IMO a sensible ruling. If you are a practicing homosexual then you don't apply for a job at a Christian school, full stop. If you are a vegetarian then you don't apply for a job in a meat processing factory.

BTW, can the editors be accurate in their wording please. Fundamentalist Christians (i.e. those that follow the teaching of the Bible) DO NOT oppose homosexuality, they regard 'homosexual activity' as being contrary to biblical teaching.

By simplastic | June 9, 2009 9:20 AM

I wonder what mr pro-gay rights Geert Wilders has to say. Or does he only support gays when they under attack from Muslims?

By Shirley | June 9, 2009 9:29 AM

This ruling just goes to show how completely misplaced these faith schools -- and the 'faiths' they attempt to indoctrinate the kids with -- are in the 21st century. This ignorance should be being challenged by the state, not actively encouraged.

By tommyrot | June 9, 2009 9:34 AM

I'm pretty sure that Christ himself would have a different opinion, but, alas, he is dead.

By stingo | June 9, 2009 9:38 AM

So, lemme get it straight: the school takes money from the State, which means money from taxes everyone pays, INCLUDING homosexuals. So, gay people's money are good, to preach the Bible and to stuff kids' minds with all sort of wild stuff. The State should stop funding these schools, and then these schools can hire and fire who they want to.

By R.Q. | June 9, 2009 10:00 AM

In all fairness to the teacher (with sexual deviation attitude and behavior), who was sacked by the Protestant Church school, the Christian and Catholic Institutions, should equally dis-communicate some monks and priests who are known to practice sodomy (as this sexual deviation practice is in direct contradiction to the working practices as specified in the employer’s ultimate rule book, the Bible with reference to Genesis Chapters 18 and 19). The Christian and Catholic Institutions also have the professional responsibility and duty of care towards the general public under their care for spiritual and moral guidance during the religious ceremonies which are conducted regularly in public churches and cathedrals.
The main public objection here would be the non-Christian and non-Catholic influence the priest and monk have and who subconsciously impose onto the relatively spiritually young and innocent public minds during the religious ceremony sermons and preaching sessions within the confines of Christian and Catholic Institutions. The Christian and Catholic Institutions in this case (under the equal opportunities and anti-discrimination employment laws), are guilty of discriminating against teachers in favour of priests and monks (some of whom are also known to have sexual deviation attitudes and behavior).

By Small Brother | June 9, 2009 10:57 AM

simplastic writes:

"... If you are a practicing homosexual then you don't apply for a job at a Christian school, full stop. If you are a vegetarian then you don't apply for a job in a meat processing factory."

Your analogy flatters these schools. More apt would be, "If you're black, you don't apply for a job at the Ku Klux Klan head office." Yes, it really is as bad as that.

By tommyrot | June 9, 2009 11:51 AM

Again the bible shows how it is a book if fiction. If there was a god like creature in the universe... it would strike down all the hypocrites in religion.

By Paul Martin | June 9, 2009 11:53 AM

if you dont mind because your are not:
- a gay,- a woman,-an handicap,- coloured,- white,-not jews, a moslem.
if you don't and i don't protest then soon it will be you who will be discriminated. Discrimination in any form should be protested against.

By kwabena | June 9, 2009 12:55 PM

@shirley,
i think so .. that is always his version .If he is really for freedom he should have done something about this by now.
always make noise when it is from ...

By kwabena | June 9, 2009 1:59 PM

Christian schools shouldn't have to hire anyone who is not Christian because homosexuality, according to the New Testatment, is a sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). One can not be a Christian and practice homosexuality at the same time. Once a person, who practiced homosexuality, becomes a Christian, his sin is forgiven and he no longer sins in such a manner. As the Yeshua told Mary...your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more. Therefore, Christian schools have a right to choose their teachers.

By Hiram | June 9, 2009 2:37 PM

Question: How many children who attend Christian schools or even parents of those children are actually Christian?

In my experience, parents, even non-believers prefer to send their kids to religious schools because often the education is superior and the discipline is better. Therefore it really does not matter what the sexual orientation of the teacher is and the argument that a gay teacher should not apply to work at Christian school is utter rubbish.

Please do not quote any more text from the bible. So much of it is down to interpretation and usually has little relevance to the modern world.

By Deep Throat | June 9, 2009 3:58 PM

So Hiram, why do they hire non-Christian teachers, gay or otherwise? For the opportunity to convert them: to teach them how Christian it is to love their fellow man, as Jesus did? I suspect that when non-Christians find themselves in today's discriminatory - biased - Christian environment, it's enough to put them off religion for life.

By Michael Dawkes | June 9, 2009 4:09 PM

What hypocrisy. A School can make handshakes compulsory (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/05/school_can_make_handshakes_com.php) and is within its rights to sack a female teacher who refused to shake hands with men because of her religion, yet a school can discriminate against gay people and 'can impose specific demands under strict conditions'.

This should be an interesting precedence to uphold, and it will be very interesting when all the Muslim schools also start making similar demands.

