A Christian lecturer is challenging a tribunal decision upholding his dismissal from a theological college, after he made a social media post expressing his biblical views on sexuality.
Cliff Collegein Derbyshire fired Aaron Edwards after he posted a comment on social media platform X, speaking against homosexuality. He commented on a debate by the church of England, where the proposal to have same-sex blessings in their churches was discussed.
“Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they’re busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true,” he said, “This is a ‘Gospel issue,’ by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.”
His comments prompted widespread reactions on social media, with some accusations of homophobia. Edwards defended his comments in subsequent tweets, insisting that it was “not homophobic to declare homosexuality sinful.”He later declined requests from Cliff College to remove his posts and was investigated by the institution before being dismissed for misconduct for “bringing the college into disrepute.”
Judge Jim Shepherd ruled that it was ‘reasonable’ for Cliff College to dismiss Edwards for the one Tweet defending Christian sexual ethics. He received limited permission to appeal the decision and appeared before the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London, seeking to extend the grounds of his appeal.
He said, “My legal case is essentially about challenging compromise. Cliff College seems to think you can still brand yourself ‘Evangelical’ while thinking or saying nothing about the threat to the Gospel posed by the radical incursions of LGBT ideology into previously faithful denominations, churches, and colleges today. They fail to see that compromise is ‘a Gospel issue,'” he said, speaking ahead of the case.
He added, “I hope and pray for justice this week.”
Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is aiding Edwards in his case, says that he has been unable to obtain work as a Bible college lecturer since his dismissal and has suffered financial hardship and serious stress-related health issues.
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams has stated that “reputational concern” was “not a legitimate basis for penalizing protected Christian expression.”
“Edwards was dismissed for expressing an entirely mainstream Christian belief grounded in biblical morality. This is not a marginal or extremist view, but one protected under U.K. equality and human rights law,” she said.
She stated this legal matter “raises serious questions about freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the lawful limits of institutional authority.”
“If Christian academics cannot express orthodox Christian convictions in so-called Christian institutions without fear of sanction, then the legal protections afforded to religious belief are being hollowed out. We will stand with Aaron until justice is done,” she pledged.