Christians: Beyond Belief

Campaigners warned the decision by the European Court of Human Rights could see more cases where Christians lose their jobs because of their religion, following David Cameron’s gay marriage bill.

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali said he thought the decision by the court not to take the cases of Lillian Ladele, Shirley Chaplin and Gary McFarlane further, raised fears of a “systemic exclusion of people” from public roles because of their beliefs.

Marriage registrar Miss Ladele was disciplined by Islington council for refusing to conduct civil partnership ceremonies when they were legalised in 2004, and Mrs Chaplin, a former nurse, was transferred to desk duties after she refused to take off a crucifix. Mr McFarlane was dismissed as a relationship counsellor at charity Relate after he said he was prepared to counsel same sex couples but not to discuss sexual issues.

All had their claims of religious discrimination rejected by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg earlier this year and judges have now rejected their request to take their appeal to the Grand Chamber of the Court...

The Telegraph.

Good - now shut up and do your job, you medieval loons. 

Christian Loons: Fight The Bad Fight

Today the European Court of Human Rights will begin chamber hearings in the  the cases of Chaplin v. the United Kingdom, Eweida v. the United Kingdom, Ladele v. the United Kingdom and McFarlane v. the United Kingdom. The applicants, four practicing Christians’, complain that domestic law failed to adequately protect their right to manifest their religion. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has stated that domestic courts were right to uphold human rights and equalities law and principles in dismissing cases of alleged Christian discrimination.
The cases involve Lillian Ladele, the registrar who refused to fulfil her duties because of her ‘orthodox Christian beliefs’ against same-sex partnerships and Gary McFarlane, who refused to treat gay couples equally with straight ones in his job as a counsellor at Relate; and the cases of Nadia Eweida, who has repeatedly lost her claims of religious discrimination against her employer British Airways, and of Shirley Chaplin, who claimed that uniform codes violated her human rights as a Christian.
BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented, ‘Our domestic courts have been robust in dismissing these cases and the victim narrative that lies behind them has no basis in reality. What they describe as discrimination and marginalisation of Christians is in fact the proper upholding of human rights and equalities law and principles. All reasonable people will agree that there is scope in a secular democracy for reasonable accommodation of religious beliefs when that accommodation does not affect the rights and freedoms of others. But if believers try to invoke their beliefs as a defence for treating other people badly – denying them a service because they are gay or claiming a right to preach at them in a professional context – the law is right to prevent them.’

British Humanist Association.  
Of course it was up to me I'd throw the cases out and have them all sectioned.
No offence.

PS Hilarious Daily Mail article on the "Christian Fightback" - they think this is the most important existential struggle for all we hold dear since the Battle of Britain. Something tells me this could turn into a bit of a classic for readers' comments...

PPS There were some heartbreaking interviews with these brave freedom fighters in the Sunday Telegraph.