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Euro rules force Church bodies to employ atheists
Date Posted: Saturday, January 25, 2003
(A Bible, Science, and History Tidbit from Genesis Proclaimed Association)
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 25/01/2003)
Thousands of religious schools, charities and organisations could face
legal action if they refuse to employ atheists or sack staff who become
Satanists under proposed Government regulations.
The laws, which are based on a European Union directive and which have to
be implemented by December, ban discrimination in the workplace on the
grounds of religion, belief or sexual orientation.
But a report from the Christian Institute says the laws will restrict the
freedom of religious organisations to employ solely staff who are
practising believers.
Christian groups are particularly angry that the Government has chosen to
exempt political parties from the laws, so that the Labour Party will be
able to continue its policy of employing only party members.
"While the Vegetarian Society can refuse to employ meat-eaters and
the RSPCA can sack an executive who is found to have invested in the fur
trade, churches which employ Christians could now face legal action for
doing so," the institute said."They could face the possibility
of crippling legal actions just for following their beliefs."
Under the new regulations, all religious organisations, including schools,
charities, parishes and mosques, will need to have a very strong case to
require recruits to share their beliefs.
The laws could, for example, prevent Christian bodies refusing to employ
practising homosexuals or bisexuals on the grounds that sex outside
marriage is against Christian teaching. Moreover, the regulations protect
existing staff, so that if a youth worker employed by a Christian Church
converts to Islam, but argues that he can still do the job, the Church
cannot dismiss him.
Teachers in maintained schools escape the regulations on religion or
belief but not sexual orientation. Vergers, youth workers, evangelists,
pastoral staff in parishes and caretakers could all be seriously affected,
however.
In its report the institute said that the proposed regulations undermined
religious freedom.
One of its authors, Prof. Ian Leigh, of Durham University, a human rights
lawyer, said: "The Government regulations have all the potential
seriously to undermine freedom of association for religious people. They
place the modern concept of 'equality' over and above religious
liberty."
Originally Published on www.telegraph.co.uk
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