(Vatican Radio) Europe’s highest court on Tuesday ruled that British Airways discriminated
against a devoutly Christian airline employee by making her remove a crucifix at work.
But the court rejected discrimination cases by three other Christian claimants.
The
court ruled against a nurse who was told to remove a crucifix necklace at work. The
judges said Chaplin's employer banned necklaces on health and safety grounds, and
so asking her to remove the symbol was not excessive.
The judges also struck
down claims by a local authority registrar who said her Christian faith prevented
her from overseeing same-sex civil partnerships and a marriage counsellor who refused
to offer sex therapy to gay couples.
“The European Court has said that this
is not final, and that appeals can be launched,” said Peter Norris of the UK-based
advocacy group Christian Concern. Two of the Christian employees are being represented
by Christian Concern’s sister organisation, The Christian Legal Centre. “I expect
that the cases will be appealed, and then go to the Grand Chamber of the European
Court.”
He said the ruling, particularly in the case of the two “conscience
cases” that dealt with conscientious objection cases in regard to sexual ethics, should
be of wider concern. “I think it’s definitely of broader concern for other religions
or people who don’t even hold to a specific religion” he said, “particularly the conscience
cases. Because in those instances it amounts to a policing of thought, really. If
you don’t agree with the prevailing orthodoxy in these cases on sexual ethics, then
you’re not permitted to do this job. And it’s creating a public bar to office for
Christians, but has wider implications for other people’s freedom of thought, conscience
and religion. So it’s definitely of much broader concern than just for Christians.”
Listen
to the full interview of Christian Concern’s Peter Norris with Christopher Wells: