[124.1] CHURCH, STATE AND RELIGIOUS ABUSE

The appalling case of an eight-year-old child who was beaten, cut and attacked by Christian parents who believed that she was a witch highlights the serious need to tackle religious abuse, and the terrible reality of some types of fundamentalist-style religion. However the reporting of this in the media has run close to negative stereotyping African culture, perhaps in an analogous way to the positive stereotyping that goes on in some Christian media keen to paint a simplistic picture of the 'corrupt West' and the godly African church.

As part of the reaction to all this, MP Diane Abbott has called for consideration of religious registration. I don't think this is helpful, but as an associate of Ekklesia I have made some alternative constructive proposals.

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