British Magistrate, Fired for Christian Views on Same-Sex Adoption, Appeals Dismissal
- Updated Jul 23, 2018
After losing his job for saying a child’s “best interest” is to be raised by a mother and father, a Christian magistrate in London will appeal the government’s decision to dismiss him.
Richard Page, 71, is appealing the decision this week. The Christian Legal Centre (CLC) represents him in the case.
“We are absolutely delighted that Richard will continue to seek justice,” said Andrea Williams, chief Executive of the CLC. “It is vital that people like Richard who are passionate about service in public life are free to speak and live out their Christian faith. They should not be censored or punished for their faith.”
Page was suspended and then later fired from his job as a non-executive director at Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust in March 2016.
He said he was dismissed after he told the BBC in a 2015 television interview that he believed an adopted child should be placed in the care of a mother and father over that of a same-sex couple “as God and nature intended.”
Page has said he is an evangelical Christian.
The National Health Service investigated Page’s actions and decided to dismiss him.
“It would appear no longer possible to be a Christian, to state what the Bible actually says and what the Church has believed for 2,000 years, and maintain a role in public life in today's Britain,” he said, “My seat on the NHS Trust came as a result of my long service in mental health and total commitment to the NHS – none of that has changed.”
"What about treating my views, held by billions of Christians around the world, equally and fairly?" he also asked.
In 2017, Page took his case to the Croydon Employment Tribunal and claimed discrimination, harassment and victimization. He was rejected until the Employment Appeal Tribunal agreed to accept his appeal.
“Mr. Page is a selfless and compassionate individual who has dedicated himself to public service,” Williams said. “Yet he is another in a long-time of brave Christians who have suffered detriment for expressing biblical truth in the public sphere. We continue to stand by him in his legal challenge.”
Publication Date: July 23, 2018
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