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From: Bill Slack
Sent: 05 January 2005 15:45
To: 'info@bbc.co.uk'
Cc: 'contact@ofcom.org.uk'
Subject: Jerry Springer : The Opera
Dear BBC,
I write on behalf of the Baptist Union of Scotland to express our deep concern at your proposal to screen Jerry Springer : The Opera on BBC 2 on 8th January 2005. From all that I've heard about this musical, it falls far short of the standards we expect of programmes broadcasted by the BBC and contains sections that give serious offense to sincere Christians.
There has been much recently in the media and in proposed legislation that highlights the importance of not causing gratuitous offense to followers of all religions in the United Kingdom, the Christian faith included!
In our opinion, your intention to broadcast this programme crosses the line of religious offense and runs contrary to all the Government at Westminster and Holyrood is seeking to put into place through the legislative process on issues of religious discrimination, and outlawing sectarianism and hate crime.
The Public Issues Group of our Union were deeply concerned at the extremely low level of religious broadcasting from the BBC over the Christmas period, one of the two major Christian festivals in the year. Now to discover your plans to broadcast this programme raises concerns of an anti-Christian bias developing in our national public broadcasting corporation. We would like to be reassured that the BBC is fulfilling its obligations related to responsible religious broadcasting under its charter.
We urge you to remove this programme that would give offense to Christians and members of other religions in this country from your schedule.
Yours sincerely
Rev William G. Slack
General Director
Baptist Union of Scotland
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