Christian prayer is usually an unchallenged activity in Britain, often constructed as benign or even positive. But in some contexts, prayer can be experienced as intimidating, particularly when it is deemed “out of place” or when the motives for prayer are questioned.
It is perhaps no surprise, then, that praying outside of abortion clinics is considered wrong by most of the British public.
In the wake of legislation – that has been passed but not yet enacted – to stop activism in the immediate vicinity of all abortion clinics in Britain, anti-abortion campaigners have reacted strongly, arguing that legislating against silent prayer would breach their human rights.
