Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ

Passionate about Jesus, church, culture and ethics. Repentant barrister - UK director @eauknews. Co-author of Being Human, host of Cross Section podcast.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

The spiritual openness is real.
But the gap between curiosity and commitment is still wide.
Ethos is for the spiritually curious. For the friend who's asking. The colleague who's questioning. The young adult who's spiritually open but hasn't found a way in.
Why not take it yourself. Then pass it on to others who are curious.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Sign up here - https://t.co/z6XvVjMoLR

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

We are unpacking our research on Tuesday 29th at 1pm in a free lunchtime webinar. Link in next post

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Excellent piece about the work of one of my colleagues Alicia, working with many others, to see the defeat of the assisted dying bill. https://t.co/XfyXTzrwDi

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

How many evangelicals are there in the UK? Join us for a free webinar at 1pm Tuesday 29th September when we look at the answer and how we worked it out - https://t.co/z6XvVjMoLR

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Clause 6 refers to “gender identity” which isn’t defined in NI law - but the Deputy speaker is refusing to allow debate or clarification. Crazy!

[Genspect @genspect]

🇮🇪 Shocking: The Deputy Speaker in Stormont has just shut down debate about what gender identity is again.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Another helpful thread on why the NI Conversion Practices bill is so problematic. In attempting to fix an alleged problem (research found 10 possible incidents in 10 years) it is going to create a lot more problems for a lot more people - like parents and teachers.

[Ruth Paterson @mrsruthpaterson]

Eoin Tennyson said on @bbctalkback that I and @gordonlyons were “misleading” & that detractors “hadn’t read the bill.”
I’ve now gone through it.
Either Eoin hasn’t read his own bill - or he’s the one being misleading.
I’d like an apology.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

As Stormont debates a ban on conversion therapy in NI - here are some thoughts.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

@MartinJMagill Hoping to do law. We were at the open day - she’s still 2 years out from starting. Such a nice place. What are you going there?

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

@jasonmackenzie @PigsAndPolling @WStoneInsight @EAUKnews @EvangelicalsNow Thanks Jason

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

@GavCalver @rickhillni @EAUKnews Thanks Rick - hope you got home ok

[Evangelicals Now @EvangelicalsNow]

"Before you can count how many evangelicals there are, you have to define who they are. Our research looked at three different ways of understanding evangelicalism."

@EAUKnews

✍️ @peterlynas on the changing face of UK evangelicalism: https://t.co/SAlTDIk54R

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

This is important and is similar to the assisted suicide bill. Its supporters blame others for objecting but they fail to recognise that bad drafting is a real issue that’s on them.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

This is important. The Conversion Practices Bill in NI is deeply flawed - the legislation it copies protects parents - whereas the bill intentionally or otherwise - has dropped that protection.

[Ruth Paterson @mrsruthpaterson]

@EoinTennyson has said on Hansard, and affirmed his view on @BBCTalkback that “coercive behaviour” definition in his Conversion Practices Bill is just borrowed from the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (NI) 2021. That is only half true. He copied the list of offences. He did not copy the explicit carve out for parent and child relationships. 1/5

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Both @nmdacosta and @ddhitchens were brilliant in resisting the assisted suicide campaign and continue to point out the inconsistencies of those campaigning for it - I presume in part in case they try again.

[Nikki da Costa @nmdacosta]

@ddhitchens @AshleyDalton_MP @zubirahmed Drives me nuts Dan. They were the ones that started talking about forcing the Bill through. Simon Opher giving interviews to the Guardian about all the ways they planned to bias the process, and stack the Committee, and then they wonder why MPs didn't think that was safe!

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Again, this is part of the reason the assisted suicide bill failed. The bill was defeated in the Commons - and the failure to properly recognise this and try and blame a few Lords for abusing Parliamentary process is bizarre and wrong.

[Kim Leadbeater MBE MP @kimleadbeater]

I have reflected at length about what happened in Parliament on Friday. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me with their heartbreaking personal stories and campaigned on this issue for far too long. I am so sorry. Please see my statement below. Many thanks, Kim

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

With all the chat about AI - here is a short piece I wrote to help us reflect as Christians.

[Evangelicals Now @EvangelicalsNow]

"I like AI. I use it most days, and it has already proved itself a remarkably useful tool. But I also have concerns."📱

How should AI be used? @peterlynas considers: https://t.co/2WQnQ2IgT8

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

Who do the Evangelical Alliance represent? Here’s a piece I wrote for @EvangelicalsNow https://t.co/iryHbpcePv

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

When people hear about attempts to ban conversion therapy, many are supportive but an interesting coalition is building because the bill would have much wider implications - eg giving legal recognition to gender identity - without defining it!

[WRN NI @ni_wrn]

During the Conversion Therapy Bill debate @JBuckleyMLA seeks to find out how many gender identities this bill includes under that term but yet the Speaker @CaralNiChuilin shuts down the conversation claiming its not for anyone to discuss, its just self determination. This has no basis in law

@EoinTennyson is introducing the term gender identity into law which has no definition, could mean anything and could change at the drop of a hat. How could a parent know they are suppressing something that isn't even clear??

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

More generally the proposed law discriminated against gay or same sex attracted people telling them what supper they can and can’t access.

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

This is interesting from the Equality Commission - “In terms of equality, it’s our view that any legislation in this area needs to be based on International Human Rights standards and best practice and that actions to end conversion practices should not deny access to appropriate counselling and support in psychological, medical, faith-based and domestic settings.”

[Equality Commission @EqualityCommNI]

A press statement from the Equality Commission on the Equality Commission and the Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill https://t.co/d7uDeIZwAC

[Ｐｅｔｅｒ Ｌｙｎａｓ @peterlynas]

There are right and these are the issues we have been raising. The proposed conversion therapy law is attempting to smuggle gender identity into law. That is a major issue.