Discrimination law is meant to act as a shield to protect people from unfair treatment, not to be used as a sword to attack those whose beliefs you disagree with.
This quote comes from an opinion piece in the Telegraph commenting on court case involving an elderly Christian Couple who run a guest house in Cornwall and two gays.The couple have always maintained a strict policy of only allowing married couples to share a double bed. This policy is articulated in their brochures.
You can guess what happened, the happy couple turned up, were offered alternative arrangements but went off in a huff, and initiated a taxpayer funded discrimination suit.
And you can guess the rest.
This is a particularly tricky case, because the couple were not prohibited from staying at the B&B because they were gay, but rather, from booking a joint room with a double bed, which was reserved for married couples only.
ReplyDeleteOn their website is this notice:
Here at Chymorvah we have few rules, but please note that as Christians we have a deep regard for marriage(being the union of one man to one woman for life to the exclusion of all others).
Therefore, although we extend to all a warm welcome to our home, our double bedded accommodation is not available to unmarried couples
– Thank you.
And the judge has ruled that a civil union is exactly equal to a marriage.
This is why they lost the case. It's not a matter of "no gays here" sign on the window, but "married couples to double beds only" and having a legal battle over that definition.
There appears to be no accommodation in law to agree that "marriage" can be termed to be different from a "civil union" when one definition intrudes on the religious conviction and Christian tradition on a different definition.
To some extent (yes, an imperfect analogy) I wonder why smokers are allowed to book in Hotels and yet be told they can't smoke in non-smoking rooms, and it also not be a human rights issue?
I also wonder how they got the phone number to make the booking?
According to one site:
In August 2008, the Bulls received a letter from Stonewall, the gay rights organisation, saying it had received a complaint and warning the hotel it was breaking the law.
The following month Steven, from Bristol, rang to book a double room for two nights, but did not mention he was part of a homosexual couple.
Sounds like a stitch up from the beginning.
Mrs Bull, a great-grandmother, said their policy meant that even her brother and his female partner had to stay in separate rooms when they visited the hotel.
ReplyDeleteShe said: ‘I have had people clearly involved in affairs and under-age people who have tried to book in here for sex, and I have refused them the same as I refused these gentleman because I won't be a party to anything which is an affront to my faith under my roof.’
So it appears to have been consistently applied.
"To some extent (yes, an imperfect analogy) I wonder why smokers are allowed to book in Hotels and yet be told they can't smoke in non-smoking rooms, and it also not be a human rights issue?"
ReplyDeleteBecause it's acceptable to persecute and demonize smokers and Christians. Gays however are above all that, thanks to the soft-fascists on the left they are now super citizens, so you can take your dislike of gay bum-sex and shove it. There is no room in the brave new pc utopia for Christians, Conservatives or anyone who won't share their views.
"Sounds like a stitch up from the beginning."
Course it is, they'll persecute you, bankrupt you, smear you and/or sue you into submission, one way or another. You will do as the left-fascists instruct. Their end justifies the means you know.