Is this the face of 21st century Britain?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....n-employer-court.html

/// A Christian housing manager had his salary slashed after allegedly being ‘entrapped’ by a lesbian colleague into criticising gay marriage on his private Facebook page. ///

/// It is the latest in a series of claims by Christians that they have been discriminated against for expressing their beliefs at work. ///

[sandyRoe]

"Entrapped", I wonder how his colleague managed to do that?

[LazyGun]

Peter Tatchell doesn't think it was right. You and Peter are in agreement over something AoG - how are you feeling? :)

http://www.christian....ng-manager-was-wrong/

Based upon the facts of the case as presented in the paper, with all the usual caveats as to source etc, yes, it was an over-reaction and he should not have been penalised they way he appears to have been.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Peter Tatchell doesn't think it was right. You and Peter are in agreement over something AoG - how are you feeling? :) ///

Apparently Peter Tatchell is a 'cool cookie' and intelligent enough to realise that publication of this kind of over-reaction, does support for Gay Rights, no good whatsoever.

[anotheoldgit]

SandyRoe

/// Adrian Smith, 55, had posted a link to an article about plans for civil partnership ceremonies in churches with his own comment: ‘An equality too far.’ ///

/// After a lesbian colleague asked if that meant he didn’t approve, he posted that he could not understand ‘why people who have no faith and don’t believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church’. ///

/// Another colleague complained that the comment was offensive, despite having not seen the post, ///

[sp1814]

Entrapped?

Not sure how he was entrapped. He made the statement, and was asked about it.

However, what is really strange (and wrong) is that he isn't against marriage equality at all. I think he has a pretty strong case, because what he said is fundamentally right:

[I]"If the State wants to offer civil marriages to the same sex then that is up to the State; but the State shouldn’t impose its rules on places of faith and conscience."[I]

I could not agree with him more.

The state should not be imposing it's will on churches. Catholic divorcees aren't allowed to marry in church, and we don't have the state trying to overule on that...same should go with marriage equality.

It needs to be shouted loudly from every rooftop - these proposals are for civil marriage equality, not religious equality.

Anyway - who would want their special day in a place that actively denounces them?

It would be like celebrating Martin Luther King Day at a KKK lodge!

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Not sure how he was entrapped. He made the statement, and was asked about it. ///

By asking him to enlarge on what he had first typed.

Some try it on here all the time, but some of us are apparently more shrewd than to be entrapped in such a way.

[LazyGun]

No entrapment. Is not entrapment to ask someone to clarify their views, if they offer them.

Just an over-reaction from the authorities at the Trafford Housing Association. I think what was driving their reaction was the inclusion of job and employer on this guys private facebook page, and concerns that the page might be taken as being representative of them.

Still a ridiculous over-reaction and it sounds like he has a strong case.

[emmie]

i do wonder that some Christians, and i have no religious leanings whatsoever, find themselves at odds like this considering we are supposed to be a largely Christian country. It would seem for some there are rules for one and not the other, which cannot be right.

[anotheoldgit]

LazyGun

/// No entrapment. Is not entrapment to ask someone to clarify their views, if they offer them. ///

It is all dependant on how it is done, in this case he first made the comment " ‘An equality too far." that was in no way offensive.

But then by promoting from his Lesbian colleague, he posted that he could not understand "why people who have no faith and don’t believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church".

To which another colleague then jump in and then complained that "the comment was offensive", despite having not seen the post.

Now there's colleagues for you.

[sandyRoe]

Colleagues aren't always freinds, sadly.

[LazyGun]

Its still not entrapment AoG. Neither statement he makes should be considered a misconduct offence- its an overreaction by his employers.

[sp1814]

AOG

I doubt that it really is entrapment, but I think that's a side issue. The main issue is the draconian measures that the employers took against him. Demotion and a reduction of salary of £14,000? That's insane. It simply doesn't add up.

As a sidebar - I query the sentence 'an equality too far'.

When you think about it - it's a very odd position to take.

[emmie]

anyone else think he looks like Eddie Izzards dad.. just a thought.

[rojash]

Franz Kafka is alive and well and working for Trafford Housing Trust.

[Booldawg]

I liked this bit;

'Manager Deborah Gorman was asked whether Mr Smith’s post ‘Well done Spurs’ could have been liable for disciplinary proceedings because it might offend Manchester United fans'

Haha, was this for real or tongue in cheek?

[douglas9401]

As far as I can see from the above "an equality too far" was explained completely by the follow-up "why people who have no faith and don’t believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church".
I see no malice in either, only common sense and possibly a manufactured over-reaction by the complainant.
The employers must have excellent physiotherapy on tap to be able to bend over backwards THAT far.

[jackthehat]

He wasn't entrapped.

If the details are exactly as reported, then it was a stupid over-reaction by the Housing Association and I hope that the court-case is settled in his favour.

I agree with Peter Tatchell on this matter.

[Mick-Talbot]

Is this the face of 21st century Britain?

Dramatic header ....what does it mean, could you enlarge upon that statement?


Not the most cunning of traps though, was it..................

[naomi24]

Of course it isn't entrapment, but whilst I disagree with his views, he is right in saying //The Bible is quite specific that marriage is for men and women.// I think he’s been treated shabbily.

[naomi24]

Sorry, I didn't answer the question //Is this the face of 21st century Britain?//

Going by the posts here it doesn't appear to be.