RELIGIOUS group the Christian Institute is backing a housing manager after he was demoted from his £35,000 a year job for criticising gay marriage on Facebook.

Father-of-two Adrian Smith, aged 54, from Bolton, was demoted by the Trafford Housing Trust to a £21,000-a-year adviser role following the online row.

He is now suing the Trust for £50,000 in loss of earnings, with the Christian Institute paying for his legal challenge.

Mr Smith, who attends the evangelical Salt Church, in Bolton, has been advised not to talk to the media, but his solicitors have criticised the Trust’s actions.

Tom Ellis, of Manchester-based law firm Aughton Ainsworth, said: “Most people recognise this was totally disproportionate and an excessive reaction by the Trust.

“He made what were fairly mild comments after he was asked his opinion.

“It just seems undemocratic and incredible he can lose his job for comments like that.”

Mr Smith posted a link to an online news story with the headline “Gay church ‘marriage’ to get go-ahead”, then added his own comment: “An equality too far.”

He was then asked by a Facebook user whether he approved of gay marriage in church.

He commented: “No, not really. I don’t understand why people who don’t believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church.

“The Bible is quite specific that marriage is for men and women.

“If the state wants to offer civil marriages to the same sex, then that is up to the state; but the state shouldn’t impose its rules on places of faith and conscience.”

Mike Judge, head of communications at the Christian Institute, said: “We’re not talking about a Christian who shoves his opinions down the throats of his colleagues.

“Mr Smith made completely tame and inoffensive remarks outside of work time on his personal Facebook page.”

Trafford Housing Trust updated its code of conduct for employees at the end of 2010 and provided all staff with a copy.

The document set out what use employees could make of social networking sites such as Facebook.

A Trust spokesman said: “After this new code was issued, Mr Smith, on a Facebook page that identified him as a manager at Trafford Housing Trust, made comments that were found to be in breach of the company's code of conduct and other policies.

“Mr Smith was disciplined for his breach of company policy. The Trust made no comment about any personal beliefs that he holds.”