WRONG MESSAGE SENT OUT BY DISCRIMINATION

A Christian charity which works with people with learning difficulties, as well as supporting church ministries, has today been found guilty of acting illegally when in 2004 it began recruiting only practising Christians for almost all posts, and told existing non-Christian staff that they were no longer eligible for promotion. A former employee, himself a Christian, resigned over the policy and claimed constructive dismissal. An Employment Tribunal in Abergele upheld his case unanimously. See my comment on behalf of Ekklesia: Faith bodies should end discriminatory practices.

This is not, it seems, an exceptional case. As a Christian, I would want church and para-church groups to behave with greater not less courtesy, justice and love than is commonly required. But the habit in some quarters is often to complain that "we" are hard done by, to promote discontent, and to seek to get around anti-discrimination requirements, rather than to exhibit the kind of positive transformation the Gospel is supposed to be about. It's very sad indeed.