London, England, Jun 5, 2008 / 13:55 pm
A British civil servant has requested permission from a London labor court to be exempted from celebrating gay “marriages” based on conscientious objection.
Lillian Ladele, a Christian who has worked for sixteen years as a local official in the London suburb of Islington, said presiding at such ceremonies would go against her faith.
Ladele told the Catholic weekly magazine The Tablet, “My Christian conscience prevents me becoming an active part in marrying a gay couple. I am not trying to prevent such marriages taking place, because I have many colleagues who would be prepared to do that.”
Ladele had previously avoided performing the ceremonies by having co-workers fill in for her, but since the government enforced a law last December, which overrules religious objection to gay marriage, this has become impossible, SIR news agency reports.
Since Ladele refused to comply, her salary was reduced and she and was prevented from celebrating any kind of marriage.
Gay marriage was introduced in the United Kingdom in 2004 and is considered equivalent to traditional marriage.