Coming Soon to a Country Near You

Lifesite reports that a British Anglican bishop has been fined tens of thousands of pounds and been sentenced to what amounts to re-education camp for the crime of refusing to hire a sexually active homosexual. Canadians and Americans should take note–this is the direction that gay activists in both countries want the legal systems to go:

The Anglican bishop of Hereford has been ordered by a court to undergo “equal opportunities training” and pay a fine of £47,345.00, the equivalent of $92,106.00 [Canadian, approximately $75,000 US], for refusing to hire an active homosexual for a position of trust with young people. The ruling also stated that Hereford diocese staff “involved in recruitment should receive equal opportunities training”.

“The respondents discriminated against the claimant on the grounds of sexual orientation,” said the ruling from the Cardiff Employment Tribunal.

The Right Reverend Anthony Priddis refused to hire a homosexual man, John Reaney, as a youth worker on the grounds that the Christian religion holds sexual continence within natural marriage as the norm. He told media that he stands by his original decision and may appeal the ruling.

When Mr. Reaney, an active homosexual who sees no conflict with his lifestyle and his Christian beliefs, was refused for a position with the diocese as a youth officer, he launched a complaint with the Employment Tribunal. This complaint was funded by the homosexual political organization Stonewall and was considered by them and others as a test case in the application of the so-called “religious exemption” of recently passed Equality legislation that prohibits “discrimination” on the grounds of “sexual orientation”.

Note that the bishop didn’t say that he had a problem with a gay man working with youth, which was smart because most gay men, just like most straight men, have no sexual interest in youth. Instead, he based it on the religious convictions of the church, which does not approve of sexual activity outside of marriage. That cut no mustard with the employment tribunal, which no doubt wanted to make a statement about the need for churches to get with the government program that is degrading freedom of religion in the service of the gay agenda. North Americans, beware.