Discrimination gone bad
Image via Wikipedia Discrimination, though cast in a negative light in modern society , can be an important quality, and even a virtue that reflects wisdom and prudence, argued Bishop Julian Porteous, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, in a column Wednesday. The bishop was responding to a call last month from the Green Party in New South Wales to scrap religious exemptions in the state’s anti-discrimination legislation , which is designed to protect faith-based schools and services. Even with such exemptions, legislation of this nature has been used in Western countries to hinder, or even silence, people of faith and others espousing traditional views on issues like homosexuality and abortion. Last month, the U.K.‘s high court barred a Christian family from acting as foster parents because of their opposition to the homosexual lifestyle. In the high-profile case, the court ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination based on sexual orientation trumped the right to not ...