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Religion See other Religion Articles Title: Anti-gay Christian couple lose battle to become foster parents A Christian couple morally opposed to homosexuality because of their faith lost a landmark High Court battle today over the right to become foster carers. Eunice and Owen Johns, aged 62 and 65, from Oakwood, Derby, went to court after a social worker expressed concerns when they said they could not tell a child a "homosexual lifestyle" was acceptable. The Pentecostal Christian couple had applied to Derby City Council to be respite carers but withdrew their application, believing it "doomed to failure" because of the social worker's attitude to their religious beliefs. Today they asked judges to rule that their faith should not be a bar to them becoming carers, and the law should protect their Christian values. But 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. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, said: 'We're delighted that the High Court's landmark decision has favoured 21st-century decency above 19th-century prejudice. "In any fostering case the interests of the 60,000 children in care should override the bias of any prospective parent." "Thankfully, Mr and Mrs Johns's out-dated views aren't just out of step with the majority of people in modern Britain, but those of many Christians too. If you wish to be involved in the delivery of a public service, you should be prepared to provide it fairly to anyone." The Christian Legal Centre reacted to today's ruling with dismay and warned "fostering by Christians is now in doubt". The organisation said the judges had effectively ruled "homosexual 'rights' trump freedom of conscience in the UK". The judges had stated that "biblical Christian beliefs may be 'inimical' to children, and implicitly upheld an Equalities and Human Rights Commission (ECHC) submission that children risk being 'infected' by Christian moral beliefs". The CLC said the judgment summary "sends out the clear message that orthodox Christian ethical beliefs are potentially harmful to children and that Christian parents with mainstream Christian views are not suitable to be considered as potential foster parents". Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: X-15 (#0)
Brit buggery stuffs another one up the tube.
Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing its idiot.
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