Mr Page said: ‘My Christian faith informs me that children flourish best in a loving home with a married mum and dad. My 20 years of experience in [the] mental health service also leads me to the same conclusion. This is not a matter of prejudice or bigotry but is based on knowledge and evidence that I have applied when seeking the best interests for a lifetime of a vulnerable child.
He added: ‘I have been put under huge pressure to conform to the conclusions that others wanted me to reach but I knew that I had to dissent, for the sake of that child. Christian faith demands setting aside ideologically convenient conclusions and fighting for the best interests of children.’
Meanwhile, a mother has failed in a bid to stop her son being adopted by Christians. The two-year-old was removed from his parents due to ‘seriously substandard parenting’.
His mother argued in court that a prospective couple was unsuitable because their Christian faith was not a ‘religious match’. The judge dismissed this, saying it wouldn’t be possible to get a ‘perfect’ match and that religion didn’t outweigh other ‘positive’ factors.
It is believed that the adoptive family have converted from Islam to Christianity and that the birth mother is Muslim.
Dr Krish Kandiah, head of Home for Good, said: ‘I understand the religious liberties aspects of this, but in the interests of the child I think it’s better that a child gets a placement with a family that’s going to love them and be a safe and protective environment for that child.’
