Theology in the News

Previous post here.

A Christian couple morally opposed to homosexuality because of their faith have lost a landmark High Court battle 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.

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. The Johns are considering an appeal.

[.....]

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”.

….read all

Christian Concern have a fairly detailed release on this already.

Full version of judgement text can be found here.

Posted by Stuart James