English judge rejects 'divisive' protection for Christian beliefs
CWN - April 29, 2010
An English court has dismissed the appeal of a Christian counselor who was fired because he declined to provide relationship therapy for same-sex couples.
Lord Justice Laws summarily shut off a request by the counselor, Gary McFarlane, to appeal his dismissal on the grounds that his religious freedom was at stake. The judge said that offering special protection for Christian beliefs would be "divisive, capricious, and arbitrary."
“We do not live in a society where all the people share uniform religious beliefs," Lord Justice Laws said. Rejecting the argument of Lord Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, who had testified on behalf of McFarlane, the judge said that it was "deeply unprincipled" to seek legal preferences for religious beliefs.
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Posted by: Defender -
Apr. 29, 2010 11:56 AM ET USA
I wouldn't count on it---most of Europe is under assault, as Vienna was centuries ago.
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Posted by: DrJazz -
Apr. 29, 2010 10:24 AM ET USA
I trust that the Lord Justice will rule consistently when a Muslim counselor appeals his firing for declining to provide relationship therapy for same-sex couples.
