A Christian pastor has won his legal case after being forced to resign from his part-time job for warning Christians and children against LGBT ‘Pride Month’ events.
Pastor Keith Waters was a caretaker at an Isle of Ely primary school before, in 2019, he was served a final written warning for sharing his concerns on Twitter. He had said such events “encourage activities that are contrary to Christian faith and morals” and are “especially harmful to children”.
An Employment Tribunal has now ruled he was discriminated against and that the school did not act proportionately, since the tweet was made as part of his role as a pastor.
‘Offensive’
In the ruling, Judge King said: “It is clear to us that evangelical Christian ministers will have views not necessarily shared by everyone in Society but that is part of their duty as a Christian minister to preach those beliefs.”
She added: “Beliefs which are offensive, shocking or even disturbing to others can still be protected.”
evangelical Christian ministers will have views not necessarily shared by everyone in society but that is part of their duty as a Christian minister to preach those beliefs.
Pastor Waters also suffered bullying and harassment following his tweet, including funeral directors who were sent to his door to arrange his ‘funeral’.
‘Important win’
Pastor Waters, who was supported by Christian Concern, commented: “This is an important win for our freedom to speak the truth of the gospel without fear of losing our jobs. I took legal action, not because I wanted to sue the school, but because what happens to me goes to the heart of what it means to be free to preach the gospel in the UK.”
He added: “Despite knowing this was the right thing to do, this whole episode has left me in some emotional turmoil and has taken a lasting toll on me and my family. In 37 years of employment, I have never been treated in such a heartless and hostile way.
“The freedom to resign from your job or be silenced from speaking as a Christian pastor is no freedom at all.”
Compelled speech
Earlier this year, a Christian professor in the US was awarded $400,000 after his university punished him for refusing to refer to a man using female pronouns.
Professor Nicholas Meriwether, a philosophy lecturer at Shawnee State University in Ohio, launched legal action after the university demanded he refer to a male student, who claimed to be a woman, as female.
In March 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that Meriwether’s freedom of speech had been violated. The university has now agreed to pay $400,000 in damages and legal fees, and will not require him to use pronouns in the future.
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