"Equality" Is Coming to British Churches

The church teaches equality, but it does so in light of God's word. For example, we are all created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The gospel is offered to all nations (Mark 13:10), and "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Romans 14:10).

But some members of the British Parliament want to broaden the definition of equality to force churches to employ those who engage in sexually deviant behavior. From the Telegraph:

Religious groups are to be forced to accept homosexual youth workers, secretaries and other staff, even if their faith holds same-sex relationships to be sinful.

Christian organisations fear that the tightened legislation, which is due to come into force next year, will undermine the integrity of churches and dilute their moral message.

It comes amid growing concern that Christians are being unfairly targeted by discrimination laws, following a number of high-profile cases of courts finding against believers who stand up for their faith.

Religious leaders had hoped to lobby for exemptions to the Equality Bill but Maria Eagle, the deputy equalities minister, has now indicated that it will cover almost all church employees.

"The circumstances in which religious institutions can practice anything less than full equality are few and far between," she told delegates at the Faith, Homophobia, Transphobia, & Human Rights conference in London.

"While the state would not intervene in narrowly ritual or doctrinal matters within faith groups, these communities cannot claim that everything they run is outside the scope of anti-discrimination law.

"Members of faith groups have a role in making the argument in their own communities for greater LGBT acceptance, but in the meantime the state has a duty to protect people from unfair treatment."

We should take note of what happens across the pond because things that take root over there have a tendency to pop up over here.