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Gay news: Offering sex therapy to gay and lesbian couples would 'encourage sin'
By: John Howard
Gary MacFarlane
A Christian relationship counsellor's attempt to overturn his dismissal for refusing to work with gay couples has been rejected by the high court.
Gary MacFarlane, 47, from Bristol, lost his job with the marriage guidance service Relate in 2008 after he said he would not "encourage sin" by offering sex therapy to gay and lesbian couples.
Dismissing his appeal, Lord Justice Laws said legislation for the protection of views held purely on religious grounds could not be justified.
He continued: "We do not live in a society where all the people share uniform religious beliefs. The precepts of any one religion - any belief system - cannot, by force of their religious origins, sound any louder in the general law than the precepts of any other."
MacFarlane was suspended in October 2007 after meetings with his manager, in which he was asked to state his views on same-sex couples.
Gary MacFarlane
Christian relationship counsellor who refused to help gays loses in high court
A Christian relationship counsellor's attempt to overturn his dismissal for refusing to work with gay couples has been rejected by the high court.
Gary MacFarlane, 47, from Bristol, lost his job with the marriage guidance service Relate in 2008 after he said he would not "encourage sin" by offering sex therapy to gay and lesbian couples.
Dismissing his appeal, Lord Justice Laws said legislation for the protection of views held purely on religious grounds could not be justified.
He continued: "We do not live in a society where all the people share uniform religious beliefs. The precepts of any one religion - any belief system - cannot, by force of their religious origins, sound any louder in the general law than the precepts of any other."
MacFarlane was suspended in October 2007 after meetings with his manager, in which he was asked to state his views on same-sex couples.
The suspension was lifted, but he said he was later labelled a "homophobe" and, following a further disciplinary hearing, was dismissed in March 2008.
In January 2009, an employment tribunal ruled that he had not been the victim of religious persecution or unfair dismissal.
In January 2009, an employment tribunal ruled that he had not been the victim of religious persecution or unfair dismissal.
At a further hearing at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in November 2009, McFarlane said that Relate had refused to accommodate his Christian beliefs or allow him to try to overcome his reservations, but he again lost his case.
Today's ruling was welcomed by Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, who said:
Today's ruling was welcomed by Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, who said:
"This is the right outcome for this case. The law must be clear that anti-discrimination laws exist to protect people, not beliefs.
"The right to follow a religious belief is a qualified right and it must not be used to legitimise discrimination against gay people who are legally entitled to protection against bigotry and persecution."
"The right to follow a religious belief is a qualified right and it must not be used to legitimise discrimination against gay people who are legally entitled to protection against bigotry and persecution."
