Bigots in various Christian sects and some in other religions, have been campaigning in the UK against legislation which outlaws discrimination against people on the grounds of their sexuality. Their claims are that:

  • Christians who run guest houses may be forced to provide homosexual couples with a double bed;
  • Adoption agencies (apparently Catholic agencies place most of the third of children with significant problems who are therefore most difficult to place) will be forced to place children with homosexual couples.

Well, except within the confines of the religious institutions themselves, we don’t allow them to discriminate against women or the disabled or on the grounds of race. Sexuality is no different here. This is another example of exactly what the Pope railed against as “the rise of secularism” in Western Europe. Well, speaking as a secularist, I think that the separation of religion and public life is the only way we can have a multi-/no-faith society. If we allow private religious beliefs to be expressed in public life in this way, then we allow anyone to claim exemption from any law “for religious purposes”.

I have no problem with your personal religious beliefs, if you want to be a bigot, then you must find a job in which you don’t encounter anything which arouses that bigotry. You have freedom of speech and may espouse your beliefs but you may not put them into practice any more than those who believe that cannabis should be legal can import, process, sell and smoke it. They may campaign for a change in the law, but they may not violate it.