Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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   “The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…

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   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

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   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

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   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

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   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

IN a fresh blow to the anti-LGBT+ group, Dr Aaron Edwards—a father of six—has lost a discrimination case he brought against Cliff College, a Methodist training centre in Derbyshire.

An Emploment Tribunal unanimously dismissed all claims made by Edwards, a Christian theology lecturer.

In a statement released by Christian Concern, he said: 

I am very surprised at the judgment. I believe ours was an extremely strong case and was very well supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

Image via YouTube

The CLC is wing of Christian Concern, headed by the swivel-eyed Andrea Minichiello Williams, above.

Edwards and the CLC launched legal action in 2023 after he was sacked by the college for tweeting his “Biblical perspective” on homosexuality.

Last year I reported that the college sacked Edwards for a homophoblic tweet that “brought it into into disrepute.” He wrote “Homosexuality is invading the Church … blah, blah, blah.”

Edwards told Premier Christianity Magazine that he wrote the tweet during a time that “the Church of England was having discussions around blessing same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage”.

In a statement on their website, Cliff College wrote:

We are pleased with the Tribunal’s unanimous judgment that has dismissed all of the claims made by Dr. Edwards … Throughout this process, we have chosen not to engage publicly with the many claims that have been made and broadcast in public media. These claims have now been shown to be unfounded, and the College, by contrast, has been judged reasonable and proportionate in its actions.

In closing, the College reiterated its ongoing commitment to fostering a safe and open environment for both staff and students.

We strive for Cliff College to be a place where everyone feels safe, everyone feels heard, and everyone feels able to share their convictions in an open, appropriate, and respectful manner, always mindful of how we communicate with each other and how our comments might be received.

Edwards has said that he will appeal the ruling.

This judgment is a real shame upon our society. If upheld, it will have significant negative implications for Christian free speech in future years. Knowing of the many faithful Christians who have come through that college for well over a hundred years, I don’t mind saying that this convictional decline is genuinely disgraceful and the leaders should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to call themselves an evangelical college in light of what has happened. 

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