and John Paul II, is intended to clarify certain aspects of the relationship between the missionary command of the Lord and respect for the conscience and religious freedom of all people. It is an issue with important anthropological, ecclesiological and ecumenical implications.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20071203_nota-evangelizzazione_en.html
Michael, that deserves a detailed reply to which I’ll hopefully be able to reply in the next few days. I’m just about board a long haul flight.
I forgot to say that I am full of admiration for the Rev William Philip. He is a man of stature, and I have absolutely no doubt that he is very pleasing to God. But that is, he is pleasing to God as an individual, just as God accepts the prayers of individuals who are outside the Church but their “group” prayer (if I can term it that way) is not pleasing to him because, thanks to Martin Luther, they are part of Christendom but outside the Church founded by Jesus himself.
I also have no time for cancel culture. It is a cowardly way of ducking out of listening to an opposite point of view. It is oppressive and not at all in keeping with the supposed ideals of a democracy.
Since this topic is about the Communist take-over via, in part, cancel culture, I thought this article would be an interesting example of how the Communist revolution, just like the French Revolution, always eats its own:
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/11/22/uk-police-investigating-teacher-saying-9-11-terrorists-muslims/
Apparently the UK police should change their name to the “UK Thought Police.”
RCA Victor,
Game, set and match! That’s a very interesting report indeed. As you say, the revolutionaries end up eating their own! Message from CT – enjoy! 😀
I also meant to say previously that I am sick and tired of the LGBTQ+ people imposing their will on everyone else all the time. Someone needs to tell them to keep their opinions and “offence” to themselves. We don’t want to hear about it.
I’ve just received this interview, with Rev William Philip and Richard Lucas, of the Scottish Family party. I’m sure it will be of much interest here – I’ve not yet had time to watch it myself, but I’m looking forward to enjoying it later…
A little later – I thoroughly enjoyed the above conversation and recommend it, especially to any priests visiting here. You really will benefit from paying close attention to what the Rev Philip says, especially about the Covid restrictions; you might note that, while he mentions Martin Luther’s response to the Black Plague, we have the great saint Charles Borromeo who administered the sick in Milan, taking the Sacraments to them during the 16th century plague. Very well worth watching and listening to the above interview.
editor
That is a wonderful interview. I’m glad you recommended it to priests because they were quite the let-down during Covid and hearing the Rev Philip might make them feel shame-faced, no small thing.
This is Tucker Carlson on the way paedophilia movement in the USA is ignored by the media. As we can see from the cancelling of this conference, the same is happening here.