What a lot of fuss about a vicar!

What a lot of fuss about a vicar! Well Bishop anyway. While I understand that the Church does depend on a large number of Gay clergy. Not to mention a not so few number of shy, gay ones, and I also understand that some parts of the Church are reading literal meanings into some Bible passages, whilst ignoring the literal meaning of others.*

I cannot really say I am very bothered about the rights, or wrongs, of a man who wants to be a religious leader in an religion which condemns his sexuality, and then gets caught up in its politics and prejudices.

But then I'm a lifelong atheist!

However I do worry about the rights of those ordinary members of society who want to work as a teacher or perhaps a schoolkeeper or a nurse and who find themselves in line for a job in a school or clinic run by a church. For if they are gay or lesbian they will not be protected from discrimination when the new regulations come in, at the end of 2003, to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Following lobbying by various religious groups, when construction of the directive was going ahead in Europe, a clause was already included in the directive that allowed religions to prevent gays and lesbians from becoming clergy. This was because it would be seen as a "genuine occupational requirement" if being gay or lesbian is against the ethos of the religion.

The new draft regulations were prepared with this clause transposed into it as regulation 7(2) and came as no great surprise. However at the last minute and after all the consultation had finished, the government has inserted another clause 7(3), which goes beyond the directive and may even be illegal.

Who says so? Me? No, The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, they are concerned that the new clause goes beyond what the directive requires and therefore the regulations cannot be moved under European Communities Act 1972 which covers such regulations. It would need primary legislation, (the Government had always said they couldn't include protection for gays and lesbians in the field of goods and services because there is no time for primary legislation!)

So the TUC and others are campaigning for this to be changed, you might think that this wouldn't be a problem if Parliament's own committee says it’s a problem, but I'm a sceptic and will wait to see. I think the "yes" men and women will pass it and it'll have to be challenged in the courts.

I hope I'm wrong

* Like women should be silent in church and no one should not eat pork: 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Leviticus 11:7-8 & Deuteronomy 14:7-8