Four Christians go to court over thier faith

Four Christians will this week ask human rights judges to uphold complaints that the UK government failed to respect their right to religious freedom.

In a landmark case on Tuesday they will argue they have suffered discrimination as a result of their faith and appeal against their treatment. The four - former nurse Shirley Chaplin, relationship counsellor Gary McFarlane, British Airways worker Nadia Eweida and registrar Lilian Ladele - will go to the European Court of Human Rights  in Strasbourg.

 

Mrs Chaplin, from Devon, left her job after 30 years in the NHS when she was told she could not wear her crucifix because of health and safety rules. Mr McFarlane was sacked for saying he might not feel comfortable giving sex therapy to homosexual couples. Miss Eweida was prevented from wearing a cross and Ms Ladele was disciplined by London's Islington Council for refusing to conduct civil partnership ceremonies.

The Government will argue Christians do not have the right to wear a crucifix at work and that employers can ban them and sack workers who insist on doing so.

 

Leading church figures are backing the case against the Coalition with the former Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir Ali submitting an 11-page document to the court. He claims that the right of Christians have been 'vanquished' amid an 'increasingly aggressive secularism' while courts have allowed the wearing of a Sikh bangle, the Islamic headscarf and even a cornrow haircut.

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury has claimed Christians are being 'persecuted' by the courts and 'driven underground.'

 

Posted by David Pilkington

 

Extract from  http://www.dailymail.co.uk