A Canadian adoption agency has been accused of discriminating against a Christian couple wanting to become foster parents.
Last April, the couple were asked by a social worker if they believed in the “outdated parts of the Bible” and if they thought homosexuality was a sin.
After they responded, their application was declined by Simcoe Muskoka Child, Youth and Family Services, which said: “The policies of our agency do not appear to fit with your values and beliefs.”
Religious discrimination
Human rights law firm, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), has now warned the fostering and adoption service to end its “religious discrimination” against the couple.
Its letter argued that the couple were rejected “not due to any legitimate deficiency in their qualifications, but due solely to Child Services’ prejudice and bias against the religious beliefs”.
It also demanded that “Child Services reopen the couple’s application to foster and properly process their application to become foster parents in a non-discriminatory manner”.
Legal victory
Last May an evangelical couple in Alberta who had been told they could not adopt because of their views on same-sex marriage won their case of discrimination with the help of JCCF.
Lawyer John Carpay said: “The government has no right to discriminate on the basis of religion when looking at couples who are seeking to adopt.”
“You can’t say that someone can’t become an adoptive parent because they’re Muslim, they’re Jewish or because they’re evangelical Christian.”