Britain failing to stand up for Christians, say MPs Gary McFarlane, a relationship counsellor sacked by Relate, the counselling service, for refusing to give sex therapy to gay couples. Nadia Eweida, who was sent home from her job as a British Airways check-in clerk for wearing a small silver cross. Lillian Ladele, a former registrar who was disciplined by Islington council in north London after objecting to conducting homosexual civil partnership ceremonies. Shirley Chaplin, a former nurse from Exeter, who was barred from her job in a hospital for wearing a cross. Peter and Hazelmary Bull, guesthouse owners from Marazion, Cornwall, who refused to allow a gay couple to stay in a double room. The inquiry found that equalities legislation introduced under the last Labour government had set the rights of different groups in competition with each other, with those of Christians relegated below those of others. The report, entitled Clearing the Ground, states: "Critically, early indications from court judgments are that sexual orientation takes precedence and religious belief is required to adapt in the light of this. We see this as an unacceptable and unsustainable situation. Highlighting the lack of "religious literacy" among officials, politicians and judges, the report says: "We have found that many of the issues raised in the inquiry stem from a deep-seated and widespread lack of understanding about the nature and outworking of religious belief. This ignorance works itself out in the way that laws are drafted, the judgments courts issue and the policies adopted by government departments and local authorities. The report, which is due to be published on Monday, identifies an "urgent need" for better co-ordination across Whitehall of government policies on religious belief. It is particularly critical of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the government's anti-discrimination watchdog. It heard submissions saying that the EHRC had been "hijacked" by secularists to the extent that it was now "ideologically biased" against religion. It condemns the commission for inviting secular humanists groups with "tiny" memberships to discussions intended for faith groups, saying the policy effectively shut down formal consultations with religious organisations. With secularists using a veto to block most proposals by religious groups, the EHRC group eventually ceased to function formally. Aughton Ainsworth, a firm of solicitors involved with a number of the cases cited by the report, told the inquiry: "The EHRC has been so thoroughly 'infiltrated" by an anti-Christian bias that even when the EHRC tries to do the right thing it is 'hijacked" and forced to backtrack." It calls for the body, headed by Trevor Phillips, to be restructured to better represent religious beliefs. The authors of the report say they invited the EHRC to contribute to the inquiry but its representatives were "unable to find the time" to attend their evidence-taking sessions. Writing for the Telegraph website this weekend, Mr Streeter and Jim Dobbin, a Labour backbencher, call on the Government to consider requiring judges to weigh up whether employers have taken "reasonable" steps to accommodate the religious beliefs of workers. The MPs say new guidelines could help balance "competing" rights. In previous eras this might have been called tolerance or respect, or simply common sense. This is already a legal concept in some areas, and would help balance competing rights claims. Importantly, it would also see that religious liberty and identity is preserved by accommodating those who by their deeply held beliefs would prefer not to provide them certain good and services. A spokesperson for the EHRC insisted the watchdog stood up for religion, adding that it was working on a range of projects related to the rights of people with religious beliefs. She said: "The Commission is committed to protecting the rights of all groups in society, including those with religious beliefs. The Commission warmly welcomes this inquiry into the discrimination faced by Christians. We believe it is important for the government and others to have a full understanding of religious rights, and balance the rights of different groups within society.