It has been heart-warming to see the "Mail On Sunday" (initially) followed by the national TV news stations defending the rights of a 64 year old grandfather, and former soldier, to display a Christian cross on the dashboard on his company van.
Colin Atkinson, is a qualified electrician who has worked for the Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) for over fifteen years, with an unblemished record. Now, the company are threatening to sack him for refusing to remove the cross from the company vehicle!
He has displayed the cross for all of the time in his employment with the WDH, but because of one small anonymous letter of complaint, he has been asked to take it off display. Somehow it NOW "breaches" company rules, but NOT in the previous fifteen years!
Colin is standing up for Christian faith in this dark and dismal area of political correctness gone mad, and he is willing to lose his job over it, knowing that if he is dismissed for disciplinary grounds, he will lose his right to financial compensation. And at 64, he will also find it difficult to get another job.
Colin is quoted as saying, "The treatment of Christians in this country is becoming diabolical.....but I will stand up for my faith".
His union is supporting Colin, as is the Christian Legal Centre, plus many friends and colleagues, some of whom have no religious beliefs at all, and some of whom are Muslims and Sikhs.
His boss, Mr Denis Doody is a committed Communist, however, and he is allowed to adorn "his company office" with pictures of Che Guevara, and many quotes by the Marxist guerrilla leader, such is the hypocrisy of WDH.
Another spokeswoman for the company, Jayne O'Connell, the Equality and Diversity Manager, said that they would allow a Muslim woman to work there wearing the full BURKA and veil, but poor old Colin is not allowed to display a simple eight inch hand-made cross of palm leaves!
This is just the latest of many cases where committed Christians have been persecuted for wearing Christian jewellery, crosses and other emblems; hoteliers are taken to court for refusing beds to homosexual couples; street preachers are arrested for criticising sodomy; and all sorts of mayhem follow if you dare to criticise Mohammad or the Koran.
At least on this occasion the Mail on Sunday, and the national television news are supporting the Christian involved. This is becoming more and more rare, however, in these depressive days of anti-Christian and anti-Semetic attacks.
We need to hold fast and pray. The Bible warns us that we will be persecuted for our faith in these latter days of the Lord's end time programme. But take heart, and look up, for our redemption draws ever nearer!
Neville Stephens (19th April).
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GOOD NEWS:
As a lovely follow-up to the above article, just before Good Friday the Wakefield and District Housing bowed to enormous pressure from just about every angle possible.
Colin was re-instated to his job, after a period of "gardening leave", the threat of being sacked was lifted, he is allowed to display the cross in his van, but there are several conditions imposed on his re-instatement!
He has been "gagged" by the WDH, and he is not allowed to comment on the situation, and neither is his Union or other represenatives who attended the disciplinary hearing. Failure to do so will bring back into play, the threat of further punitive actions.
It is certainly a victory for our Christian position, and the right to display emblems and jewellery advertising our faith in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. But it is also very sad that Colin and his wife suffered health problems as they fought their case, and the WDH only retreated after enormous pressure from employees, friends, colleagues, Christian organisations, other faith organisations, politicians, union representation, and other sources.
And even now, Colin and his Union are not allowed to talk about it.
We give thanks to God for this victory, but we are still very sad that Christians are becoming more and more persecuted for standing up for their faith in these latter times.
Neville Stephens (23rd April).
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