Human Rights Commission Rebukes Judges for Failing to Protect Christian Employees
The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Britain has stated that judges in England should not have supported employers who chastised their Christian workers for refusing to offer services they felt would go against their religious ethics.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body in Britain. The Commission has the responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales.
According to The Daily Mail, the commission stated, “The way existing human rights and equality law has been interpreted by judges is insufficient to protect freedom of religion or belief.”
The issue triggered controversy seven months ago when a court ruled in favor of Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy’s request to sue Christian hotel staff workers who had refused them a double room.
Commission leader Trevor Phillips, refutes the judgment given to that case by the courts, stating that the law was confusing and that judges had interpreted equality laws too narrowly.
The commission is now pushing for reform in the law, as it claims the wording it too wide and that it can be interpreted in too many contradicting ways.
In a report by the Daily Mail the EHRC states, “It is difficult for employers or service providers to know what they should be doing to protect people from religion or belief-based discrimination… there should be an end to legal confusion.”
Some individuals feel that this new declaration should spur Christians on into pursuing the reformation of other laws that go against Christian conviction.
Barry Napier of the ChristianDoctrine.com claims, “Now, we must push hard to rid the country of pro-gay laws that hit Christians hard simply for having Christian beliefs.”