Meanwhile in a parallel universe near you ...

[Guest]

Recent years have seen tremendous strides forwards in equal rights for lesbians and gay men in terms of receiving equal services and equal rights in employment.

Meanwhile in a parallel universe, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, often the butt of attacks by the 'Political Correctness Gone Mad' Brigade and under pressure from religious organisations, has decided that recent decisions upholding these new statutes have gone too far:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/jul/13/equality-human-rights-commission-religious

EHRC refutes this stance thus:

http://www.solicitorsjournal.com/story.asp?storycode=18705

In another parallel universe, the Catholic Church tries to pull an extraordinary coup:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/24/priests-abuse-catholic-legal-plea

Don't know about you, but I can only cope with one universe at a time

Are religious organisations with charitable status right to try to live outside important laws passed by a democratically-elected Parliament?

[eighthobstruction]

>> 'Don't know about you, but I can only cope with one universe at a time ' <<

Me too....this should possibly be on the 'cricket thread'....i.e. will require deft slip fielding due to some nasty fine edges....lets hope it isn't a long innings....

[Serial_Apologist]

Recent years have seen tremendous strides forwards in equal rights for lesbians and gay men in terms of receiving equal services and equal rights in employment.

Meanwhile in a parallel universe, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, often the butt of attacks by the 'Political Correctness Gone Mad' Brigade and under pressure from religious organisations, has decided that recent decisions upholding these new stautes have gone too far:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/jul/13/equality-human-rights-commission-religious

EHRC refutes this stance thus:

http://www.solicitorsjournal.com/story.asp?storycode=18705

In another parallel universe, the Catholic Church tries to pull an extraordinary coup:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/24/priests-abuse-catholic-legal-plea

Don't know about you, but I can only cope with one universe at a time

Are religious organisations with charitable status right to try to live outside important laws passed by a democratically-elected Parliament?

Is the third Guardian quote inferring that the Catholic Church could win out in these cases of alleged child abuse by claiming its priests not to be in its employ? Wouldn't that be open door for any institution? What would it be hinged upon? "You have to be a company to employ people, and we (in this instance the Catholic Church) are not a company"? I'm completely ignorant in this area of law. When is a person, contractor etc, employed, and when not?

Trevor Phillips: "The law we're here to implement recognises that a religion or belief identity is, for the majority of people in Britain, an essential element of being a fulfilled human being..."

Ah - I wondered where I've been going wrong, all these years.

S-A

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Majority?

So SHOPPERS should prevail ....

[amateur51]

Is the third Guardian quote inferring that the Catholic Church could win out in these cases of alleged child abuse by claiming its priests not to be in its employ? ... Wouldn't that be open door for any institution? ... When is a person, contractor etc, employed, and when not?S-A

Well if it applies to the Catholic Church then I guess that it would apply universally, S_A

I think the test would be the answer to 'who administers National Insurance/PAYE/Pension contributions?' but minds finer than mine will be able to give a definitive answer, I'm sure

[Ferretfancy]

amateur51

Curiouser and curiouser. An organisation which carried out ( carries out? ) mass invasion of people's private lives has now rightly become an object of huge loathing and derision.
However,for the Catholic church hierarchy, which has been interfering in people's private lives since time immemorial, every allowance must be made. I would like them to rot in hell, but as it happens there isn't one.