So many updates these days to make improvements, why not the Christians?
With an ever increasing world population, it is a blessing to have homosexuals (Less births?) More than 2,000 different Christian sects, makes you wonder what it's really all about, toch?

By The visitor | September 29, 2011 4:43 PM

I question the teacher's judgement in applying in the first place to a school whose policies do not favor gays. The Netherlands is the most liberal country in Europe. Couldn't he get a job with a non-religious school? Was he a plant and his employment with a religious school some kind of joke or was naive and arrogant?

By roland | September 29, 2011 5:28 PM

This is simply firing somebody for who they are. People do not chose to be heterosexual or homosexual, they're simply born that way.

By radio junkie | September 29, 2011 5:30 PM

"In practice, this means they are allowed to refuse gay teachers and pupils on the grounds that homosexuality conflicts with their religious principles."

This so totally wrong if they are receiving government funding to perform a function on behalf of the state. It is wrong in the Netherlands, in the US, anywhere. My wife recently showed me a quote:
"Homosexuality is found in 450 species but homophobia is only found in one. Which do you think is unnatural now?"

By Rick B (Tampa, FL, USA) | September 29, 2011 6:33 PM

Wonder what the reaction would have been if this had been a Muslim school. Dontcha just love them Judeo-Christian values...

By William | September 29, 2011 11:39 PM

Let's hope he's also "brave" enough to withdraw his complaint and quit on his own admitting that he knew all along the School's Christian principles are against homosexuality.

By bet | October 3, 2011 10:52 AM

@Roland: you say "The Netherlands is the most liberal country in Europe". Are you living in the 1980s?

By Leon | October 3, 2011 1:58 PM

All schools in the Netherlands are public funded. So any discrimination should be prosecuted. Homosexual teachers, students with head scarves, crosses, etc. Everyone pays taxes to fund these schools, so those schools should be open for everyone.

By pepe | October 3, 2011 3:15 PM

@radio junkie, being gay is a choice. As it was once said. If religion is right, then homosexuality is a choice. If evolution is correct, then homosexuality must be a choice, as there is no way in hell that survival of the fittest would support homosexuality.
Good on the school. The idiot shouldn't have applied for a job where he knew his sexuality would be a problem. Sounds like someone trying to make a stand, and making a tit of himself doing it.

By Mike | October 3, 2011 4:49 PM

sorry for this person but i'm even sorrier to read that there are so many of these types of schools in present day Holland. many types of fundamentalism, whether it be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Paganism, whatever, seem to teach repressing and controlling relatively normal human characteristics, like homosexuality or even simple pleasures like watching a controversial provocative film. I prefer to think for myself and be 100% responsible for my own choices, not blame or reward some God or doctrine that instructs and controls me.

By Bill | October 4, 2011 6:56 AM

Confessional schools should be able tho hire whomever they want.

Religious schools are... religious after all.

By Andre L. | October 5, 2011 11:23 AM

Two things:
1. The Netherlands is the most liberal country in Europe WRONG...it was in the 70's, that is almost like prehistory already
2. as an atheist I object to funding religious schools from public money. The church is one of the richest organizations in any country but they shouldn't be involved in politics, right? Then why the state should provide for their schools?

By expat | October 5, 2011 2:56 PM

"Such schools may not discriminate but are free to determine their own 'professional demands' for teachers."

Interesting, I did not realise that what goes on in the teacher's bedroom would qualify as a "professional demand". Is this only for biology teachers, or also for e.g. maths teachers?

By AR | October 6, 2011 9:34 AM