Remember, remember: From Wittenberg to Westminster

I’ve always liked fireworks night. When I was growing up, we’d have a fireworks display in the back garden. There’d be rockets, sparklers and, of course, a variety of fireworks.

The most memorable times were when the fizzing, spinning Catherine wheel fell from the bird table and wreaked havoc over the lawn… Happily, this was an annual event!

Then in 2020 I married a Lewes girl. And I discovered that every 5 November there is the most spectacular fireworks display I’ve ever seen. But not only that, for one night of the year only, the town is marked by strange signs, denouncing Popery and hailing the legacy of three Protestant martyrs killed in Lewes many years ago.

It is around this time that we remember the saying: “Remember, remember, the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot…. I see no reason, whatever the season, why Guy Fawkes should be forgot…”

A brief history lesson

1605 was a time when religious toleration was virtually non-existent. The reason Fawkes tried to blow up parliament and King James I was because of his anti-Catholic policies. And, truth be told, had Fawkes and his cronies succeeded, it is unlikely that Protestants would have been given much leeway with a restoration of the Catholic monarchy.

It is curious that Reformation Day and Bonfire Night come so close to each other. Both were acts of insurrection. But one was, at least in its origin, decidedly non-violent!

The nailing of 95 theses to that Wittenberg Door is one of the most momentous days in church history. As a committed Protestant, I rejoice in the rediscovery of the glorious doctrine of justification by faith alone, alongside the beauty and power of the "five solas" – grace, faith, Christ, Scripture and glory to God alone!

Religious freedom

And yet I also rejoice in the age of religious freedom I’ve been born into. It is so easy to take these things for granted. A particular contribution of Baptists to the church was a strong focus on freedom of conscience and the belief that the state should not impose any one religion on its citizens.

Religious liberty and freedom of speech naturally go together. And every generation must be vigilant for any move that might undermine them. You might assume there are very few threats to our religious freedoms here in the UK. After all, it’s not as if we feature on the Open Doors World Watch List.

But history is a powerful warning that freedoms can be very quickly lost. As we reflect on 80 years since World War Two, it was not that long ago that a mainstream European nation was ruled by a dictatorship that cruelly suppressed other worldviews.

Even here in our own country, there are examples of mutated liberalism, which preaches tolerance, but is remarkably intolerant to views it disagrees with. And if Parliament passes a broad conversion practices ban, which is what campaigners want, then even ordinary conversations between church members about God’s better story on sex and sexuality could be criminalised.

Or what about nationwide buffer zones around abortion facilities, where even silent prayer has led to arrests?

Another angle where there is potential for religious freedom to be undermined is the government’s new Islamophobia definition. At present, the government is reviewing the recommendations of a working group on the issue. But religious tolerance does not mean prioritizing one over another. There is a danger lurking to our freedom of speech should the government get its decision wrong.

A call to prayer

This Bonfire night, as you listen to the bangs, perhaps take a few minutes and pray, as per 1 Timothy 2v1-4, for our government that they will have wisdom and skill to uphold our freedoms and protect religious liberty. I do not believe the Bible tells us to expect free speech, but, my goodness, as long as we have it, let’s make full use of it and pray too that the LORD will save many from amidst our communities.