Over the last week, the Christian Concern community has thrown its weight behind Christian social worker Felix Ngole. I know that he and the whole team are hugely grateful for all the prayer support received.
Felix’s hearing at an employment tribunal in Leeds started this week. On Wednesday, we again witnessed a panel member having to step down for possible bias.
But it’s easy to miss amidst the drama just how important Felix’s case is.
Felix is a kind, Christian man; exactly the sort of person you would want as a Mental Health Support Worker. Touchstone Support Leeds initially recognised this, offering Felix the role.
But the charity withdrew the offer after discovering his Christian beliefs about marriage and saying Felix must promise to embrace and promote ‘homosexual rights’.
Most people would immediately see that this is barefaced discrimination.
However, the charity’s lawyers are relying on a dangerous argument that, if accepted, might not just keep Felix out of a job. It could spell disaster for the freedoms of Biblical Christians to hold jobs.
The organisation’s lawyers argue that they can’t employ someone like Felix because his views on sex and gender might ‘damage’ the mental health of people identifying as LGBTQ+. They take their argument to the extreme when they assert that those identifying as LGBTQ+ might kill themselves if they discover Felix is a Christian.
According to the argument, called Minority Stress Theory, people who define themselves as LGBTQ+ suffer more stress, anxiety and depression than others because they are a minority. Anyone who holds views that disagree with their identity, like the Christian view on sex and gender, is considered a ‘risk’ to their mental health and worse, may lead to their suicide.
Because of this, the organisation claims that it was right to discriminate against Felix. It claims that if a service user discovered Felix’s views – perhaps from searching the internet – it would cause them distress and possible death.
You can see how, if the claims of Minority Stress Theory are accepted, it would be a green light for all kinds of employers to discriminate against Christians because of their beliefs.
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