Australian Couple Awarded Damages For Religious Discrimination

A Western Australian tribunal has found a Christian couple were discriminated against when their application to foster a child was rejected over their view that homosexuality is a sin.

Byron and Keira Hordyk applied to become short-term foster carers in 2017 through Wanslea Family Services, a not-for-profit association contracted by the state government to assess foster carer applications.

During the application process, the Hordyks shared their views that, according to the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, sexual relations can only occur between a man and a woman who are married and that same-sex relationships were sinful.

They told Wanslea Family Services that, in the event a foster child in their care was found to have kissed a child of the same sex at school, they would tell them they were loved but the behaviour was sinful and must be resisted.

Their application to foster was rejected.

… However, the tribunal found the Hordyks’ belief in their interpretation of the seventh commandment — that homosexuality is “sinful” — was a genuine religious conviction.

The court ordered Wanslea to pay Mr and Mrs Hordyk $3,000 each in damages. Read More»

Rebecca Trigger | “Devout Christians awarded damages after their application to become foster parents was rejected” | December 23, 2022 (HT: Wes Bredenhof)


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