​Editorial: Sinn Fein seeks to bypass churches and their views in same-sex equality move

​An attempt by Sinn Fein this week to characterise concerns about protections for religious organisations in equality law as anti-gay were entirely wrong.​

The Christian Institute told a Stormont committee that attempts to introduce a single equality law in Northern Ireland could have unintended consequences – including limits on religious liberties and freedom of speech.

They also raised the issue of exemptions from certain equality laws for churches – an entirely reasonable discussion in a liberal society which should still value freedom of expression.

MLAs on the Executive Office committee debated whether equality law protections for workers also should apply to volunteers – and what consequences that could have for religious organisations.

This is an important issue, a clash between protections for gay people and those for faith groups, which has been at the heart of debates around equality legislation for years.

But extraordinarily, it was an issue which was almost left out of the committee’s inquiry. Had it not been for the TUV inviting the Christian Institute to give evidence, it may not have garnered any public attention.

Questions were raised about whether churches could retain the ability to dismiss people from positions if they weren’t living by their teachings, such as gay people. That was met with an angry response from Sinn Fein MLA Carál Ní Chuilín – who said the Christian group was essentially saying “gays don’t apply”.

While Carál Ní Chuilín’s concern about discrimination against gay people is no doubt sincere, she and other MLAs must also have regard for people of faith – who cannot be compelled to take actions contrary to their religious faith in the name of equality.