Senior churchmen, including Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, recently began a campaign urging Christians to stand up for their rights and have petitioned the Prime Minister to review human rights laws.
In their ruling yesterday, the judges complained that it was not yet ?well understood? that British society was largely secular and that the law has no place for Christianity.
?Although historically this country is part of the Christian West, and although it has an established church which is Christian, there have been enormous changes in the social and religious life of our country over the last century,? they said.
It was a ?paradox? that society has become simultaneously both increasingly secular and increasingly diverse in religious affiliation, they said.
?We sit as secular judges serving a multicultural community of many faiths. We are sworn (we quote the judicial oath) to 'do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill will?.?
The judges acknowledged that there was a ?tension? in the case of Mr and Mrs Johns between the rights of individuals to maintain their religious beliefs and the rights of homosexual people to live free from discrimination.
However, when fostering regulations were taken into account, ?the equality provisions concerning sexual orientation should take precedence? over religious rights, they said.
Andrea Williams, from the Christian Legal Centre, which backed the Johns?s case, said the ruling ?undermines the position of the established Church? in England.
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the former bishop of Rochester, described the judgment as ?absurd?. He pointed out the monarch took a coronation oath promising to uphold the laws of God, while Acts of Parliament are passed with the consent of ?the Lords Spiritual?, and the Queen?s Speech finishes with a blessing from Almighty God.
?To say that this is a secular country is certainly wrong,? he said.
?However, what really worries me about this spate of judgments is that they leave no room for the conscience of believers of whatever kind. This will exclude Christians, Muslims and Orthodox Jews from whole swaths of public life, including adoption and fostering.?
Speaking personally, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, the executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream, said the judges were wrong to say religion was a matter of private individuals? beliefs.
?They are treating religion like Richard Dawkins does, as if Christian faith was on a parallel with Melanesian frog worship,? he said.
?The judgment asserts that there is no hierarchy of rights, but itself implies there is one in which the right to practise one?s religion is subordinated to the secular assumptions about equality.?
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