Equality law more important than religion

5 March 2011

A Christian couple have been denied the right to foster any more children because they will not say that homosexuality is “a good thing”.

Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, of Derby, applied to Derby City Council to be approved as short term, respite, foster carers.  A social worker expressed concerns when the couple said they could not tell a child that a homosexual lifestyle was acceptable, .  It is easy to see the set up here, just as street preachers are set up by direct questioning to elicit “thought crime”.

Eunice and Owen Johns, who had previously fostered 15 children, sought a judicial review of Derby City Council’s treatment of their application.  The Johns’ case was supported by The Christian Legal Centre, a different organisation from The Christian Institute.

The BBC report says Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation “should take precedence” over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.  They said that if children were placed with carers who objected to homosexuality and same-sex relationships, “there may well be a conflict with the local authority’s duty to ‘safeguard and promote the welfare’ of looked-after children”.

One wonders which Act of Parliament says that sexual orientation “should take precedence” over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.  Is this judicial interpretation of law or is it judges forming law with their opinions?

They rejected suggestions that the case involved “a threat to religious liberty”, adding: “No one is asserting that Christians - or, for that matter, Jews or Muslims - are not fit and proper persons to foster or adopt. No-one is contending for a blanket ban.”  It is not clear exactly what the reasoning is, but it seems to be that because some Christians are not affected by this judgment, therefore it cannot be “a blanket ban” against Christians.

The decision was debated on BBC Question Time on 3/3/2011.  Dr David Starkey, who is both homosexual and an atheist, said: “I have profound misgivings about this case.”  He said: “We are producing a new tyranny; this new sort of liberal morality is intolerant and repressive.  I do not support thought-crime; the law should have nothing to do with thought crime.”

The long and short of it is that Equality Legislation takes precedence over religious belief, which the judges suggested threatened the welfare of children.  The Question Time panel hoped that “common sense” should have prevented this coming to court, but this is wishful thinking as more and more Christians are falling foul of equality legislation.  David Starkey also mentioned his disquiet at the ruling in the case of the Christian B&B owners in Penzance.  It is manifest that there is something wrong with this legislation.  Ian Duncan Smith, M.P., said: “it may be the legislation is not drafted very well.”  This is the problem: Christians are suffering because of incompetent legislators.  We need Christian politicians who can safeguard our civil and religious liberties that have been so dearly bought.