By Quest | June 9, 2009 4:13 PM

This is a no-brainer for a ruling and to disagree with it shows either a total lack of understanding on many levels, an agenda or just a very anti-Christian bias. Of course the ridiculing belief in God comments are par for those with self inflated egos covering their insecurity. Why not throw in an Anti-Israel comment just for good measure, huh ?

By bet | June 9, 2009 5:52 PM

If a school is a private, Christian school, the school has a right to choose it's teachers. It doesn't make a difference if the applicant is a Satanist, Muslim, Hindu, etc., if it violates the schools standards, then one should not be allowed to teach others who believe differently. Once a Christian school goes against it's belief system, it is no longer a Christian school. Homosexuality is one's business but being one does not give he or she the right to infringe on a private, Christian school.

By Hiram | June 9, 2009 6:49 PM

Michael, I doubt Christian schools hire teachers in order to convert them to Christians and I think you know it also. Being a Christian is more then saying "I am a Christian." If one a "Gay" says he is a Christian, then he must change. Being a Christian isn't easy. Yeshua didn't tell Mary to sin no more and then expect her go back into prostitution. He expects change in life style.

By Hiram | June 9, 2009 11:04 PM

Provided that other employers who disagree with Christian values can refuse to employ Christians for the same reason, I think it is a valid ruling. If you ask for the legal right to discriminate against a group you dislike, you must accept others can also discriminate against you. I can see the logic in the ruling but it's a dangerous path to follow.

By angrypuss | June 10, 2009 12:39 AM

I think if the government funding was stopped, they would quickly think again. All those opposed to this discrimatory measure and who pay taxes should protest. I have always found gay people very interested in the welfare of others. They would be excellent teachers.

By AW | June 10, 2009 8:22 AM

I have just one question and maybe naive...do the teachers that apply for work "advertise" that they are straight or gay? I mean why does someone needs to say what he does in his bed?

By kos | June 10, 2009 8:30 AM

If these schools are receiving government funding then they should not be able to discriminate in this way. The choice for them should be very simple, accept government funding and stop discriminating, or discriminate and refuse funding.

By Marc | June 10, 2009 9:02 AM

No doubt the christian schools have right to refuse to employ gay teachers. If these are Christian schools they must follow Chrisitan postulates. Jesus preached to love your neighbour but He had never accepted sins silently. If we tolerate a sin we are becoming part of it.

Majority gays are not such by their nature but because of dissoluteness and moral decay of the society.

To Deep Throat. I disagree that Bible is outdated. Its texts will always be relevant. What is new in modern world? Ancient Greeks and Romans used to accpet homosexuality and what happened to their civilizations?

Something to consider for modern Europe.
There are the Supreme Laws which influence our spiritual and material life no matter if one likes it or not.

By dorothy | June 10, 2009 11:55 AM

Simplastic stated "If you are a practicing homosexual then you don't apply for a job at a Christian school, full stop". How about "If you want your faith school to descriminate, don't expect the State to fund it"?

By Robert Stovold | June 10, 2009 12:54 PM

@R.Q in the US the government spends tax money on LGBT organizations. So also does the Dutch government. Would these LGBT organizations allow a christian to join them? I don't think so.

By Philip | June 10, 2009 3:44 PM

"Ancient Greeks and Romans used to accpet homosexuality and what happened to their civilizations?"

Dorothy, are you freaking serious? No knowledge of history apparently and further, saying that a society accepted homosexuality therefore collapsed is a strange correlation to make. Further, Jesus didn't say anything about homosexuality, and the only support for christians to be heterosexist comes from an obscure OT quote.

But as many enlightened individuals have already said, if you want to receive state funds, play by the rules. If you want to stick with your "beliefs" (aka bigotry) then refuse the funds, end of discussion.

By BlakThundar | June 11, 2009 5:32 AM

This is such a non-issue!! Why do you even consider this discrimination?! OF COURSE a school should have the right not to employ someone who openly disagrees with the values of the school! If I wanted to work at a strictly homosexual school, but I openly opposed homosexuality, why should they have to employ me?

By sean | June 11, 2009 7:37 AM

Note: the newspaper did not publish the exact text of the draft recommendation to the government. It is already forbidden in Holland to fire a gay/lesbian teacher just because they are gay. It is also forbidden to fire a teacher when he/she has a same sex relationship. The school has to proof in every case that the teacher they want to fire deliberately is not bahaving consistent with the school formal mission statement and behavioral guidelines. The fact that the teacher is homosexual can legally not be a reason for dismissal, nor is it allowed to state this in the missin statement of a school. The Council of State seems to advise that this legal situation should be made more strict, allowing less space for the school to discriminate. However, some space will remain to allow for the freedom of religion. Much depends on the specific wording of the recommendation. The media love to focus only on the fact that 'space for discrimination will be allowed'. Let's see what the recommendation is.

Peter Dankmeijer, Dutch expertise centre on sexual diversity in schools.

By Peter Dankmeijer | June 12, 2009 11:31 AM