‘Religious rights trump gay rights’ - court ruling
July 14th, 2008
An orthodox Christian registrar who refused to carry out same-sex civil partnerships has won a legal battle against her employer, Islington Council.
A tribunal decided that Lillian Ladele was discriminated against after she asked to be excused from performing civil partnership ceremonies because of her religious beliefs. The council had told Ms Ladele that she could face the dismissal unless she carried out her duties.
Ms Ladele told the Daily Mail: “I hold the orthodox Christian view that marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life and this is the God-ordained place for sexual relations. It creates a problem for any Christian if they are expected to do or condone something that they see as sinful.”
“Gay rights should not be used as an excuse to bully or harass people over their religious beliefs.”
Writing for The Guardian Comment is free blog, journalist Terry Sanderson points out that the ruling could set a dangerous precedent which could erode recent advances in equality legislation:
“The ruling appears to place the religious ‘conscience’ of registrars above their legal duty to carry out parliament’s legislation. If it is not overturned on appeal, and it sets a precedent, where could it lead? Will other public servants be permitted to refuse services on the grounds that their religion does not permit them to approve of their clients lifestyles?
“Firemen refusing to rescue co-habiting couples from burning buildings? Doctors refusing to treat people with HIV? Police officers refusing to come to the aid of unmarried mothers?”
Sanders also points out that civil partnerships in secular spaces are, by nature, non-religious:
“The point of state-run facilities are that any citizen can make use of them and expect equal treatment and service. These are all taxpayer funded services – so, in effect, non-believers and gay people are paying to be discriminated against.”
“This decision appears to show that religious rights trump gay rights - and that is something that should leave gay people quaking in their boots.”
I wonder if this woman also won’t marry a couple if one of the individuals had been married before and then gotten a divorce???
Monica_CA ∼ July 14th, 2008 11:56 am