UK: Equality Body's U-turn on Religious Liberty Disappoints Christians

According to the website Christian Today, Christians have reacted with disappointment and alarm after the equality quango appeared to backtrack this week from a previous pledge to support Christians in matters of religious freedom. In July, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stated that “reasonable accommodation” of religious beliefs was “needed.” The EHRC had applied to intervene in four cases involving workplace discrimination before the European Court of Human Rights: a British Airways check-in worker who was denied the right to wear her cross necklace; a nurse who was removed from ward duties for refusing to remove her cross necklace; a relationships counselor who was fired for saying he would not provide sex therapy to same-sex couples; a registrar who was disciplined after requesting not to conduct civil partnership registrations. The EHRC has been given leave to intervene in the cases but announced this week that it will no longer be arguing for "reasonable accommodation." It also said it will not assist in cases involving employees who ask to have their views on same-sex relations accommodated."