Christian Concern Podcasts

Aliya Abbasi, mother of Zainab Abbasi, spoke to BBC Radio 4 after a landmark win for open justice at the Supreme Court this week. For seven years now, the Christian Legal Centre has been supporting Rashid and Aliya Abbasi, and Lanre Haastrup in challenging the Court's permanent gagging orders which prevented them from naming doctors involved in their children's end of life care and tragic passing. Read more about the judgment and watch their statements: https://christianconcern.com/news/supreme-court-win-for-parents-over-secretive-end-of-life-practices/

This week at the High Court, the government will face a judicial review of its unprecedented VAT policies on private and independent Christian schools. The government's decision to impose VAT on the provision of education by independent schools has made the UK an outlier among the 46 Council of Europe states. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Christian schools, parents and pupils are bringing the challenge from the award-winning Emmanuel School in Derby, the Branch Christian School in Yorkshire, the King's School in Hampshire and the Wyclif Independent Christian School in South Wales. Find out more: https://christianconcern.com/news/government-to-face-judicial-review-from-christian-schools-over-vat-tax-raid/

"You must look at what the words actually mean, not how the reader may illegitimately receive it. "Now it falls on the employer to show that she wrecked their reputation. It falls on the employer to show that what she was doing was manifestly wrong. And that's a much better standard." Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern, spoke with Trevor Phillips on Times Radio about Kristie Higgs' win at the Court of Appeal and what it means for Christian freedoms. Read more about Kristie's case: https://christianconcern.com/news/kristie-higgs-wins-as-court-of-appeal-rules-dismissal-for-free-speech-is-illegal/

Steve Beegoo, Head of Education at Christian Concern, was on Premier Christian Radio offering advice to parents on how to love and guide their children if they are being bullied in school. He shares about how parents can respond in a godly way if their children have been found to be bullying others, and how important it is for parents and children to share a heartfelt connection. Have a look at our new education website where you can find resources and updates: https://education.christianconcern.com/

"It is incredible that Kristie's case had to go all the way up to the Court of Appeal in order to show she had been discriminated against." Tim Dieppe spoke to Nick Ferrari on LBC about Kristie Higgs' vindication and the many other Christians in the UK who undergo persecution for their Christian faith. Read about her six-year long case here: https://christianconcern.com/news/kristie-higgs-wins-as-court-of-appeal-rules-dismissal-for-free-speech-is-illegal/

Michael Phillips, who defended Kristie Higgs in her landmark free speech case, was on Times Radio with Rod Liddle. Last week, after a dramatic six-year battle, the Court of Appeal ruled in Kristie's favour, resetting the legal landscape on freedom of speech and religion in the workplace. Rod Liddle by the sheer number of Christians contacting the Christian Legal Centre for help because they had been put out of job for saying or posting something which appeared offensive. Read more about Kristie's win here: https://christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/kristie-higgs-wins-as-court-of-appeal-rules-dismissal-for-free-speech-is-illegal/

Tim Dieppe spoke with Ben Kentish on LBC about Kristie Higgs' win after a dramatic six-year legal battle supported by the Christian Legal Centre. He argued that biblical teaching of marriage is worth defending especially in schools, and that respecting views which contradict God's word does not necessarily mean agreeing with them.

VICTORY FOR FREEDOM - KRISTIE HIGGS WINS The Court of Appeal has reversed a ruling which defended the dismissal of Kristie Higgs from Farmor's School in Gloucestershire for raising concern on Facebook about extreme sex education and transgender ideology being taught in her son's Church of England primary school. Roger Kiska, Legal Counsel at the Christian Legal Centre, was on LBC with Tom Swarbrick discussing the groundbreaking decision which re-shapes the law on freedom of religion in the workplace. Read about Kristie's win here: https://christianconcern.com/news/kristie-higgs-wins-as-court-of-appeal-rules-dismissal-for-free-speech-is-illegal/

Roger Kiska, Legal Counsel to the Christian Legal Centre, spoke with Martin Stanford about the high-profile and seminal legal case of sacked Christian school assistant, Kristie Higgs. They discussed just before the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment on Wednesday, 12 February. Culminating a six-year legal battle, supported from the beginning by the Christian Legal Centre, the judgment would shape the law for years to come on free speech and freedom to express faith in the UK. In 2019, Mrs Higgs was sacked for gross misconduct by Farmor's Secondary School in Gloucestershire, and had her Christian beliefs compared to Neo-Nazism, for two Facebook posts. Read about her case here: https://christianconcern.com/cccases/kristie-higgs/

Becki Bruneau is a Christian psychotherapist, county councillor, wife and mother, who has overcome life-threatening illnesses as a child and adult. And Becki is against the government's proposed assisted suicide bill. Becki, from Kent, spoke to United Christian Broadcast on 31 January 2025, highlighting the risks of coercion in the bill, and how, if made law, assisted suicide would prey on vulnerable people. Read more: https://christianconcern.com/news/overcomer-of-cancer-and-brain-injury-speaks-out-against-assisted-suicide/

Stephen White, 40, shares on Premier Christian Radio about the many sacrifices made in order to provide his son Josiah, 14, with a Christian education. He is one of 13 claimants supported by the Christian Legal Centre who have launched an application for a judicial review over the government's VAT tax raid on private and independent schools. Those bringing the challenge include the award-winning Emmanuel School in Derby, the Branch Christian School in Yorkshire, the King's School in Hampshire and the Wyclif Independent Christian School in South Wales. Read more about the case: https://christianconcern.com/news/education-freedom-at-stake-as-christians-launch-legal-action/

Tim Dieppe, head of public policy at Christian Concern, was on Premier Christian Radio speaking about Gozen Soydag, a social media influencer and education behavioural specialist whose case will be heard at an employment tribunal this week. Gozen's social media accounts, which champion Biblical marriage and purity, were censored by St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls before she was sacked on her birthday and ordered to leave the school premises without pay. Read more about it: https://christianconcern.com/news/school-pastoral-manager-sacked-for-marriage-beliefs/

Andrea Williams was on LBC speaking to Tom Swarbrick about the Christian footballer, Marc Guéhi who was criticised, pressurised and punished for loving Jesus and expressing Christian beliefs in public. What he is facing is not a new theme for us and gets to the heart of many of the biggest legal cases the Christian Legal Centre supports. Find out more: https://x.com/CConcern/status/1864334423912583405

Tim Dieppe talked to Premier Christian Radio to explain the ramifications of Kim Leadbeater's assisted suicide Bill and discuss the conflict between creating a culture of death and enabling people to live well.

Becki Bruneau, a Christian psychotherapist, county councillor, wife and mother, who has overcome life-threatening illnesses as a child and adult, was on Premier Christian Radio sharing her remarkable life testimony. Having said to her husband "Let me die" during a time of deep pain, she now speaks out against the government's proposed assisted suicide bill, which would 'prey on the vulnerable'. The bill has its second reading in Parliament this Friday, 29 November. Read more: https://christianconcern.com/news/overcomer-of-cancer-and-brain-injury-speaks-out-against-assisted-suicide/

Church of England chaplain Rev. Dr Bernard Randall spoke to Martin Stanford on LBC this morning. He is pursuing a judicial review of a decision not to allow a disciplinary case to proceed against the Bishop Libby Lane, who was found to have wrongly blacklisted him as a safeguarding risk for giving a sermon on identity politics. Before seeking permission for a judicial review, Dr Randall also handed in a CitizenGO petition signed by more than 40,000 people calling on Justin Welby to apologise and give him his life and career back. Read more here: https://christianconcern.com/news/chaplain-pursues-judicial-review-after-justin-welby-found-plainly-wrong/

'Parents feel such pressure to be friends with their children and to just go along with them. Actually it's healthy to discipline them for things they do wrong - they appreciate it. They need clear boundaries of right and wrong.' Three schools in Scotland are officially recognising 'species dysphoria' in children who identify as wolves and other animals. Tim Dieppe was on Premier Christian Radio with youth pastor Sarah Williams and host Esther Higham to discuss godly ways in which parents should respond to schools and point their children to God's design - in his image, male and female.

