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Bishop Says Gay Couples Cannot Be Part of Parish Life; Does Rising Evangelical Political Power in Brazil Contribute to Anti-LGBT Violence?; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman could strengthen support for ISIS. In the wake of Australia’s inconclusive parliamentary elections, Australian Marriage Equality announced that an overwhelming majority of MPs support marriage equality, leading activists to call once again for the government to shelve plans for a plebescite and move forward instead with a vote in which parliamentarians will be free to vote their conscience rather than with party leaders. B…

As Court Prepares to Rule on Sacred Apache Site, Religious Freedom Faces an American Right Prized Above All Others

By Dana Lloyd

…. Apache Stronghold, a grassroots organization devoted to defending sacred sites, has challenged the proposed mining plan in court, arguing that destroying their sacred sites would infringe on their free exercise of religion, a right promised to them by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (1978), and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993). This case has precedent working against them, howev…

Conservative Bishops Unhappy At Synod, But Ignore Walkout Call; Australian Religious Leaders Step Up Marriage Equality Opposition; Italy Debates Civil Unions; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…ong after, the former acquaintance called to threaten Subhi from a Turkish phone number. Power noted that Subhi spoke at a recent UN Security Council Session, the first-ever dedicated to LGBT rights, which she said was an important precedent to set: But also, it allowed us to convey, in a single voice, and with the authority of the Security Council – which is the premiere global enforcement body for peace and security – it allowed us to convey tha…

On Pi Day, Puzzling Over the Most Famous Transcendental Number

By Ilana E. Strauss

…Physicsworld.com user asks, “What could be more mystical than an imaginary number interacting with real numbers to produce nothing?” Where infinity merges with the earth When you dig into pi, you encounter questions that are as much theological as mathematical: is there a pattern to the universe? Or is it fundamentally random? And how do we reckon with the infinite? Some people have always insisted that there must be a pattern behind pi. If only h…

Why are Nuns and Monks in the Streets? (Parts I & II)

By José Cabezón

…ten have an “unofficial” monastic population that can be up to half of the official number of resident monks—a kind of waiting list. Although residents of the monasteries, where they work and study, these unofficial monks and nuns have little status and no real privileges in these institutions. (For example, they are not allowed to receive a share of monetary contributions made to the clergy by the laity.) Whereas monks and nuns used to be the one…

Condemnation, Condolences in Wake of Orlando Massacre and More

By Peter Montgomery

…ey: Pride, under threat from Islamists and nationalists, cancelled by city officials City officials in Istanbul announced that the city would not allow the annual pride parade to be held this year. It was scheduled for June 26. A far-right youth group affiliated with the nationalist Great Union Party had held a press conference promised to do “what is needed” to stop the event from taking place. More from the Independent: Ömer Akpinar, a Turkish g…

Anti-LGBT Culture Warriors On The March; More in Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…een undermining it,’’ he said. “So far, the campaign to defend marriage in Australia has raised over $6m from more than 20,000 separate donors, and fielded more than 5,000 volunteers to doorknock and phone canvass.” Abbott warned the lack of conservative representation in the Liberal party would mean in the short term that “the embryonic Australian Conservatives, the only national political party whose leader backed marriage as it’s always been”…

Mexico moves toward national marriage equality; Greek govt announces civil partnership legislation; Pope warns against ‘secularism and relativism’; Global LGBT recap

By Peter Montgomery

…be learned through experiences in life. In every society, there is a small number of people with homosexuality tendencies. “The practice needs regulation like any other human behaviour especially to protect the vulnerable. There is need for further studies to address sexuality in the African context.” It was later found that the study claimed no such thing, and the politicians had been deliberately highlighting phrases which already suited their v…

US Archbishop and Vatican-Appointed “Overseer” Attends Annual Meeting of Women Religious

By Emily Baxter

…nference rooms aside, it is possible to read between the lines of both the official and unofficial messages that slipped out of the LCWR conference: The sisters were uncompromising—perhaps still feel betrayed by Rome—and Sartain offered a sort of double-message, emphasizing both dialogue and submission. The Archbishop addressed the Sisters during mass on Wednesday and focused on obedience and submission to God. He did not directly address the cont…

Church=State in Putin’s Orthodox Empire?; Evangelical-Orthodox Anti-Gay Alliance; Malaysian Court Protects Transwomen; Catholicism (Still) Declining in Latin America; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…publishing images that “violate public decency.” According to the MEMRI website, Egyptian TV host Tamer Amin explained the official Egyptian position on homosexuality: “We are all sinners. We all make mistakes and commit sins. However, the best among sinners are those who repent, and ultimately, we will all face our Lord. The issue is not whether I make a mistake. The catastrophe is when someone boasts in public about his mistakes, his depravity,…