UK Prime Minister calls on Christians to welcome gay people

Christians should tolerate and welcome gay people, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron says. His comments follow a recent High Court decision that went against a Christian couple who said they would not tell a foster child homosexuality was natural.

Cameron was speaking in the Midlands city of Derby, where he held a cabinet meeting. The recent court case concerned a Pentecostal couple, Eunice and Owen Johns, aged 65 and 62, of Derby, who, says Pink News, are "the latest in a series of Christian couples to unsuccessfully challenge equality legislation." The High Court upheld a ban on their becoming foster parents because of their unwillingness to explain to a foster child that being gay was acceptable. The gay news outlet goes on to cite a case from earlier this year, in which a couple who own a small hotel in Cornwall in the West Country were ordered to pay £3,600 to a gay couple after they had refused to let them stay in a double room. "Peter and Hazelmary Bull, the owners of the Chymorvah Private Hotel, argued that their Christian beliefs meant they could not allow two men to share a bed," says Pink News. According to the Telegraph today, "The couple said they felt excluded for holding 'normal, mainstream, Christian views' and had been willing to 'love and accept any child'.” But Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay lobby organization Stonewall said: “We’re delighted that the High Court’s landmark decision has favoured 21st-century decency above 19th-century prejudice.” One more blow The Telegraph quotes Eunice Johns as saying: “It is just one more blow for us. It seems a dark day for Christians.” During the High Court case it was suggested by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the Johnses should attend a "re-education" programme. But Eunice Johns said: "Why do we need to be re-educated? Because we believe that homosexuality is not right? We said we would sit down and talk to the child to find out where it is coming from. “They said, 'No, you would have to tell the child it is all right to be homosexual because there are too many children that are confused with their sexuality.’ We thought, yes, but at eight?” The couple are said to be considering an appeal.