Steve Beegoo was in conversation with former Labour MP Stephen Pound and Esther Higham about the overlooked problems in Labour's proposed tax on private schools, and how it would disproportionally penalise faith-based, special needs and small private schools. Christian schools, parents and pupils, being supported by Christian Legal Centre, say they will pursue a judicial review as opposition to Labour's policy grows: https://christianconcern.com/news/labours-vat-policy-to-face-judicial-review/ 30 September Premier Christian Radio

"We don't legalise to kill in this country. It would be devastating not just for those who are saying they want it, but for those who are in difficult situations and need to be told: You are beautiful, you are dignified, there is hope." Ahead of the first reading of Kim Leadbeater's bill to legalise assisted suicide on Wednesday 16 October, our Chief Executive Andrea Williams speaks with LBC about the far-reaching consequences of a change in law, seen in countries where it has been legalised. She speaks of the truly compassionate alternative - help and community which bring hope and beauty to those in despair.

Residents have been told that being on private property is no bar to prosecution under the new abortion law in Scotland. A letter sent to residents in an Edinburgh “safe access zone,” seen by The Telegraph, warned they could face criminal prosecution if they do “anything” that “would cause harassment, alarm, or distress” to staff and women seeking abortions. Andrea Williams tells Premier Christian Radio why we have always opposed the implementation of buffer zones around abortion facilities, and shares about countless arrests that have been made for praying silently or holding a sign within the area.

Christian schools, parents and pupils, being supported by Christian Legal Centre, say they will pursue a Judicial Review as opposition to Labour's policy grows. Caroline Santer, Headteacher at The King's School in Hampshire, was on Times Radio Breakfast this morning to discuss with Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell. Find out more on our website: https://christianconcern.com/news/labours-vat-policy-to-face-judicial-review/ Read the article on The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/private-christian-schools-to-sue-government-over-vat-plans-tk7lls3vb

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre speaks to Martin Stanford live on LBC outside the Court of Appeal as Kristie Higgs prepares to enter for a precedent-setting challenge for the expression of Christian belief and free speech at large. The Court will determine whether it is lawful for an employer to punish employees for private social media posts expressing beliefs on religious, political and moral issues. The case will have significant ramifications for Christian freedom in the workplace and the freedom of any employee to express biblical principles on sexuality, marriage and family, without the fear of losing their livelihoods. The hearing is the culmination of a five-year legal battle. Find out more: https://christianconcern.com/comment/kristie-higgs-why-her-case-matters-for-christian-freedoms/ Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre have supported Kristie's case for five years. We need your help to keep supporting Kristie and other Christians like her. Could you help by making a donation today? https://mailchi.mp/christianconcern/stand-with-kristie-for-freedom

"There are people who are alive today because volunteers kindly offered an alternative to women who were desperate and saw abortion as the only option. "Why should it be a criminal offence in anywhere in the UK to pray about anything you like in your mind?" Censorship zones around abortion facilities will come into force at the end of October 2024. Tim Dieppe was on LBC with Nick Ferrari to talk about why we have opposed this legislation since its introduction under the previous Conservative government.

Our head of public policy Tim Dieppe was on BBC Radio 4 with Edward Stourton, commenting on the use of cathedrals and places of worship for God's glory alone.

Rev. Dr Bernard Randall spoke with Lembit Öpik about the Church of England's safeguarding case blacklisting and barring him from ministry for almost five years now, which a legal advisor described as "egregious and the error gross”. Sign this petition calling on Archbishop Justin Welby to publicly apologise and give Bernard his life back: https://citizengo.org/en-gb/fr/13759-apologise-to-wrongly-blacklisted-chaplain-and-give-bernard-his-life-back In 2019/20 Dr Randall was sacked for a sermon he gave on the Church of England's teaching on marriage in a Church of England chapel in a school with a Church of England ethos. Dr Randall had given the sermon following discredited and extreme gender identity group, Educate and Celebrate, being invited into the school to, in their words, ‘smash heteronormativity.' He has been legally prevented from giving a sermon since losing his job at the school.

