English court sides with homosexual men against Christian bed and breakfast owner
July 12, 2013
The second highest court in England has ruled that a Christian bed and breakfast owner illegally discriminated against two homosexual men when she declined to rent them a room with a double bed.
Susanne Wilkinson, the bed and breakfast owner, said that she rents rooms only to husbands and wives and does not rent to unmarried heterosexual couples or to homosexual couples.
“It is clearly established that, as a matter of general principle, the right of a homosexual not to suffer discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is an important human right, and the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief … is also an important human right,” the Court of Appeal ruled. “Neither is intrinsically more important than the other. Neither in principle trumps the other. But the weight to be accorded to each will depend on the particular circumstances of the case.”
The court left open the possibility of an appeal to the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court.
“I am disappointed to have lost at this stage, but I am pleased that there is hope for people like me who believe in marriage,” said Wilkinson. “Surely in our diverse 21st-century UK society there is ample room for a variety of lifestyles with many thousands of other B&Bs being willing to accommodate unmarried couples.”
“It’s sad that cases like this are coming to court in a country that has a great Christian heritage,” she added. “However, whatever the outcome of my case, my faith is grounded in a sovereign, loving, and unchanging God and his eternal plans and purposes.”
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Further information:
- B&B owner who turned away gay couple loses appeal (The Guardian)
- British Appeals Court Holds Christian B&B Owner Illegally Discriminated Against Gay Couple (Religion Clause)
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Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
Jul. 13, 2013 7:25 AM ET USA
Susanne Wilkinson, like all Christian B & B operators in the UK, can cheerfully ignore whatever verdict this or any other court hands down that goes against Christian moral principles. There just aren't enough jail cells available to accommodate all the recusants who will refuse to obey this evil law. It's an idle threat from our anti-Christian parliament to imprison any Christian who refuses to roll over at the demand of these perverts, and one that will disappear in 2015 - at election time.
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Posted by: -
Jul. 12, 2013 2:05 PM ET USA
So in effect the court ruled that it now had the right and the duty to begin selecting which religious beliefs are protected and which are not--and made its ruling just in time to let us know which direction Irish courts will be leaning now that abortion is legal there.
