Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson made the remarks when ruling on the case of a Christian couple who were told that they could not be foster carers because of their view that homosexuality is wrong.
The judges underlined that, in the case of fostering arrangements at least, the right of homosexuals to equality “should take precedence” over the right of Christians to manifest their beliefs and moral values.
In a ruling with potentially wide-ranging implications, the judges said Britain was a “largely secular”, multi-cultural country in which the laws of the realm “do not include Christianity”.
Campaigners for homosexual rights welcomed the judgment for placing “21st-century decency above 19th-century prejudice”. Christian campaigners claimed that it undermined the position of the Church of England.
The ruling in the case of Owen and Eunice Johns, from Derby, is the latest in a series of judgments in which Christians have been defeated in the courts for breaching equality laws by manifesting their beliefs on homosexuality.
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- Carers must be non-judgmental
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- Yet another article on the judgement of the British High Court that Foster-Carers are not allowed to discrimate against homosexuals who may be placed in their care. This ruling highlights the fact that, in the UK, there is no offficial discrimination, in the Law, against people who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or trans-gender.
- This is by no means a discrimination against Christians, per se, many of whom, in any case, do not harbour discrimination against the LGBT community. In a multi-cultural community – such as is living in the UK – there can be no mono-cultural sanctions against obedience to the universal application of the Law.
- Justice demands equal human rights for ALL.
- Christianity, is surely not exempt from this requirement to abide by common law. The United Kingdom is not a theocracy – although, sadly, some Church leaders (like former ABC George Carey) seems to believe that Chrtistians have prior rights over the secular society, of which all people – of whatever race, gender, religious persuasion, and sexual-orientation – are a part.
- Father Ron Smith, Christchurch
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