All cases
Party Proposes Explicit Ban of Conscientious Objection for Registrars with regard to Gay Marriage
July 4, 2012, NetherlandsThe liberal party VVD (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) tabled a proposal in the second chamber of the parliament to prohibit the use of conscientious objection for registrars with regard to conducting gay marriages. There seems to be a majority in the parliament to support this proposal. The topic is expected to be debated until the end of the year 2012.
Legislative Proposal Seeks to Limit Conscientious Objection for Registrars
July 4, 2012, NetherlandsOn the 4th of July 2012 an amendment of the law on public officers was proposed by the members Koser Kaya and Van Hijum to the Dutch Parliament: It calls for the dismissal of registrars for marriages, births and deaths who refuse to perform same-sex marriages on conscientious grounds - if not sufficient other tasks could be found for him or her. The proposal also seeks to establish a mandatory training of students studying to be a registrar on performing same-sex marriages.
Danish Church Obliged to Perform Same Sex ‘Marriages’
June 15, 2012, DenmarkThe Evangelical Lutheran Church is forced to marry same sex couples after vote of Danish Parliament.
Conscientious Objection Loses Ground
May 24, 2012, FranceMedical Student, Carolin, 24: “I had to do an internship in a gynecology department, and I can tell you that when there is only one nurse for the whole department, you better forget about your conscientious objection.”
(Scotland) No Right to Conscientious Objection for Midwives
February 29, 2012, United KingdomIn January 2012, Scotland's largest health board was taken to court by two Catholic nurses from Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, Mary Doogan and Connie Wood, who were denied conscientious objection with regard to abortion procedures. Judgment was handed down on February 29th: the midwives have been told that they must accept the decision of their hospital management and that they must oversee other midwives performing abortions. In January 2013, they took the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The UK supreme court upheld the judgement in December 2014.
Pharmacists' Objection of Conscience Still Curtailed
February 29, 2012, Czech RepublicAn improvement of the national health service law in February 2012 did not fully grant conscientious objection to pharmacists: The law still compels the objecting pharmacists to find a willing employee of the same pharmacy or another pharmacist to sell the "morning-after-pill".
Spanish Bioethicist Calls for Black-List of Conscientious Objectors
February 13, 2012, SpainMaria Casado, who holds the UNESCO Chair of Bioethics at the University of Barcelona calls for a national registry of doctors who will not perform abortions, in order to “improve” women’s access to “pregnancy termination.”
Roman Catholic Firemen Disciplined for Refusal to Attend Rally Which Mocked their Faith
January 21, 2012, United KingdomA group of nine firemen from Glasgow, including several Roman Catholics, were disciplined by their employers for refusing to march in a ‘gay pride’ rally. Strathclyde Fire Board apologized after legal steps were taken.
Mayor Who Criticised Halloween Punished
January 11, 2012, United KingdomA church-going former mayor in Warwickshire who declined to take part in a Halloween event has been found in breach of equality rules for upsetting pagans.
No Conscientious Objection for Pharmacists Selling Abortion Pill
January 10, 2012, FranceFrench pharmacists are required by law to sell the „morning after pill“ which causes an early abortion. The absence of conscientious objection is a violation of freedom of religion and conscience.
"Occupy Rome" Activists Destroyed Sacred Icons During Demonstration
October 15, 2011, ItalyA group of youth who were marching as part of the anti-capitalist movement "Occupy Rome", detoured from the main stream of the parade, and made their way into Saints Marcellino and Pietro Parish, located between Labicana and Merulana streets. The youth, with their heads covered and handing sticks, broke into the parish house and took the statue of the Immaculate Conception and a crucifix. They carried the sacred icons outside the parish premises to the street, where both were destroyed and the debriefs left on the street.
Ongoing Outside Pressure on Ireland to Legalize Abortion
October 11, 2011, InternationalAt a UN meeting, delegates from Britain, Denmark, Spain and other countries called for Ireland to legalize abortion - with Denmark calling for legislation to allow for abortion on demand, constituting pressure seeking to undermine the Christian convictions of the majority of the Irish population.
Doctors Should Refer Patients for Euthanasia: New Dutch Guidelines
September 8, 2011, NetherlandsAccording to new guidelines from the Dutch national doctors association, doctors with moral objections to euthanasia have “a moral and professional duty” to refer patients to another doctor willing to euthanize them.
US Officials Call Catholic Church Source of Spreading “Homophobia” in Poland
September 6, 2011, InternationalAmerican embassy officials under the Obama administration complained that the Catholic Church teaching is a major source of “homophobia” in the heavily Catholic country, according to private cables published by Wikileaks.
Hospital Attempted to Force Christian Nurses to Commit Abortions and Backs Down
August 15, 2011, United KingdomA hospital in London that recently attempted to force two Christian nurses to commit abortions has backed down after legal threats using the Equality Act to protect the nurses pro-life beliefs.
New Guidelines from the General Pharmaceutical Council Threaten Freedom of Conscience
August 15, 2011, United KingdomNew guidelines issued by the UK pharmaceutical regulatory board tends towards stripping pharmacists of their right to conscientious objection with regard to refusing the sale of the morning-after pill, an abortive device.
Catholic Care Forced to Close or Allow Gay Adoption after Tribunal Decision
August 9, 2011, United KingdomOn May 31st, 2011, Catholic Care of the Diocese of Leeds has applied for leave to appeal the latest decision against it in the long-running case sparked by the Charity Commission’s refusal to allow it to prevent gay couples from using its adoption service. The appeal was granted in August 2011.
Christian-Inspired Polish Abortion Law Targeted by International Institutions
June 3, 2011, InternationalPoland's life-protecting abortion law, which is inspired by its strong Christian identity, is under attack by international and supranational bodies. This disrespect of national sovereignty targets Christian aspects and is therefore a case of intolerance against Christians in the area of morals.
Conscientious Objection in Peril for Amsterdam Marriage Commissioners
June 2, 2011, NetherlandsMarriage commissioners in a district of Amsterdam will be forced to undergo annual evaluations to ensure they support same-sex “marriage” after revelations that two commissioners had refused to officiate at the ceremonies. Since 2007, the government in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West district has only employed commissioners who agree to perform same-sex “marriages,” and officials apparently believed the district was free of “conscientious objectors.”
Christian Counsellor Suspended For Reparative Therapy Suggestion
May 31, 2011, United Kingdom(ongoing) Lesley Pilkington was suspended by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (“BACP”) for giving therapy to a homosexual man (an under-cover freelance journalist) who pretended to be a Christian wishing to stop practicing homosexuality. A key witness has been threatened by homosexual activists, causing hearing to be adjourned.