Biblical Christians banned
Tell Barclays Bank to respect religious freedom
Tell Barclays Bank to respect religious freedom
Barclays Bank has unilaterally decided to withdraw banking services to one of their customers, a Christian organisation, the Core Issues Trust (CIT), following pressure from high-profile LGBT activists.
While no official explanation has been given, it seems as though Barclays are following in the footsteps of other financial institutions such as Paypal and MailChimp who also withdrew their services, after high-profile activists targeted their organisations on Twitter.
The Core Issues Trust has been targeted because they offer counselling and support for individuals experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction and gender confusion but nevertheless wish to live by traditional Christian principles.
CIT explicitly condemns and abhors abusive techniques such as electroshock therapy or ‘corrective rape’ and does not employ compulsion or coercion, yet nonetheless they are being accused of ‘conversion therapy’ simply because they help individuals on a one-to-one basis, who wish to explore the concept of sexual attraction fluidity.
In 2008 Barclays Bank were happy to receive an enormous injection of funds from Qatar, a country where homosexuality is illegal, in order to avoid a UK government bail-out and still continue to invest heavily in the Middle East and operate in countries where draconian punishments are handed out to anyone suspected of engaging homosexual activity.
In addition to the decision by Barclays to withdraw their services, the Core Issues Trust and their CEO Mike Davidson have experienced horrific amounts of abuse both on and offline, including nuisance phone calls and hateful messages expressing a desire that their employees and their families will be killed or raped. They have also been subject to familiar tactics of being signed up to various porn and fetish sites. Social media companies have removed their content, despite it being approved and published online over two years ago and employees have found themselves unable to block aggressive trolls.
The decision of Barclays Bank to withdraw banking facilities, supports and validates this kind of demonisation and validates prejudice against a religious minority. Whatever happened to the principle of ‘living your best life’? Does this not apply to Christians?
It is not the role of a commercial organisation to act as the moral arbiter or police the religious beliefs of their customers. This decision which pays lips service to the mob, smacks of hypocrisy, and intolerance and is an assault on religious freedom and personal conscience.
Organisations ought not to succumb to the demands of social media mobs and remove vital services from religious minorities acting perfectly legally, simply because they disagree with their values or faith.
Sign the petition demanding that Barclays immediately reinstates banking support to the Core Issues Trust.
More Information:
UK Christian ministry receives death threats (Fox News): https://www.foxnews.com/world/christian-ministry-uk-death-threats
Christian Charity loses access to banking after LGBT activists campaign (Breitbart):
Christian charity that claims it helps people with unwanted same sex attraction has bank account closed by Barclays (Premier Christian):
Core Issues Trust
https://www.core-issues.org/news/christian-ministry-loses-bank-account-after-harassment-campaign
Complete your signature
Sign this petition now!
Reinstate the bank accounts of the Core Issues Trust
To: the Chief Executive of Barclays Bank and the CEO of UK Retail and Business banking
Dear Messrs Staley and Hammerstein,
I am writing to protest your unilateral decision to withdraw banking services and support from the Core Issues Trust (CIT) without any kind of explanation.
It seems as though your decision has been knee-jerk and driven by pressure from high-profile and influential LGBT activists without any kind of thoughtful consideration for the needs of your soon-to-be former, customers or those whom they wish to support.
CIT do not offer controversial ‘conversion therapy’ but rather one-to-one counselling and support for those living with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction and gender confusion, helping them to live their lives via traditional Christian principles. No compulsion or coercion is involved and neither do they employ any physically or emotionally abusive techniques.
It is not the role of a commercial organisation to act as a moral arbiter over the perfectly legal activities and religious beliefs of one of your customers. It is extremely disappointing to see your organisation exercising unjust discrimination against a minority faith group. I note that you were not so queasy on the issue of LGBT rights when it came to accepting funds from Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, in 2008, in order to avoid a UK government bail-out.
A commitment to diversity ought to mean that all groups, including those belonging to religious minorities are able to feel welcome, but you are effectively interfering in the religious freedoms which are protected under the European Convention on Human Rights.
You should know better than to succumb to mob rule, validate prejudices and support the demonisation of a particular religious group or any protected minority with whom you disagree. These are not the principles of tolerance.
I strongly urge you to reverse your decision and allow the Core Issues Trust to continue as valued customers.
Yours sincerely,
Reinstate the bank accounts of the Core Issues Trust
To: the Chief Executive of Barclays Bank and the CEO of UK Retail and Business banking
Dear Messrs Staley and Hammerstein,
I am writing to protest your unilateral decision to withdraw banking services and support from the Core Issues Trust (CIT) without any kind of explanation.
It seems as though your decision has been knee-jerk and driven by pressure from high-profile and influential LGBT activists without any kind of thoughtful consideration for the needs of your soon-to-be former, customers or those whom they wish to support.
CIT do not offer controversial ‘conversion therapy’ but rather one-to-one counselling and support for those living with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction and gender confusion, helping them to live their lives via traditional Christian principles. No compulsion or coercion is involved and neither do they employ any physically or emotionally abusive techniques.
It is not the role of a commercial organisation to act as a moral arbiter over the perfectly legal activities and religious beliefs of one of your customers. It is extremely disappointing to see your organisation exercising unjust discrimination against a minority faith group. I note that you were not so queasy on the issue of LGBT rights when it came to accepting funds from Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, in 2008, in order to avoid a UK government bail-out.
A commitment to diversity ought to mean that all groups, including those belonging to religious minorities are able to feel welcome, but you are effectively interfering in the religious freedoms which are protected under the European Convention on Human Rights.
You should know better than to succumb to mob rule, validate prejudices and support the demonisation of a particular religious group or any protected minority with whom you disagree. These are not the principles of tolerance.
I strongly urge you to reverse your decision and allow the Core Issues Trust to continue as valued customers.
Yours sincerely,