'They saved my daughter's life. If a buffer zone was in place I would not have my best friend today,' said 'Sarah'. In 2017 she came across pro-life campaigners while visiting an abortion facility and accepted their offer of accommodation and financial support in order to keep her baby. “The implementation of buffer zones around the country is a step backwards for freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to pray,” our chief executive, Andrea Williams told the BBC. “We can't criminalise the mere presence of people.”

In a landmark ruling handed down yesterday, Lady Justice King, Lord Justice Singh and Lord Justice Baker overturned the decision of the Court of Protection which declared that 19-year-old Sudiksha Thirumalesh lacked mental capacity to make decisions about her medical treatment. Tragically, Sudiksha passed away in September last year. The Court of Appeal's important judgment now reaffirms the right of patients to disagree with their doctors without risking being declared mentally incompetent and having their best interests assessed and enforced by the courts. This ruling potentially affects thousands of patients. Sudiksha's family react and Joshua Rozenberg gives legal comment on BBC Radio 4. Read more about the ruling in Sudiksha's heartbreaking case here: https://christianconcern.com/news/win-for-sudikshas-family-as-delusional-ruling-overturned/

"If this judgment stands, teachers could lose their job or be banned from the profession indefinitely if they refuse to lie about who a pupil is legally and biologically." Our Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe spoke to Premier Christian Radio about yesterday's High Court ruling which upheld the banning of Christian maths teacher Joshua Sutcliffe, who refused to use the wrong pronouns of a girl identifying as a boy. Joshua has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre since 2017. Andrea Williams, Chief Executive says: "We will continue to support Joshua for as long as it takes to secure justice." Read more here: https://christianconcern.com/news/teacher-loses-high-court-appeal-after-being-banned-for-misgendering/

"Professor Louis Appleby who leads the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England has said there is no evidence that suicide has risen since the High Court decision to restrict puberty blockers in 2020. "Dr Jordan Peterson has described transgender ideology as the worst medical and psychological practice he has seen anywhere, including eugenics and frontal lobotomies." Tim Dieppe and Donna Birrell discuss Elon Musk's admission that his son has taken puberty blockers, and the lie that he was told that his son would commit suicide otherwise. In reality, when not affirmed, 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty. Read more:https://christianconcern.com/comment/how-social-transition-damages-children/ - Premier Christian Radio 24 July 2024

Tim Dieppe speaks to Donna Birrell about the phenomenon of cultural Christianity after Elon Musk confessed to Jordan Peterson that he is a cultural Christian. Like Richard Dawkins, these men praise and endorse the fruit of Christian values in society, but don't yet claim to worship the person of Jesus Christ - the root and way to eternal life. Premier Christian Radio 24 July 2024

Join Tim Dieppe, Andrea Williams and Ben John as we react to the general election results and discuss how Christians should respond in the years ahead.

Join Steve Beegoo, Andrea Williams, Tim Dieppe and Ben John as we explore the issue of freedom from a Christian perspective - is it all about 'free speech'?

Join Roger Kiska, Andrea Williams and Paul Huxley for the third of our election-themed broadcasts. In these special editions of our 'round the table' discussions, we will be getting to the heart of what is really happening in our nation and examining the pillars of a flourishing society.

Tim went on LBC with Iain Dale to discuss Labour's pledge to implement a full ban on conversion therapy if it wins the election. Watch his full response to the Labour manifesto here: https://christianconcern.com/comment/responding-to-the-labour-manifesto/

With the advancement of reproductive technology, the number of surrogate babies has nearly quadrupled since 2011. Should surrogacy be on the cards for a Christian couple trying to conceive? What are some issues related to paying for the use of another woman's womb? Our head of public policy Tim Dieppe joined Susan Marriott of the Christian Medical Fellowship and host Esther Higham on Premier Radio to discuss the delicate matter.

