(Bristol, England) In March 2008, a 47-year-old Christian sex therapist, Mr. McFarlane, was fired from the National Counseling Service for refusing to provide sex therapy to homosexual couples because it encouraged gay sex and was contrary to his religious beliefs. McFarlane took his case to an employment tribunal claiming unlawful religious discrimination.
The employment tribunal has now ruled that the National Counseling Service, Relate, was entitled to fire McFarlane. Therefore, the discrimination was lawful.
The decision prompted Christian groups to demand a rethink of religious discrimination laws, following a string of other high-profile cases in which courts have found against Christians who claim they have suffered as a result of standing up for their beliefs.I would suggest the "impression" that gay rights trump Christian rights is more like a tattoo. The issue has advanced past theory and it is now a fact.
Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Mr McFarlane in his claim, said the religious discrimination law was "in danger of becoming a dead letter", while the Christian Institute said there was a growing feeling among churchgoers that religious discrimination laws only applied to Muslims and other minority faiths.
Legal experts suggested the ruling had left discrimination laws in "a confused state" by giving the impression that "gay rights trump Christian rights" when they directly oppose each other.
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