THE COUNCIL OF BOURNEMOUTH, CHRISTCHURCH, AND POOLE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND HAS MADE MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AND PRAYER ILLEGAL IN PUBLIC AREAS AROUND AN ABORTION CLINIC; ALLEGED NEWS. [1] The Council of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole has drawn red lines around an abortion provider and designated the area a "safe zone"; Alleged News. [1] Any individual caught crossing themselves, reciting Scripture, or sprinkling holy water behind these lines can be fined 100 pounds or risk a court conviction; Alleged News. [1]
According to tweet reportedly by Twitter user Gavin Ashenden, a visual of Safe Zone Public Spaces Protection Order includes counselling as a prohibited activity; Alleged News. [1]
Penalties provided by PSPO
Under penalty provided by the PSPO, the council forbids a number of behaviors from Monday to Friday between 7am and 7pm, including vigils where members audibly pray, recite Scripture, genuflect, sprinkle holy water on the ground, cross themselves; Alleged News. [1] Further prohibited behaviors can include prayer or counselling; Alleged News. [1]
Abortion clients under possible ban
Abortion clients who access abortion services within the PSPO safe zone, and who experience trauma during abortion, possibly will be banned (under restraint of possible fine or conviction) from practice of personal religious beliefs or freedom of access to post-counselling support within the safe zone.
Abortion may prove a traumatic event. Results from the study by Alipanahpour et al. found that the mean (SD) of post-traumatic stress scores was 83.87 (18.35) and 77.40 (9.88) in spontaneous abortion, 82.28 (13.27) and 75.71 (14.73) in FMC permitted abortions, and 86.66 (10.10) and 74.98 (12.99) in induced abortions immediately and 1 month after abortion, respectively. [2]
Further studies show that abortion increases the risk of suicide. [3] and [4]
Rights to freedom of religion and belief protected in UK
In the United Kingdom, human rights are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998; Alleged News. [5] The Act gives effect to the human rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights; Alleged News. [5]
Article 9 - the right to freedom of religion and belief is one of the rights protected by the Human Rights Act, Alleged News. [5]
Article 9 protects the human right to hold both religious and non-religious beliefs, Alleged News. [5] This is an absolute right, which means it cannot be interfered with by the State, Alleged News. [5] Article 9 also protects the right to manifest beliefs; Alleged News. [5]
The right to manifest beliefs is qualified, Alleged News. [5] This means it can be interfered with in certain situations - for example, to protect the rights of others; Alleged News. [5]
Banning the sign of the cross
The use of the sign of the cross traces back to early Christianity, with the second century Apostolic tradition directing that it be used during the minor exorcism of baptism, during ablutions before praying at fixed prayer times, and in times of temptation.
Making the sign of the cross (Latin: signum crucis) or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity, such as Catholicism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Church of Scotland, Presbyterian Church (USA), Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Armenian Apostolic, Assyrian Church of the East and some Independent Churches.
The sign of the cross
The sign of the cross is used as -
- a sign of our redemption
- a sign of belief in Almighty God
- a sign to invoke blessing
- a sign to ward off evil
- the sign of the cross is made before and at the end of the private or public devotional holy rosary and other devotions
- the sign of the cross is used as invocation of God's Benediction and/or Protection in a difficult situation
- the sign of the cross is made when passing nearby a church in order to acknowledge the Holy Presence of God in His House of worship
- the sign of the cross is used when a sign if imminent death - personal or other - is feared
- the sign of the cross is used when the believer is faced with a temptation to wrong. The religious sign is made in order to request special strength and Grace from God in order to resist the temptation to do wrong
The banning of the sign of the cross may mean that -
- the believer may not make the holy sign if in proximity to a holy church
- the believer may not make the holy sign if a personal heart attack begins and fear of death is experienced
- the believer may not invoke the Protection of God if personal difficulty is experienced
- the believer may not pray with personal religious expression without looking for Public Space Protection Order signs which may render such personal prayer open to misinterpretation and possibility of court conviction with resultant criminal record
- the believer may not invoke the aid of Almighty God when faced with personal temptation to do wrong
Counselling
Those who leave an abortion center may find themselves in need of counselling after traumatic event. Counselling may prove of assistance in a difficult life event such as bereavement, a relationship breakdown, work-related stress or recent abortion.
Counselling is a talking therapy which involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues. [6] It is possible that counsellors not only practice in professional setting, but also find their skills called upon in a general public area when an individual is undergoing an emotional situation.
The banning of counselling is a certain area may mean that -
- a counsellor possibly may not offer counsel assistance to a passer-by experiencing post-traumatic emotional distress without first looking for Public Space Protection Order signs which may render such assistance open to misinterpretation and possibility of court conviction with resultant criminal record
- an abortion service client possibly may not request counsel assistance immediately post-abortion without looking for Public Space Protection Order signs which may render the request of such assistance open to misinterpretation and possibility of court conviction.
[1] English town forbids making sign of the cross, using holy water near abortion center; Alleged News
[2] Alipanahpour et.al., The severity of post-abortion stress in spontaneous, induced and forensic medical center permitted abortion in Shiraz, Iran, in 2018
Alipanahpour S, Zarshenas M, Ghodrati F, Akbarzadeh M. The severity of post-abortion stress in spontaneous, induced and forensic medical center permitted abortion in Shiraz, Iran, in 2018. Iranian J Nursing Midwifery Res [serial online] 2020 [cited 2022 Oct 30];25:84-90. Available from: https://www.ijnmrjournal.net/text.asp?2020/25/1/84/274129 |
[3] Suicide after abortion, Alleged News
https://thelifeinstitute.net/learning-centre/abortion-effects/suicide-after-abortion
[4] Link between abortion and suicide, Alleged News
https://lumierecharity.blogspot.com/2016/12/link-between-abortion-and-suicide.html
[5] Your right to freedom of religion and belief; Alleged News
[6] NHS Counselling, Alleged News
With thanks to catholicnewsagency.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, thelifeinstitute.net, citizensadvice,org.uk and nhs.uk
