It is inappropriate to refuse a religious symbol exemption from a school uniform policy by saying that the symbol is not "integral" to a religion.

While Lydia states she is a "Christian" this doesn’t license us to prescribe her Christianity to her. Lydia's religious beliefs are personal, and the importance of a symbol to her experience of faith is for her to decide.

Article 9 European Convention on Human Rights protects Lydia's freedom to display religious symbols. If her school uniform policy makes exceptions for other symbols of religious belief, it discriminates against her when it doesn’t offer the same treatment to the symbol of belief that she wishes to display.

John Vantuson, York, United Kingdom

This is simply a win for common sense. The judge was right to throw it out. Christians have already won the right to wear a small cross under their clothes if they so wish. That right extends to the Sikhs with their bangles, the Muslims with their whichever veil that does not cover the face, the jewish boys with their skull caps etc etc. But the "ring thing" is rightly seen as fundamentalist Christians taking over what they do not like in our society. Same for the judge who has said/ or may say that the Tory Party cannot keep the million pounds of donation given by a man who was clearly delusional. His son is right to fight this case. A modern terror is the neglected old person leaving a fortune to a cats home. He is a surviving close relative and he is entitled to at least a share of the fortune. Does this make us care for our aging parents any better, this fear? Certainly not. We have elderly abuse to prove it. I'd love to know, is Paul Diamond my Paul Diamond? Does it matter?

Carlyle Braden, Croydon, U.K

Great Result , the only one possible really . Shame to see this kind of behaviour coming from Christians . Why it went to court , I have no idea . Don't lower yourselves to others standards just because you feel you can or have a right to .
Had this been a more recognised symbol of Christianity then perhaps you have an argument , but to make up your own and expect special rules is really beyond the pale .

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

The decision to sue the school of course had nothing to do with her parents being the management team of "The Silver Ring" franchise in the UK.

iang, Glasgow, UK

I am very disappointed in the outcome of this case, but I must say JohnnyMac hit the nail on the head. At the very least, there are worse "evils" than Christianity and scularism will create a void that those evils will be more than happy to fill.

Well said.

Etienne, Las Vegas, NV

Oh dear, this rampant discrimination means that my Wiccan daughter won't be able to wear her Witches' hat or carry her broomstick to school any more, and my poor son will henceforth be forbidden from wearing his Jedi cape. I think we should champion the cause of freedom, and permit all ridiculous arbitrary religious symbols, at least then the scientologist kids can wear their space-suits...

E Stratton, London,

Lydia's parents work at the Silver Ring Thing - this case has been a nice bit of publicity for them!

Helen, Exeter, UK

You do not mention that her father is a pastor at King's Church in Horsham. This court action was not about an evil secular school preventing a girl from exporessing her religion. It is an orcxhestrated campaign to garner publicity. If she can point to the passage in the Bible which says she must wear such a ring then I will accept that she should be able to. other than that I think it is a publicity stunt orchestyrated by her father. Don't you just hate it when parents use their children to advance their own beliefs...?

Garry, London,

Amazing. On the basis of Human Rights, the court supports the rights of Hindus to keep a TB infected cow and yet clamp down on this young Christian girls right to wear a simple ring.

The Human Rights act should be thrown out as unworkable.

If we do justice properly, human rights will be served as a result. The HR act is a classic case of the cart before the horse and total foolishness.

Jonathan Rigby, Middlesex, UK

What is a chastity ring? Why doesn't she wear a chastity belt if she really doesn't want to lose her "purity". That would surely be more effective.

And JohnnyMac, why should secularism create a moral void. Religion has nothing to do with morals, but only with control and money. Look at today's settlement by the catholic church. And they speak of morals? It makes me sick.

Charles Darwin, Bristol, UK

The problem is that most parents can't afford to educate their own children, partly because they pay taxes into the common education kitty.It is difficult to argue that uniform is accepted "vountarily" when the education is compulsory and the providers few.

Of course what the school objects to is not the ring, but the chastity. It will accept virgins, but only if it is private matter, a source of shame in sex education lessons when the experienced girls talk knowingly of "relationships". AS for the biy virigns, well best not said. Proud, collective, publicly proclaimed viriginity is not OK, because it is a threat to those who are promiscuous.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

This is the right outcome. What a pity the costs to the girl's family weren't higher.............though I expect they will be paid by their publicity seeking organisation. How can schools hope to maintain discipline when parents try to undermine them in such a stupid way. Extremism starts in simple ways and we have enough religious extremists in the world already.

