A decision to bar a Christian couple from fostering children because of their views on homosexuality has been backed at the High Court.

Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, of Derby, said the city council did not want them to become foster carers because of their traditional views.

The couple said they were "doomed not to be approved" because of their views.

The Pentecostal Christian couple had applied to Derby City Council to be respite carers.

The court heard that the couple withdrew their application after a social worker expressed concerns when they said they could not tell a child that a homosexual lifestyle was acceptable.

Derby City Council said previously its first duty was to the children in its care, some of whom are very vulnerable.

The couple cared for about 15 children in the 1990s.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-de ... e-12598896

From what I read somewhere else (can’t quite remember but it was one of the “quality” broadsheets ) I’m sure they mainly provided respite care for children between 5 – 10 (or might have been 5 – 15) yrs old

It can’t be beyond the wit of a council to not send a older child who is pro homosexuality to them – a younger child is not going to understand anyway

So the council would prefer to let the children rot in care homes instead?
While I think this couples views are outdated, what the council are effectively say is "religious people can't look after children".
That might sound a bit OTT, but seeing as many religions consider homosexuality a sin, that is in effect what they saying.
It's also hypocritical. There's no way a council would remove children from their own parents care if their parent were against homosexuality on religeous grounds, so why can't other children be looked after by them?

Aye, if you don't remove children from their homophobic parents, you shouldn't differentiate between foster parents either.

Surely, the age at which children leave home is similar to the age of consent? In which case, if they want to be gay, they are free to leave?

So they should have to put up with homophobic bullying until at least 16?

The County Council is a secular service and as such it has to abide by secular rules - in this case that they cannot place children in an environment where they might be subjected to discrimination or encourage to discriminate.

Teachers aren't allowed to express a view on this subject so why should foster carers be?

I agree. I don't think they should be forced to give an opinion; indeed, they don't have to. The bible doesn't condemn homosexuals, or the feelings of attraction between members of the same gender. It merely condemns the acts, and even then to no greater degree than it condemns a whole load of other things. They could have very easily answered in a way that would not have compromised even their traditional beliefs while at the same time still encouraging/affirming the child. The only scenario I can think of where they might possibly feel conflict about their own personal views would be if, say, their adopted son asked them if they thought it was okay for him to go around sticking his cock in other gentlemen....

Even that's debatable tbh.

Point taken. Many of the passages that are traditionally translated as condemning homosexuality could be translated to mean completely different things...

Can everyone stop talking about 'passages'...

Quality.

I actually lol'd