Isn't it wonderful? Refugees from the war-torn lands of Syria and Iraq, most of them Muslims, arebecoming Christians in large numbers thanks to the welcome they've received from churches in their host countries.
Christians might well feel encouraged by this. But here's the problem. How many of these people are genuine converts, and how many are calling themselves Christians because they think it'll make their claims for asylum more convincing? After all, everyone knows how converts have been treated by Islamist extremists. No one could be so heartless as to send someone who publicly declares their new faith back to a situation like that.
Consequently, another problem: how do you tell the difference between a genuine convert and someone who's just using religion as a convenience?
According to immigration officials, it's simple. You ask people to reel off the Ten Commandments. If they can't they obviously aren't genuine Christians. Or here's a good one: what colour are Bibles?
The all-party parliamentary group on international religious freedom is releasing tomorrow what looks like, on the basis of details leaked so far, a damning report into how assessors are treating people who claim to have converted. These caseworkers are asking questions aimed at establishing whether people's faith is genuine, and in doing so – without any training, insight or the remotest understanding of how religion actually works – they risk denying genuine Christians asylum.
Christians might well feel encouraged by this. But here's the problem. How many of these people are genuine converts, and how many are calling themselves Christians because they think it'll make their claims for asylum more convincing? After all, everyone knows how converts have been treated by Islamist extremists. No one could be so heartless as to send someone who publicly declares their new faith back to a situation like that.
Consequently, another problem: how do you tell the difference between a genuine convert and someone who's just using religion as a convenience?
According to immigration officials, it's simple. You ask people to reel off the Ten Commandments. If they can't they obviously aren't genuine Christians. Or here's a good one: what colour are Bibles?
The all-party parliamentary group on international religious freedom is releasing tomorrow what looks like, on the basis of details leaked so far, a damning report into how assessors are treating people who claim to have converted. These caseworkers are asking questions aimed at establishing whether people's faith is genuine, and in doing so – without any training, insight or the remotest understanding of how religion actually works – they risk denying genuine Christians asylum.
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