Disingenuous or just ignorant?

We see that a relationship counsellor has been fired from Relate because he would not deal with same-sex couples due to his Pavlovian bigotry religious beliefs.

Tough.

Relate is not a Christian entity and, matey, you should have known full well what you were getting into and so excused yourself from such a role and worked for another organisation that allowed you to exercise your prejudices, er, I mean, religion.

The councillor, Mr McFarlane bleats:

"The issues are way bigger than one individual. Society will be the poorer if we do not balance rights fairly and respectfully."

Yes, the issues ARE bigger than one individual, and not in his favour. It is the freedom of an employer to decide what they wish to pay for, i.e. in return for a salary. His assertion that society will somehow be "poorer" is poppycock. Rights are not some item to be horse-traded "fairly" and "respectfully". Rights exist, are equally applied and some rights are superior to others and take precedent. This doubletalk of "respectfully" is just a cover to say that he feels, incorrectly I must add, that his personal beliefs are superior to other rights, including the right of his employer to determine and enforce terms of engagement. Once you let this sort of thinking worm in, we will see more and more illiberal salami-slicing by religious groups who will begin to try and impose their personal beliefs upon the rest of us. A nightmare. 

His idea is that we surrender our rights and in return he gets respect. Of course he is in favour of such a deal. He can go hang.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of some ghastly self-righteous pressure group Christian Concern for our Nation, said: "Mr McFarlane had an unblemished record of service for Relate and was trying to work out a way in which his Christian views could be asserted accommodated.

"It is astonishing to think that in 21st Century Britain we are unable to ensure that people like Mr McFarlane are able to stay within the system. Unless, we are able to achieve this in law then there will never be true equality and respect for all."

Andrea, Mr McFarlane's personal beliefs can be accommodated by him keeping them where they belong. Mr McFarlane can stay within the system if you are able to ensure that he delivers his side of his employment contract. Note how this group is trying to get their beliefs "protected" in Law. Anyone with two unbiased braincells to rub together would, after a brief mulling over of possible scenarios, consider such legislation irresponsible and against the Rule of Law.