PEOPLE across East Lancashire are being urged to join a campaign to lobby the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Jack Straw against parts of new European human rights laws.

Religious campaigners say new laws, due to be introduced later this year, compromise religious freedom because jobs will have to be opened up to all members of society -- not just people of a specific religion.

The Rev Phil Gough, minister for Blackburn Methodist, St Paul's and Hawthorne Street Methodist churches, is urging people to sign postcards, bearing a short statement about the campaign, before sending them to Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw, Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mr Gough said the new laws would affect all religious communities and could see churches being sued for discrimination. He added that the Blackburn campaign has been organised in support of a national lobby set up by the Christian Institute.

"We want people to join the campaign to raise awareness of these issues with the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Jack Straw and encourage them to make the changes.

"The human rights laws are extremely important, but as they are now it would be unlawful for religious bodies to employ people with specific beliefs.

"If the current directive goes through, churches would be taken to court and this affects all religions. The changes we are asking for would protect the integrity of churches."

Mr Gough is now hoping that churches across East Lancashire will join in by distributing the postcards to their members.

The cards state: "I send this card to express my concern over the religious freedoms which would be challenged by the proposed European directive on equal treatment in employment. While much of this legislation is right and proper, I am concerned that churches, Christian charitable organisations, church schools and hospices will find themselves breaking the law in seeking to appoint a Christian to a particular post.

"I encourage you to continue seeking the relevant amendments to the directive to enable us to keep the distinctive religious ethos of our church organisations."

For further information or to join the campaign ring Phil Gough on 01254 57365 or Christine Harrison on 01254 240462. "Employers could be sued in court'

FIVE examples of possible conflict cited by Rev Phil Gough:

A church advertises for a "committed Christian" to work as the church secretary. An atheist applied for the post, is rejected and sues the church;

The governors of a church school sack the headmaster after he leaves his wife to live with his homosexual lover. An employment tribunal finds that the school discriminated against the headmaster on the grounds of his sexual orientation. The school has to pay a large compensation claim.

A hospice which opposes euthanasia advertises for a medical director. A highly qualified doctor known to campaign publicly for euthanasia sues the hospice because he is denied an interview.

A Muslim charity for the homeless refuses job applications from non-Muslims. A Hindu takes the matter to an employment tribunal. It rules that the preference of the organisation for Muslims is against the law.

A Christian Bible publishing business wants its Christian ethos to permeate all it does. A bright job interview candidate declares that he is openly gay. The firm reject him in favour of another candidate. He claims for discrimination.