The other day, we reported on a doctor in the United Kingdom who was crying “religious discrimination!,” due to the fact that she, according to her Christian beliefs, wouldn’t vote to place children for adoption with gay couples. Unfortunately for her, this is a case where certain professions have standards all are expected to adhere to, standards that are based in fact and evidence. It is unfortunate that some people cling to religious beliefs which are so clearly at odds with reality, but it does not mean we should give them a free pass to do their jobs poorly due to their beliefs.
Dr. Sheila Matthews took her claims of “discrimination” before an employment tribunal and was flatly denied:
According to the BBC, regional employment judge John MacMillan said there was no evidence that Dr Matthews had suffered religious discrimination at the hands of the council, nor that she had been treated differently from how any other member of the panel would be treated if they asked to abstain.
He said: “The complaints of religious discrimination fail and are dismissed. This case fails fairly and squarely on its facts. In our judgement, at least from the time of the pre-hearing review, the continuation of these proceedings was plainly misconceived … they were doomed to fail.
“There is simply no factual basis for the claims.”
According to the BBC, Dr Matthews told the hearing that her Christian beliefs led her to believe that the “most appropriate” environment for raising children was within the context of a marriage between a man and a woman.
It’s quite irrelevant what her “Christian beliefs” lead her to believe about adoption placement, for good or ill. What matters is what decades of study, in her own field, have shown to be the best outcomes for the children in concern. The fact that reality conflicts with religious belief is, I understand, often painful and confusing, but it doesn’t make it any less real.
