The religious freedom news out of the UK has not been encouraging the past few years. Stories of some positive recognition by the government of the vital role that faith organizations play in society, leading to added support, have been far outweighed by news about the closure of Catholic adoption agencies, persecution of the Christian owners of a B and B, the insistence of activists that religious conceptions (e.g., about what marriage is and means) are not only wrong but cannot legitimately be advanced in public debate, and so on.

If these are some of the trees, what does the UK forest look like? A useful look at a large part of the forest was published back in February by Christians in Parliament, “Clearing the Ground inquiry: Preliminary report into the freedom of Christians in the UK.” Among the important points:

* “Christians in the UK are not persecuted. To suggest that they are is to minimise the suffering of Christians in many parts of the world who face repression, imprisonment and death if they worship, preach or convert.”

* “However, the frequency and nature of the [court] cases indicates a narrowing of the space for the articulation, expression and demonstration of Christian belief.”

* One major reason for wrongful restrictions on religious expression is “a high level of religious illiteracy which has led to many situations where religious belief is misunderstood.”

* Government regulations and court decisions have created a “hierarchy of rights” in which religious freedom is routinely subordinated to gay rights.

* A possible solution to the rights conflicts would be the introduction of a “reasonable accommodation” standard which would promote respect for all views in a diverse society with its diverse service providers instead of requiring the suppression of religious standards.

* “Christians have, and will always, experience tensions between their beliefs and the shifting values of the societies that they live in. To some extent the present tensions should be seen as an encouragement of faithful witnesses.”

* “Ahead of bringing cases to court, Christians need to consider the potential impact their actions might have on politics, public opinion and the confidence of other Christians in their mission.”

* “Now, too often the Church is defined by what it opposes rather than what it stands for. It is essential that Christians once again provide hope and a vision for society that goes beyond defending their own interests and includes the good of all.”