Homosexual rights trump religious freedom

While I was away, I read several news reports on the final decision of the Charities Commission concerning Catholic Care, the adoption agency of the Diocese of Leeds, which won the right to appeal against the Commission's earlier ruling that they would have to consider homosexual couples as adoptive parents.

The Charities Commission has reconsidered its decision and come back with more of the same.
The Commission considers that the charity has not met the requirements for showing that there are particularly convincing and weighty reasons justifying the proposed discrimination.
One key point in the Charity Commission summary is:
The High Court indicated respect for religious views is not a justification for discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation in the circumstances of this case.
One might want to counter that respect for sexual orientation is not a justification for discrimination against a Catholic charity, forcing it to close. The case demonstrates that in today's Britain, homosexual rights trump the right to act in accord with Christian belief.

Links
Original High Court Decision: Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) v Charity Commission for England and Wales & Anor [2010] EWHC 520 (Ch) (17 March 2010)

Charity Commission Press Release
Charity Commission Case Summary
Charity Commission: Full document of the final decision (pdf)

Statement from Catholic Care

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