Christian Care Home Loses Funding Over Homosexuality Stance
By Maria Mackay, Christianity Today
Brighton & Hove City Council has pulled thousands of pounds worth of funding from a Christian care home because of its religious beliefs on homosexuality.
The council withdrew £13,000 of funding when the care home refused the council’s request to ask the elderly Christian residents about their sexual orientation every three months. The home also refused demands from the council that it use images of homosexuals in its promotional literature and show staff a Stonewall presentation on ‘gay rights’.
The home is run by Pilgrim Homes, a charity serving elderly Christians for more than 200 years. Its residents include former missionaries and a retired church minister.
Phil Wainwright, director of human resources at Pilgrim Homes, said he was told by the council that the home must ask residents if they were lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual or ‘unsure’, even if they objected.
But managers at the care home told the council that meeting its demands would “unduly distress” the residents and go against their Christian ethos. They also informed the council that residents over the age of 80 in particular would regard probing from the council on sexual matters as “hostile and intrusive”.
“There was a strong feeling among people in the home that the questions were inappropriate and intrusive,” said Mr Wainwright. “They felt they had come to Pilgrim Homes because of its Christian ethos and were upset they were not protected from such intrusions.”
The council responded by accusing the home of “institutionalised homophobia” and withdrew the funding, which was being used to pay for warden services in sheltered housing.
Pilgrim Homes said it now plans to take Brighton & Hove Council to court for religious discrimination. The legal bid is being financially supported by The Christian Institute’s Legal Defense Fund.
The Christian Institute’s Mike Judge said: “Brighton Council is displaying a very prejudiced and discriminatory attitude to the religious beliefs held by the elderly residents of the home run by Pilgrim Homes.
“After a lifetime of Christian service, these elderly men and women deserve to live in a restful environment which supports and nurtures their Christian faith.
“This case is the latest in a series of troubling incidents where the rights of Christians are seemingly being ignored in favour of ‘gay rights’.”
[Hat-tip: Secular Heretic]
And they weren't even closing their doors to homosexuals...they just didn't want to ask. Boy there's really an unwarranted crack-down on religion of late.
ReplyDeleteWhat they said of their elderly residents is so true! I can imagine the shock and embarrassment they would feel at having to reveal their sexual orientation in an interview or questionnaire. My own Granny would be dumbfounded and probably either faint or get that "lecture" gleam in her eye - telling them it's none of their business (and it isn't!). Our society was modest and refined once. Now we're supposed to just hang it all out there for the world to see. And being made to sit through "educational materials" about homosexuality? Um...yeah.
How about let's just leave these people in peace? Hm? How about we regain a sense of respect for our elders (and adopt of few million of their morals and values while we're at it)?
I agree Pearl, It made me laugh when the council accused them of “Institutionalised homophobia”. This is just a euphemism to try and tell you that Pilgrim Homes has an irrational fear of homosexuality. This of course is rubbish. I expect many of the residents at the home know that homosexual sex is disordered.
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