Intolerance Toward Christian Attitudes

ABC News ran a story today regarding Jennifer Keeton. Ms. Keeton is a graduate student in counseling at Augusta State University in Georgia.

As a Christian, she believes and has shared her belief that a homosexual lifestyle is not in keeping with Biblical teaching.

She has been told by school officials that she was not conforming to professional standards and that she needed to attend a “remediation” program to help her change her views, or she would be dropped from the graduate program.

As tolerance for Lesbians/Gays/Bi-sexuals/Tran-sexuals increases, tolerance for the traditional Christian viewpoint decreases.

To read the ABC News story, click here.

New Hampshire Legalizes Same-sex Marriage

Last week, Governor John Lynch signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.

The bill signed by the Governor had been revised at his request to specify that religious organization would not be forced to participate in same-sex unions or be required to allow same-sex marriages to occur on their properties.

Still, some felt that the bill did not go far enough to protect those who object to same-sex marriages. For example, whereas religious organizations and their employees are protected from being forced to participate in same-sex marriages, florists, caterers, or photographers are not.

With regard to the signing of the bill, Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is quoted in a New York Times articles as saying, "our culture is moving to equality."

To read the New York Times story, click here.

Catholic Charities Must Allow Gay Adoption in England and Wales

On June 1st, a English Charity Tribunal (administrative court) ruled that Catholic Care must consider same-sex couples as potential foster or adoptive parents, or otherwise they could not continue to operate as an adoption agency.

Catholic Care is the social services agency of the Diocese of Leeds.

The ruling was based on an application of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007.

Most of the 11 other Catholic adoption agencies in England and Wales have chosen to become independent "secular" agencies in order to continue operations while not violating the Catholic Church's stand regarding same-sex unions.

In January of 2007, the Church of England had expressed its opinion that the Catholic Church should be exempt from the application of this Act. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, in a joint letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair stated that the, "rights of conscience cannot be made subject to legislation."

Links:

British court: Church adoption agency must include same-sex couples
Catholic charities breaking law on homosexual adotion
Church of England supports Catholic position on homosexual adoption

Church of Scotland Endorses Gay Minister

When Rev. Scott Rennie, who is openly gay, was appointed last year as minister of Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen, Scotland, a rift began to appear similar to that which has been experienced by the Episcopal Church over the last few years.

Rennie was elected to his post by 86% of the church's congregation, and that vote was ratified by the Presbytery of Aberdeen last January by a vote of 60 to 24.

However, the Presbytery of Lochcarron and Skye filed a motion seeking to exclude homosexuals from ministry in the Church of Scotland. Also, a group called The Fellowship of Confessing Churches collected 5,000 signatures on a petition to "defend Christian Orthodoxy" and to not "condone homosexual practice in general and among its leaders in particular".

On May 24th, CNN reported that the church's ruling body had voted 326 to 267 to support Rev. Rennie's appointment.

Read the London TimesOnline story by clicking here.
Read the CNN story by clicking here.