For all his faults, David Cameron’s decision to support a law that would deny Roman Catholic (or any other) adoption agencies any exemption from British laws prohibiting discrimination against homosexual couples who wish to adopt is the right one. We could debate (although Mr. Cameron wouldn’t) whether the overall anti-discrimination law is a good one, but once it is passed, it’s not only illogical, but sets a dangerous precedent, to give Catholic agencies the privilege of opting out. To do so, is to accept that some “freedoms of conscience” are more equal than others, something that should not be acceptable in any secular democracy. Cameron’s key point is this:

Of course I want to keep the Roman Catholic adoption agencies. They do an amazing job in placing hard to place children and they perform a vital role but I’m passionate that in this country we have one law that is obeyed by everybody. And this is vitally important in the whole debate about how we need to sweep away the failed multiculturalism. I don’t think it would be right to allow carve outs for Muslim groups or Hindu groups or whoever, so that means one law that everyone has to obey. And that’s why I don’t think a block exemption for catholic adoption agencies would be right but by all means give them time to find a way through the new rules.

That seems fair enough.