by Allan McGregor

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: February 19, 2009

In a Primary School classroom in Devon, Southwest England, two five-year-olds share their religious beliefs. One little girl, Jasmine Cain tells her classmate, I believe in God and Jesus and I'm going to heaven'. Overhearing them, a seven-year-old, asks, How do you go to hell then?'

By not believing in God', Jasmine responds.

Innocent childhood chit-chat? Not according to the national press in today's diversity-oriented Britain, where Jasmine's Christian beliefs are deemed unacceptable by the politically correct school authorities.

Pulling her aside, Jasmine's teacher humiliatingly admonished her not to talk about Jesus in school. No wonder the distressed five-year-old ran to her mother after school to tell her through tears what her teacher had said.

If you imagine that the school offered a fulsome apology, or the teacher concerned was disciplined for her abusive manner, think again. Jasmine's mother Jennie, herself a receptionist at the school, was instead hauled before headmaster Gary Read and warned regarding Jasmine's unacceptable behaviour.

A shaken and intimidated, Jennie privately emailed friends in her church, asking them to pray for her family, the school and the church. Unfortunately, one of those trusted friends was married to a school governor who forwarded a copy to the school whereupon Mr Read, holding a highlighted copy of her private email, confronted Jennie again, this time warning her that she faced disciplinary action and possible sacking for her conduct.

An isolated incident? Not at all.

Around the same time, community nurse Caroline Petrie was suspended and threatened with dismissal for asking an elderly lady in her own home if she would like her to pray. Quite unoffended, the lady politely declined, and that you might think would have been the end of it. Instead, on hearing of the incident, another nurse raised an official complaint against Nurse Petrie leading to her suspension and threatened dismissal.

Similarly, the foster mother of a 16-year-old Muslim girl who was summarily dismissed and blacklisted by her local social work department from ever fostering children again after her charge converted to Christianity. Although the foster mother had in no way persuaded the youngster to convert, officialdom that took the view that the girl's decision to convert rendered her devoutly Christian foster mother an unacceptable carer.

Such stories abound nowadays, and the Inquisitional nature of what the formidable Christian MP and former government minister

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