Last week, Graham and Abigail Blackburn
who run Cornish Moorland Honey from their farmhouse in Bodmin heard that a
tribunal had ruled that they could submit their business VAT returns by post
rather than on-line.
Since April 2012, HMRC (Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs) has insisted that most VAT returns should be reported
electronically, but a number of businesses have raised issues with this. The Blackburns
are members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and argued that they should be
exempted since, on religious grounds, they don’t use computers, TVs or mobile
phones at home or in the business.
Graham Blackburn explained that he and
his wife would regard owning a computer as an intrusion of ‘worldliness’ into
their lives of ‘righteousness.’ He argued that the content of some TV programmes
and some web sites is ‘contrary to the Bible’s teaching.’ Mobile phone were
modern ‘idols’, and the electronic media ‘blinded the minds of non-believers.’
In the light of these convictions, the
Blackburns felt they could not in good conscience either use the internet
themselves, or allow someone else to submit their VAT return on-line on their
behalf.
In fact, the HMRC regulations permit VAT
returns to be posted where a business is run by ‘practising members of a
religious society whose beliefs prevent them from using computers.’ But the tax
people argued that since the Seventh Day Adventist Church wasn’t opposed to the
internet in principle, merely urging members to avoid ‘unwholesome’ or ‘sordid’
influences in the media, the Blackburns’ convictions were their personal views
and should be disregarded.
However the tribunal judge ruled that
‘by entirely shunning computers the Blackburns considered they were acting as
the Bible required them to do, in accordance with their religious conscience.’ To
force them to comply would breach their rights under the European Convention of
Human Rights.
It’s a fascinating case. I’m glad we
live in a country where the regulations for routine procedures like filing VAT returns
recognise the possible sensitivities of religious groups. That the decision
went in the Blackburns’ favour is in one way good – it’s encouraging to see the
weight of the law failing to squash into conformity a harmless individualism.
But if decisions like this are based
solely on personal conviction, people could seek exemption from all kinds of
civic engagement on the grounds of beliefs shared by few others which could
have chaotic results.
I admire and celebrate the Blackburns’
conviction that Christians are called to be ‘righteous’- to stand out by reason
of the quality of their love for others, their selflessness, their open-handed
giving, their focus on goodness and truth, their treasuring of sex as a gift
for one partner, their focus on God.
I agree that much in the media doesn’t
reflect these values. I agree that unthinking, relentless exposure to material
driven by different values can erode our own standards and bring out the worst
in us. And I agree that technology can be an obsession – almost an idol (a
substitute for God.) ‘My mobile is my shepherd, I shall not want.’
But are the Blackburns, right to shut
themselves off from all TV and all social media in order to cultivate quiet,
thoroughly good, God focussed lives? The Jesus we follow came among humanity,
and engaged fully with life socialising with prostitutes, down-and-outs,
criminals, broken people because he loved them and he wanted to bless their
lives.
It is hard to believe that Jesus does
not want us to be informed about needs in our world, and to connect and
communicate as he did with people in need. Like it or not, streamed TV and the
internet is increasingly the way our society keeps informed and in touch. If we
followed the Blackburns’ example, Jesus would be absent from the virtual world.
A particular focus of the Seventh Day
Adventist Church is on the belief that Christ will come again imminently, that
God will re-enter history and on the resulting need to be focussed, and ready
for that coming.
But what is God looking for –
Christians, disengaged as much as possible from society, supporting one
another, looking for God to rescue them at the end of time? Or Christians who
love the world in all its brokenness, and know the risk and danger of
engagement, and yet are driven to be bringers of Christ’s love and grace in art,
in culture, in politics, in communities, in the lives of individuals – both off
line and on – getting their hands dirty but seeking to keep their hearts pure?
Christian truth is such a sweet, sweet
message. We do not keep the honey of the gospel to ourselves but take it from
the hive and make it available by all means possible in a world longing for
sweetness.
(Christian Viewpoint column from the Highland News dated 31st October 2013)
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