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Will Anti-LGBT Government Contractors Have A RFRA Claim?

By Sarah Posner

…ict with Catholicism?) Greg Lipper, senior litigation counsel at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, says that the first question is still open. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment, religiously affiliated organizations do have an exemption which permits them to hire co-religionists, but for-profit companies are not entitled to such an exemption. However, Lipper pointed out, “wh…

What Caused the Catholic Church Child Sexual Abuse Crisis? Blame the Sixties.

By Joanna Brooks

…Church between 1950 and 2010. The report, initiated and authorized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, investigated a number of potential factors contributing to a sharp peak of reported and documented abuse cases in the 1960s and 1970s, including social trends among ordination cohorts, changes in seminary curriculum, and psychological pathologies and social behaviors of abusive priests. Its conclusion? The sixties—social movemen…

Australian Church Leaders See Marriage Vote as Battle for Soul of Australia: Global LGBT Recap 10/30

By Peter Montgomery

…In July, a video went viral showing an Egyptian lesbian (who lives in the United States) talking about her relationship with a woman and her father’s reaction to her coming out. … Morality crusades unite military regimes and religious zealots alike. Mr. Sisi, a former army general who became president after forcing out Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, understands the potency of connecting the catchall “national security” to “inciting deb…

Russian Politician Wants to Ban Apple CEO Who Says Being Gay is God’s Gift; Violence After Preachers Blame Liberian Gays for Ebola; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…romoting anti-gay policies in his country: Caleb Orozco, co-founder of the United Belize Advocacy Movement, an HIV/AIDS advocacy group, told the Blade he hopes the gathering will allow him to highlight U.S. religious organizations that support efforts defending the English-speaking Central American country’s anti-sodomy law. Orozco added the conference also provides an opportunity to raise awareness of efforts to extend rights to LGBT people in Be…

With New York Joining DC in Defiance Methodist Church Faces Showdown on LGBT Ordination

By Pamela R. Lightsey

As the United Methodist Church approaches it next quadrennial General Conference this May, its members should reflect upon the watershed moment of its 2012 conference that has inspired LGBTQ rights activists to take a series of courageous stances against its discriminatory polices. In that moment, retired bishop Melvin Talbert declared a position of biblical obedience urging LGBTQ persons and allies to live as though the Book of Discipline prohib…

Beck, Hagee, and Lieberman Band Together to Fuel Armageddon Panic

By Sarah Posner

…ing on to Glenn Beck’s scheduled keynote speech to the upcoming Christians United for Israel conference, and his “Restoring Courage” rally in Jerusalem in August, CUFI founder John Hagee is hosting Beck for a conference call tomorrow so he can “address the mounting threats to Israel and what we can do to stand with Israel today.” This comes on the heels of Sen. Joe Lieberman endorsement of Beck’s Jerusalem event. Lieberman once compared Hagee to M…

The Silly Calls for Congress to Investigate Planned Parenthood

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…nking about it” camp), how would you react to the claims made in Americans United For Life’s Planned Parenthood report? I mean, that’s one of the few undecideds, isn’t it? We know how the people with strong positions will react. The report will galvanize AUL’s constituency, while meanwhile Planned Parenthood supporters will respond with corrections and rebuttals. Some elected officials are counted in one of those groups, while others will watch to…

US Names Int’l Envoy for LGBT Rights; Marriage revolution spreads in Mexico; Scott Lively Warns World of Anti-Christ; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…law to be passed by the Finnish government through a citizen’s initiative. United Kingdom: Turing relatives back push for broad pardons, UKIP LGBT chair quits party Relatives of the late codebreaker and digitial computing pioneer Alan Turing turned in nearly half a million signatures gathered via Change.org calling on the British government to pardon 49,000 men who like Turing were persecuted under laws criminalizing homosexuality. Turing received…

The Value of Crazy-Making Dialogue

By Daniel Schultz

…le more about my post yesterday on Terry Mattingly’s false story about the United Church of Church, I want to put on my churchman’s hat and reflect a bit. It’s often difficult for people to grok what congregational polity means to the UCC, among other denominations. It’s not just an organizational method: it’s a basic principle of our faith that we are allowed—and we allow others—to follow their conscience. Each community defines for itself how…

Mormons Declare Same-Sex Marriage Apostasy, Deny Baptism to Children of Same-Sex Couples; Colombian Court OKs Adoption Over Church Objections; Franklin Graham Praises Putin’s Anti-Gay Policies; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…seemingly more aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood than Franklin Graham.” United Kingdom: Married Chaplain Loses Anti-Discrimination Case Against Church of England Bishop Jeremy Pemberton, a hospital chaplain employed by the National Health Service, lost an employment discrimination case against the Church of England after he married his same-sex partner and was subsequently stripped of his license to preach in the licence to preach in the Dioces…