British churches won’t be forced to hire homosexuals after proposals to alter employment laws were voted down in the House of Lords on Monday.

Peers voted 216 to 178 in favour of an amendment proposed by Lady O’Cathain to keep the current laws, which allow religious organisations to deny employment to people whose lifestyles are not consistent with their doctrinal beliefs.

Christians feared that if the Equality Bill had been passed unamended it would have left churches “more vulnerable” to legal challenges and in the difficult position of having to employ a person who did not conform to their ethos or beliefs.

A joint statement issued last week by the Bishops of Winchester, Chester and Exeter said the Equality Bill threatened the rights of churches and religious organisations to appoint and employ people consistently with their guiding doctrine and ethos.

Christians who supported the Equality Bill said that the proposed changes were not a matter of religious principles. Think Tank Ekklesia said it was rather a dispute between “people who believe in non-discrimination and equal treatment” and “people who don't”.

Addressing peers during Monday's debate, the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev John Sentamu noted, "You may feel that many churches and other religious organisations are wrong on matters of sexual ethics. But, if religious freedom means anything it must mean that those are matters for the churches and other religious organisations to determine for themselves in accordance with their own convictions".

He added: "Where are the examples of actual abuses that have caused difficulties? Where are the court rulings that have shown that the law is defective? If it ain't broke, why fix it?”