Get Another Career, MP Tells Public Sector Staff Facing Faith Dilemmas

According to the Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, public sector workers with faith convictions should “make different choices about their careers”.

Responding to another MP’s argument that the world is “a big enough place to allow people to abide by their religious beliefs and conscience” and that employers could accommodate this, Miss Featherstone said: “I totally disagree”. The MP for Hornsey and Wood Green made her comments on her personal blog in June 2009 and was referring to her involvement in a Parliamentary committee scrutinising the Equality Bill. During the committee debate she said it was “important that we make it clear here and now that carrying out public services cannot be a matter of conscience” and that people with strong faith convictions “might ultimately make different choices about their careers”. Restating her opinion for the blog, she said: “In the delivery of public services - you have to do the job and if there are elements of the job that you cannot do in all conscience - then it isn’t the job for you.” Source: http://www.christian.org.uk/wp-content/downloads/marginchristians.pdf