Julian Harper, Cardiff, UK

JohnnyMac, in fact Christianity as well as Islam are the two most prosetlyzing religions in the world. None of the dharmic religions of the East see religious conversion as that important while these two do. The Church of England may not be that aggresive but many evangelical sects are.

Deepan, London,

What a total waste of time and money on a jumped up publicity stunt.

The stupid ring could mean anything and is not a recoqnised religious symbol.

This was just another stupid attempt to highlight religious differences

Kevin Jay, IOW, IOW

There are currently 4,300 different faiths, each one a force for division and conflict. It's high time we stopped treating faith with respect in *any* way, including this silly ring.

Nigel Robertson, Melton Mowbray,

The right decision. She chose to abide by the uniform rules, so that she must do. Simple as that really, it is jewellery and shouldn't be worn.

It's not being anti-Christian at all. You don't need the ring to be a Christian do you. Just because she is not alowed to wear the ring doesn't mean she's suddenly going to have sex does it. I agree that this whole thing is an attempt at some publicity, it's quite laughable really.

Ben, Chester,

The decision to sue the school of course had nothing to do with her parents being the management team of "The Silver Ring" franchise in the UK.

iang, Glasgow, UK

I'm no fan of laws against religious discrimination, but if we're going to have them then they should be applied in a non-discriminatory way. The awful thing about this is that the judge is presuming to pronounce on someone else's faith. If this girl believes that the ring is an inherent part of her faith, then it is - 'cos that's what faith is - it's what you believe. Whether it matches what the judge - or even the pope - regards as "Christianity" shoudn't make any difference, everyone should be able to find God in their own way. Saying that only religions approved by a judge qualify is itself religious discrimination. Any religions should be treated the same, whether it's "Christianity" or "Satanism" or "Lydia Playfoot's Chastity Faith".

Or better still abandon the whole thing and let schools make whatever uniform rules they like.

Janey Schmitt, Reading,

Thanks the Lord a Judge has shown some basic common sense in a case that alledges a breache of human right.
This girl had no right to claim what she did as the ring was an invention of a group of girls and not a religious symbole unless it is one she invented just to prove a point.
Perhaps the thought of paying the costs she has incurred may in future make her think things through. I bet her parents are so proud of her and the bill she has given them.
The school can now get back to what it is supposed to be doing.

KW, wirral, UK

Now ban the moslem veil (not a religious requirement by the way), and the Sikh rings etc., and ALL other deviations from school uniform in British schools.

Martin F, London, UK

I am very disappointed with the outcome of this case, but I must say JohnnyMac hit the nail on the head. At the very least, there are worse "evils" than Christianity and secularism will create a void those evils will be more than happy to fill.

Well said.

Etienne, Las Vegas, NV

Lydia should tell her school that she has converted to Islam. Then she can wear what she likes!

Myles Sinclair, Watford, England

I am frankly appalled at this decision. Any other faith is accomodated in even the most bizarre ways which have no basis in their central beliefs. But as for demonstating one's central commitment to Christianity, this is just not on. This country is seriously anti-christian in many ways now, and the determination of real believers must be sacrificed as being against human rights. The most horrid practices of some other religions is accepted however, as we must respect these beliefs - but they cannot be central christian!
I consider this denial to be a real infringement of my freedom as a committed christian, and I fully support Ms playfoot in standing up for herself and for a teaching which too many male busy-bodies find bizarre. Long may her demonstration of her faith last and be effective.

Leon Pieters, Collingham, Newark, Notts

Of course she lost her case, she's a Christian and English and believes in the sacred institution of marriage.

These views and beliefs are wholly against the directives of the New Righteousness of the New World Order.

Charles Crosby, Bournemouth, UK

I personally do not like these symbols - they're manifestations of American evangelism and, by association US style capitalism and neo-conservatism. At the same time I wonder why secularists seem to have Christianity in their sights? Is it because it's a soft touch? We have a Christian tradition in this country, and we ought to aknowledge the role it has played in creating the society we benfit from being part of. There are other religions less compatible with democracy, more aggressive and more convert hungry recruiting at a University campus near you, and they'd love to fill the spiritual and moral void aggressive secularism will create.

JohnnyMac, London, UK