Published: May 4th 2010 - at 10:34 pmCameron backs Stroud; doesn’t deny allegations
David Cameron has today evening defended the PPC Phillipa Stroud, but pointedly did not refute the allegations made in the original Observer article.
In an email reply to a constituent, passed on to Liberal Conspiracy, Cameron’s office released this statement:
Philippa makes no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that she believes homosexuality to be an illness. Indeed, Philippa was deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise.
Since David Cameron became Leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, he has made clear the Party’s commitment to sexual equality and gay rights – from his first conference speech, in which he proudly confirmed our support for Civil Partnerships, to his apology for our former stance on Section 28. We have supported tackling homophobic bullying and measures to tackle incitement to gay hatred, and we have opened up Conservative candidate selection to people from all backgrounds.
Philippa Stroud has spent more than 20 years working with disturbed people who society have turned their back on and who are often not helped by state agencies. Drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill and the homeless are just some of the people that Philippa and her friends in the charitable sector have tried to help over the years. The idea that she is prejudiced against gay people is false.
The same statement was made to the BBC Asian Network today.
But Cameron’s statement does not refute the central allegation: that Stroud set up an evangelical Church that prayed for homosexuals to be saved.
All the charity work in the world doesn’t hide that fact, and neither has any statement by Stroud or Cameron’s office refuted that central point.
As Pink News points out:
When PinkNews.co.uk pointed out to her spokesman that he Observer’s prime claim was not that she believed homosexuality to be an illness and instead that she appeared to believe it could be overcome through prayer and removing “demons”, he said: “We will not be adding to or subtracting to [sic] the statement.”
The controversy around Stroud cannot go away so easily. And yet the media pointedly refuses to raise the issue.
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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments
“The controversy around Stroud cannot go away so easily. And yet the media pointedly refuses to raise the issue.”
Surely you have contradicted yourself?
why the fuss ?
> the central allegation: that Stroud set up an evangelical Church that prayed for homosexuals to be saved.
Don’t evangelicals pray for everyone to be saved? By definition.
http://ern-baxter.blogspot.com/2010/05/philippa-stroud-prejudiced-or-caring.html
Friend of David Stroud, Philippa Stroud’s husband, confirms that exorcism is an appproach that NFI churches take with gays.
“But Cameron’s statement does not refute the central allegation: that Stroud set up an evangelical Church that prayed for homosexuals to be saved. ”
As with 2. The central point of evangelism (as opposed to other flavours of Christianity) is that one saves one’s own soul by praying for and helping others to save their own. By bringing them the Good News and so on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelism
Now whether you or I believe this is irrelevant (I certainly don’t buy into the Sky Fairy stuff) but it is the defining feature of this particular religion. That having been given the gift of revelation it is your duty to reveal and preach that to others. Having been evangelised you should evangelise as it were.
Yes, I do understand that Stroud might have gone further than this where Teh Gays are concerned, however, the critique as you’ve actually written it makes as little sense as shouting at a Mullah for saying “There is no God but Allah”.
It’s the whole point of the religion.
“Friend of David Stroud, Philippa Stroud’s husband, confirms that exorcism is an appproach that NFI churches take with gays.”
I’ve asked in a post here before about whether a Cameron government would introduce a National Exorcism Service.
@3
Actually, that’s not at all what the blog post says.
To quote it:
“I can state categorically that they are NOT, NOT, NOT a militant group of people who impose exorcism on any homosexual people who cross their doors. I don’t know actually of a group of churches where gay people do feel more welcome than Newfrontiers – a place where the grace of God is taught strongly and passionately.”
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Perplexed
RT @houseoftwits: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Stacey Smith
How can he defend her?? RT @HouseofTwits: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Molesworth
Liberal Conspiracy » Cameron backs Stroud; doesn’t deny allegations http://bit.ly/dhxVfl << bah
- annaarrowsmith
I really fear for the UK if Tories get in: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Jeff
RT @annaarrowsmith Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Karl Thomas
RT @annaarrowsmith: I really fear for the UK if Tories get in: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Naadir Jeewa
Reading: Cameron backs Stroud; doesn’t deny allegations: David Cameron has today evening defended the PPC Phillipa… http://bit.ly/c3PjU1
- Graham Parker
RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn’t deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9ytIfD
- Liberal Conspiracy
Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- House Of Twits
RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Philip M
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Lee Griffin
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Max
@libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED >> Tories = bigots!
- Secular Gay
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Free Press Now
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- David Hodges
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Chris Huang-Leaver
RT @houseoftwits: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Jo Cox
Outrageous: Cameron defends #PhillipaStroud – doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED via @libcon
- paul finney
RT @politicsofuk: Cameron backs Stroud; doesn?t deny allegations #ukpolitics http://bit.ly/d3LcwZ
- Jae Kay
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- RupertRead
RT @libcon: Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Politics of UK
Cameron backs Stroud; doesn?t deny allegations #ukpolitics http://bit.ly/d3LcwZ
- Jenna Appleseed
RT @annaarrowsmith: I really fear for the UK if Tories get in: RT @libcon Cameron defends PhillipaStroud; doesn't deny specific allegations http://bit.ly/9dxNED
- Jess McCabe
RT @MolesworthMN: Liberal Conspiracy » Cameron backs Stroud; doesn’t deny allegations http://bit.ly/dhxVfl << bah
- sunny hundal
@LDNCalling not exactly…. http://bit.ly/9dxNED
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