Homosexual couple sue Christian hotel owners for refusing them a double room

[moaningmags]

Originally Posted by Russ B

Just an amendment - for a marriage to be recognised by God it has to take place in His presence at a place of worship, so a state marriage is not legitimate in God's eye.

I only go to church for deaths and marriages.
I got married in a registry office, I'm not religious until it suits me to be ie some disaster befalls my life and I pray to the man/woman upstairs.

If God is omnipresent, he/she heard my prayers and sanctioned my marriage.

Or if this can only happen in a place of worship, then God is a sham.

Back on topic
I can choose who I want to let into my place of business just because I feel like it.
Something along the lines of, the management reserve the right to lay down whatever rules they like.
This couple clearly state the clientele they want because of their religious beliefs and IMO that's their right to do so.

The law says my 18yr old and 16yr old can have sex, but they won't be doing it under my roof.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by moaningmags

I can choose who I want to let into my place of business just because I feel like it.
Something along the lines of, the management reserve the right to lay down whatever rules they like..

Yes and No, you have to stay though within the set laws...

It's like someone saying well if you break into my house I can kill you... which obviously isn't the case unless it's in defence of your own life...

[moaningmags]

Meaning unmarried heterosexual couples could also sue because they were refused a room with a double bed.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by moaningmags

Meaning unmarried heterosexual couples could also sue because they were refused a room with a double bed.

There's no law (AFAIK) against discrimination on the basis of marital status (which presumably is what this case is going to be about).

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by moaningmags

Meaning unmarried heterosexual couples could also sue because they were refused a room with a double bed.

What is this lawsuit actually about??

Is it based on the fact that they were refused the room or the way that they were refused the room... (i.e.. using the word 'hetrosexual')

If the former then yes any unmarried couple could sue and probably get laughed out of court...if the later then there is a discrimination based on sexual orientation...

Religious or not, privacy or not I don't think comes into it if they are again suing for discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Originally Posted by Kymmy

HRA though is so overused and could be twisted in mosts groups favor... It does though beg the question as to how far do you go...If the discrimination laws covering this are agianst the true spirit of the HRA then surely the laws would never have been passed especially in such a modern world...

When the ECHR was brought into UK law as the HRA it was framed in a way that gave it primacy over other laws already on our statute book. Since then, a lot of legislation and common practices in this country have been found not to be compatible with the HRA and have had to change.

I admire your faith in our legislators but is simply isn't safe to assume that a law would not have been passed had it been incompatible with the Human Rights Act. Parliament can, and does, pass legislation that royally screws up other, older laws. Some barristers have made a lucrative career out of sorting out the resulting mess. But in cases where the HRA is involved it is fairly clear cut because the HRA has built in the provision that it over-rides everything else.

The Human Rights Act guarantees freedom of religious expression and this is bound to be made an issue when this case gets to court.

[Kymmy]

I personally think that neither side has a true case as it depends way to much on the usage or non-usage of a single word and is one couples word against another

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Russ B

Just an amendment - for a marriage to be recognised by God it has to take place in His presence at a place of worship, so a state marriage is not legitimate in God's eye.

bible quote for that ?

there is no part of the bible showing how to conduct a marriage for christians

in jewish law marrige was more of a contract that started with what we would call an engagemnet and ( lasted about a year ) then all you had to do was take your partner to your house and you were considered married

there is however a instruction to respect any governments wishes to register a marriage Titus 3:1: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,"

before any one jumps on that to say they have to obey the rules on other things when conflict occurs between gods laws and government then this applies

Acts 5:29 "Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by moaningmags

Meaning unmarried heterosexual couples could also sue because they were refused a room with a double bed.

If the homosexual couple win, then surely yes, as the unmarried heterosexual couple are then being discriminated against for being heterosexual. That is assuming that this law is indeed based on principles and not on opinions of oppressive minority groups.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Just going back to a couple of earlier points i don't think the bible lays down any laws on how marriages are to be conducted and where. And if god is everywhere surely a marriage can take place anywhere. Anyway irregardless of that, same sex marriages are definately not recognised as far as i know, so they are still going against the hoteliers convictions.
Anyway i still have to question the motives of the gay couple. If i was gay and trawling the net for places to stay and saw a place which said non married couples are not welcome in a christian run hotel, i'd apply some common sense and either find another hotel or not tell them i'm gay when i check in.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by rogermevans

bible quote for that ?

there is no part of the bible showing how to conduct a marriage for christians

Read my subsequent posts...

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

Just going back to a couple of earlier points i don't think the bible lays down any laws on how marriages are to be conducted and where. And if god is everywhere surely a marriage can take place anywhere.

I'm sure no-one is suggesting that Christianity would give its blessing to a marriage which was specifically set up to have all traces of religion removed, which is why most people seem to use registry offices. In fact would the couple want Christianity's blessing? Perhaps because that would be imposing itself on atheists? And dear me, we can't be having that...

Russ, I really think you're digging yourself into a bit of a hole here.

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by Russ B

I'm sure no-one is suggesting that Christianity would give its blessing to a marriage which was specifically set up to have all traces of religion removed, which is why most people seem to use registry offices.

I can almost hear the little worms slithering from the can right now.....

[Russ]

Just offering a point of view on this, we don't know what really happened, we don't know what the hoteliers' views are, we can only wait and see what the court decides.

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Russ B

Read my subsequent posts...



I'm sure no-one is suggesting that Christianity would give its blessing to a marriage which was specifically set up to have all traces of religion removed, which is why most people seem to use registry offices. In fact would the couple want Christianity's blessing? Perhaps because that would be imposing itself on atheists? And dear me, we can't be having that...

i might be missing a post but as a Christian myself there is no biblical provision or requirement for a religious element to a marriage

there are a lot of customs that have become part of Christian marriages but that's all they are customs

in the old testament there was no requirement for a religious service or indeed for there to be a priest present

in the new testament there are no rules set down for a service or indeed a requirement for a blessing

back to current point

under article 9 of the European convention this couple have a right to practice and manifest thier religion and although certain things can impinge that i cant see that the laws on discrimination can over rule article 9

else are they going to say that hotels have to allow anyone paying for a double room and for two occupants can take prostitutes there as this is not illegal either and surely is protected in the same way under freedom of trade and right no to discriminate

as they dot want something done on thier property and they are not singling out homosexuals this rule applies to heterosexuals too they are not discriminating