NEWS ........

Dateline 14th July 2005

We reproduce the following extracts from a June press release from Christian Voice and suggest that if any one banks with the CO-OP that they should not do so in future. It is quite clear that the fascist left in Britain took a strategic decision to "target" Christian Voice.

UK Conservatism accepts Christian teaching on homosexuality, rejects both the persecution of homosexuals and the institutionalisation through tax privileges of homosexual relationships.

A decision by the Co-operative Bank to demand that Christian Voice close its account has led to accusations that the bank is 'hypocritical' in its application of human rights by discriminating against Christians, and a call for Christians to boycott the Co-op. The Bank's decision to throw out Christian Voice, well known for its evangelical stance after leading opposition to Jerry Springer the Opera, comes after hospital bosses in Leicester tried to ban the Bible from patients' bedsides, and a cross was taken down from a Torbay crematorium chapel. In May, a hostel for the homeless in King's Lynn was threatened with the removal of its funding for having bibles in the rooms and saying grace before meals.

Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today: "The decision from the Co-operative Bank fits a pattern where politically-correct bully-boys try to attack Christian organisations, Christian symbols, the Bible, and in the case of Jerry Springer the Opera and BBC2, even the person of our Saviour."

In a letter earlier this month, C. Henfrey, a manager at the Co-op told Christian Voice: "Following a review of the activities of Christian Voice, we wish to give you notice that we require you to close your account with the Co-operative Bank plc. It has come to our attention that Christian Voice is engaged in discriminatory pronouncements, based on the grounds of sexual orientation. This public stance is incompatible with the position of the Co-operative Bank, which publicly supports diversity, in all its forms, for our staff, customers and other stakeholders." The letter went on to give Christian Voice 30 days to get their account out of the Co-op. The action comes days after Christian Voice applied through the Co-op to HSBC for the facility to accept donations on-line.

Stephen Green retorted: "Of course we make 'discriminatory pronouncements on grounds of sexual orientation'. We have been criticising homosexual rights ever since we started eleven years ago. Standing up for righteousness is what we do. www.christianvoice.org.uk

"We told the Co-op bank when we switched to them three years ago that we were a voice for Biblical values and that we promote traditional family life. They raised no problem with that at all, and at no time did they tell us about their militant pro-homosexuality. Even today, on their website, they keep that very quiet. www.co-operativebank.co.uk

Only in the Bank's staff recruitment section is there any word about 'diversity' and the words 'in all its forms' or "sexual orientation" are nowhere to be seen. All the questions on the ethical questionnaire we had to complete were to do with whether we traded in arms or chemicals or had dealings with oppressive regimes. (This is the kind of all embracing political correctness based on arbitrary selection and interpretation of words like "oppressive" which characterise all hegemonists. What of chemical industry workers who bank with the Co-op? - ed) We quite truthfully said we did not, and we reckon the Co-operative Bank are in breach of contract - not that we would want to continue with such a discriminatory, anti-Christian outfit anyway."

Paul Monaghan, 'Head of Sustainable Development' at the Co-operative Bank, rang Stephen Green to tell him that anyone who regarded homosexual acts as sinful had no place banking with the Co-op at all. "The Co-operative Bank has been…….. actively present at the Manchester Gay Pride march and Cardiff Mardi Gras and want to be present at every gay event." (In other words the Co-op is not a respectable bank at all, it is a bigoted, politicised promotor of homosexuality - and thereby inter alia an advocate of taxing single parents and heterosexual marriage to finance homosexual "marriage!" - ed)

Stephen Green said, "The Co-op centre all their banking policies around the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which does not mention 'diversity' or sexual orientation once. But it does say this, in Article 18: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion' and in Article 16(3) 'The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State'