"We are all made in God's image, and every human life is worthy of protection. This is foundational to good law and politics." In our second week of election-themed broadcasts, Paul Huxley, Ade Omooba MBE and Ben John discuss how laws around the beginning and end of life determine the kind of society we live in. With all-time high abortion rates across the UK and assisted suicide inching closer than ever, we must consider life's intrinsic value when choosing who to vote for.

What election issues should decide our vote as a Christian? Join Andrea Williams, Ade Omooba MBE and Ben John for the first of our election-themed broadcasts. In these special editions of our 'Round The Table' discussions, we will be getting to the heart of what's really happening in our nation - and how Jesus is our hope.

"It has never been difficult to define what a man or woman is in the past thousands of years, why is it suddenly difficult now in 2024?" Our head of public policy Tim Dieppe went on Premier Christian Radio to explain the implications of the Conservatives' promise to rewrite the Equality Act, so that protections it enshrines on the basis of someone's sex apply only to their biological sex. "A gender recognition certificate allows you to falsify your birth certificate and say you were born as the opposite sex - this is just legal fiction. People should not be allowed to lie about who they are in law, that's changing history. Biological sex is very clearly defined."

At Round the Table on Friday, Ben John shared about an unprecedented case that has reached national news: 26 female nurses complained about harassment from a male, who identifies as a woman, in their changing room. He had been taking cross-sex hormones but then stopped doing so and was trying to get his girlfriend pregnant. These nurses have launched legal action against the NHS Foundation Trust with the help of the Christian Legal Centre. Andrea Williams shared updates on Aaron Edwards' case, as we have been in Sheffield supporting him during the week. The former lecturer in theology has just finished giving evidence at Tribunal against the Methodist Bible College who sacked him over a biblical tweet: "Homosexuality is invading the Church...". A commemorative casebound edition of "Beyond the Odds – Providence in Britain's Wars of the 20th Century" has been released to mark the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. Tim Dieppe, who contributed two chapters to the book co-authored by John Scriven, spoke about God's remarkable providence in Britain's history.

Our Head of Education Steve Beegoo was on Premier Christianity's Inspirational Breakfast with Esther Higham to discuss the importance of open, ongoing and prayerful conversation between parents and children. He welcomes the government's new draft guidance on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), but is saddened by what it suggests about mainstream education in the UK. For years now, RSE teachers have had to teach contentious topics such as gender ideology as fact, or face disciplinary action in some cases. Meanwhile parents have voiced concerns around inappropriate materials for their young children, from contraceptives to graphic images of sexual intercourse. Could this all change now that the guidance has been published?

"We're expecting schools to solve all the ills of society, it seems." 1 in 6 teachers quit the profession within one year of starting, while 1 in 3 quit within the first five years. In the last year, 1 in 5 say they have been physically hit by pupils, whilst 15% of secondary school teachers say they have been sexually harassed. With mounting workloads and more than ten unpaid overtime hours every week, is low pay the key issue? How would the conversation around education reforms change, with improved working conditions and greater job satisfaction for teachers? Our Head of Education Steve Beegoo speaks to United Christian Broadcasters about alarming turnover rates of teachers nationally, and what the Church can do to support those entrusted to care for children.

Our Head of Education Steve Beegoo joins Chick Yuill on Premier Christian Radio to share the latest on cases involving parents and teachers standing against transgender ideology in schools. He responds to listeners' numerous questions as they voice concerns about bullying and increasing discrimination against Christian values in school. Whether or not we have children of our own, it is a shared responsibility to ensure that the next generation grows up in the fear of the Lord, and is instructed by His word. Want to know more about how you can practically guide your child in the way of life? Ticket sales for our day conference Education Revolution end tomorrow - so now's the time to book on if you haven't! Taking place on Saturday, Education Revolution will inspire and support you practically as you seek to hear God regarding the urgent need to pass on the Christian faith to our children. You will have the opportunity to hear from and network with those that are developing or have developed new Christian schools, home education based initiatives and other resources: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/education-revolution-how-to-change-the-education-landscape-for-christ-tickets-753787136617?aff=oddtdtcreator

