Anti-gay couple lose foster care case in U.K.

Judges from the Royal Courts of Justice move through the rain to Parliament Oct. 1, 2010, in London for the religious service and procession from Westminster Abbey marking the start of the legal year.

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A ruling from Britain's high court found that a Pentecostal Christian couple's belief that homosexuality is morally wrong could be used as a factor in deciding whether they can care for foster children.

Eunice and Owen Johns, aged 62 and 65 respectively, couldn't convince judges at London's Royal Courts of Justice that a British city discriminated against them after they expressed their views on homosexuality, the Guardian newspaper of London reported Monday.

The case stems from the Johns telling a Derby city social worker in 2007 that they couldn't tell a child that a "homosexual lifestyle" was acceptable, the Guardian reported. The couple had cared for foster children in the past and wanted to take in children aged 5 to 10.

In their ruling, Lord Justice Munby and Justice Beatson noted they weren't striking down the Johns' beliefs but ruled instead on the discrimination stemming from those beliefs, the Guardian reported.

"No one is asserting that Christians (or, for that matter, Jews or Muslims) are not 'fit and proper' persons to foster or adopt," the judges wrote in their ruling, according to the Guardian. "No one is seeking to de-legitimise Christianity or any other faith or belief. On the contrary, it is fundamental to our law and our way of life that everyone is equal before the law and equal as a human being ... entitled to dignity and respect.

"We live in this country in a democratic and pluralistic society, in a secular state not a theocracy," the judges wrote.

After the ruling was handed down, Eunice Johns told reporters she was "extremely distressed" with the decision, which Christian groups also criticized.

"We are prepared to love and accept any child," Johns said, according to the Guardian. "All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing. We feel excluded and that there is no place for us in society."

[mrleme]

So, just because a person is a Christian or just because they believe different than you or even better have a different parenting style than you, they are denied certain rights. Were they abusive, no; was this their first time at being foster parents, no; are the children happy and healthy, probably. This is reverse discrimination for those of you who are gay. So if you're not gay, you don't hate gay people, you still have a perception pushed down your throat and you're called a bigot? Really makes no sense.

[pleiadies1]

They haven't fostered any children yet; any children they may foster would come froma disrupted background, be an ethnic minority, mixed race, or disabled. Would you say it would be acceptable for this couple to tell children in their household that disabled people, or people from another ethnic background are somehow not as good as everyone else?

[kansas1946]

"All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing. We feel excluded and that there is no place for us in society."
*************************************

Oh waaaaa. I bet they are on the front lines of trying to prevent gay couples from adopting or fostering. If they feel excluded and there is no place for them in society, now they know how gay people feel.

[cvanoff]

Exactly...

[pleiadies1]

And don't forget, they are prepared to let religious dogma stand in the way of their fostering. Children of that age do not give a fig about sexuality - but thgey soon will if their foster parents start bsaying how awful it is to be gay. They are deeply unsuitable to be foster parents.

[rexxcarz]

Judges in powdered wigs made of berber carpeting? The ruling is not surprising! LOL

[freeamerica31]

So what happens if Gay Foster Parents don't believe in religion and can't tell the child that there is a God? Are the Gay couple then not acceptable to be Foster Parents?

[pleiadies1]

That's better in my opinion than saying there is one.

[askagain]

correction

So now you have to accept gay behavior in the United Kingdom to be a foster parent. You must be willing to violate your consvience to be a foster paremt. Look what is on its way to the United States.

[pleiadies1]

Anyone who thinks prejudice and bigotry are OK with God is a funny sort of Christian. There's enough homophobia in the world already, without this couple bringing up more children to become bigoted adults.

[askagain]

So now you have to accrpt gay behavior in the United Kingdom to be a foster parent. You must be willing to violate your consvience to be a foster paremt. Look what is on its way to the United States.

[pleiadies1]

And as and when it does arrive your country will be a better place for it.