Couple banned in UK for fostering children due to anti-gay stance.

[mwooldri]

Sources:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/03/01/court-backs-fostering-ban-on-anti-gay-christian-couple-115875-22957343/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/8353512/Foster-parent-ban-extreme-distress-of-anti-gay-Christians-over-ruling.html

Basically, the High Court in London ruled that a couples' religious views on homosexuality were trumped by legislation on equality - the two judges ruling that "British society was largely secular and that the law has no place for Christianity" (quote from Telegraph article)

Appears to me that since the couple would be effectively an agency acting on behalf of local government, they have to stick to the equality legislation. The couple were supposedly offered "re-education classes" but the couple declined.

The High Court decision is apparently going to be appealed.

Personally I feel the judges got this one right, and for the record yes I am Christian - hopefully an enlightened one who understands Jesus' message.

PS: for record, Faux Noise has this on their website and the comments below are "interesting".

[TheWraith]

1. Hard call to make.

On the one hand, the state shouldn't be approving or not of people's lifestyles. If it were a gay couple being denied foster kids because they were gay, we'd all be screaming bloody murder. But at the same time, there's a need to take into account the kids, and the effects their upbringing will have on them, including whether they should be put into an environment that would basically include brainwashing.

[FreeState]

2. I have no problem with it - if it were adoption I would, but this is foster care

the state is in essence placing wards of the state in a paid watcher type relationship, the foster parents are there for the states interest not their own.

[EFerrari]

4. Bigotry is a life style now?

[mitchtv]

3. the state's primary obligation is the chidren

what happens to a young gay kid being subjected to various "cures" by a kook or pair of kooks? I particularly like the part about the state having no place for "Christianity",