The Pope criticised British equality laws the other day. Among other things, these laws have led to the closure of Catholic adoption agencies in that country. Naturally, the Pope's intervention was roundly condemned by aggressive secularists. However, he has had his defenders, among them the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, the incomparable Jonathan Sacks, and Andrew Pierce who is gay himself.
These articles are definitely worth reading.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7012685.ece
Finally, here is my own article about the Pope remarks as it appears in today's Irish Independent: http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/david-quinn-religious-freedoms-under-attack-from-equality-laws-2049416.html
The message that equality laws are interfering with other rights might actually be getting though to some people. For example, the British Equalities Minister, Harriet Harmon, has accepted a House of Lords' amendent to her Equality Bill that will protect the rights of religious employers.
Meanwhile, our own government, and the opposition parties still refuse to countenance adding a conscience clause to the Civil Partnership Bill. They are still determined to treat those who cannot in conscience facilitate same-sex partnerships as equivalent to racist bigots. In their eyes, belief in traditional sexual morality is a form of prejudice.