Very often, legal decisions are made before parents even find a way to access lawyers. They are unable to publicly and openly test decisions they disagree with, due to a cloak of anonymity 'protecting' clinicians indefinitely. Who will hold doctors to account while these children slip away in the prolonged course of their parents' appeal? Our chief executive Andrea Williams speaks to Premier Christian Radio about the Supreme Court case being heard today. https://christianconcern.com/news/supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-transparency-in-end-of-life-disagreements/ 15 April 2024

It is impossible to change gender, and adults have been lying to gender-questioning children by saying that “you've been born in the wrong body.” Our Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe appeared on Premier this morning to discuss the landmark Cass Review, and reiterate what we have been saying for years, that ideology has driven ‘evidence' rather than the other way around. There is no evidence that the best way to support gender-questioning children is to affirm them in a lie. Love rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).

Tolerating different people does not mean subscribing to their beliefs. It is conviction and faith in Jesus that sets Christians apart, and makes us the salt and light of the world, even if it means going against the tide. Tim Dieppe speaks with Iain Dale on LBC.

From "gesture" eggs replacing Easter eggs, to Ramadan on display in Westminster Council during Easter, our Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe discusses recent landmark cultural moments on Talk Radio. The abandoning of our Christian heritage, coinciding with the influx of Islam over the last 20 years, has given rise to censorship all across the country.

Are Christians free to speak truth in the face of transgender ideology? On Round the Table, Ben John, Tim Dieppe, and Steve Beegoo discuss the key stories in late March. We talk about 'Hannah', whose case was heard before an Employment Tribunal during the week, as well as cancelled Christian artist Victoria Culf. Both of these women faced punishment for raising concerns about the harms of transgender ideology on children.

"I'm concerned that this definition could be used to classify Christians as extremists, and I think that would be very sad and quite disturbing in terms of our Christian freedoms and how far we have come from Christianity being the centre of our morality and values as a nation." Tim Dieppe comments on the government's new legal definition of extremism and how this can be used against faithful Christians who are pro-life, disagree with same-sex marriage, or believe in biological sex over gender ideology, among other biblical traits. Read more at: https://christianconcern.com/news/christians-risk-being-deemed-extremist-under-new-definition/ Premier Christian Radio 14 March 2024

Andrea Williams and Tim Dieppe join Ben John to discuss our most recent win. Two street preachers, John Dunn and Shaun O'Sullivan, were arrested and prosecuted for preaching the word of God on Glastonbury High Street. The police officers, who denied demonstrating bias, were wearing rainbow lanyards and 'Ask my pronouns' badges. We share evidence of the devastating effects of pornography, consolidated during our submission to the government's open call. Finally, Tim Dieppe shares about a briefing he recently wrote for the Free Speech Union. It was published earlier this week with the title: Banning Islamophobia: Blasphemy Law by the Backdoor, and a foreword by Richard Dawkins.

After six months of investigation, Councillor King Lawal has been cleared by the Conservative Party over his tweet that said "Pride is Sin." While the accusation of "homophobia" should never have been brought against him for speaking biblical truth, we rejoice over this legal victory and his full reinstatement. Rebecca Hunt joins Tim Dieppe and Ben John to catch up on the past week's happenings within the Church of England Synod, not least news of Stonewall's hand in developing 'Valuing All God's Children', the Church of England's anti-bullying guidance for their 4,360 schools across the country.

The world's best palliative care is found in the UK, and yet will be under threat if a bill to decriminalise assisted suicide is introduced. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if as a parliament and government, we would look to palliative care being made accessible for all, for care at the end of life, not state-sanctioned killing. For hope, not despair." Our chief executive Andrea Williams shares with Nick Ferrari on LBC why introducing assisted suicide as "simply an option" will place the vulnerable at even greater risk, as seen in the Netherlands and Canada, where it is being offered as a form of medical treatment to ever-growing groups of people.