Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr David Brooks on .
- MLA
- Mr David Brooks
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 15 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5707477
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way. I think that we are going to be here until 10.30 pm regardless of whether he or other Members speak. The Member spoke about faith practices and quackery. Frankly, I have not heard any Member on these Benches — I have not been here for the whole debate, but I have been listening intently from upstairs — defend that kind of quackery or pseudo-medical practice in any way. It is awful; I condemn it; and it has no place. What we are worried about is those who, within the tenets of their faith, set about trying to teach members of their church — those who attend their church — the right way to live, as they see it, through their scriptures. Does the Member agree, as we talk about change, that the purpose of Christian teaching, as in other faiths, is to change the person, regardless of whether that is to do with what we are talking about today? It could be about any sort of sexual ethics. Christians have a particular belief system around the place of sex within marriage and so on that they wish to teach to the members of their church. We are worried that pastors and others in faith groups will be criminalised for simply trying to teach the basic tenets of their faith. People will be free to disagree with them, and I know that people will do so. We talk about different flavours, as Kellie said, of Christianity, and even those of us who proclaim ourselves to be Christians will have different views.
That is accepted. I do not deny the Christianity of people in the Alliance Party, but I will no doubt have differences with them on aspects of scripture, as I will with members in my party. In our churches and faith groups, people should have the right to teach what they believe is right.
321 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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