Free Republic

The Church of England has backed the Catholic Church in its bid to be exempt from laws on adoption by gay couples. Catholic leaders in England and Wales say its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will close if bound by the rules. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and his counterpart in York, John Sentamu, have written to the PM. They say "rights of conscience cannot be made subject to legislation, however well-meaning". The Equality Act, due to come into effect in England, Wales and Scotland in April, outlaws discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities...

A church minister who pleaded guilty to 35 counts of child abuse, including two charges of raping an 11-year-old boy, has been sentenced to life in prison. The Reverend Simon Thomas, 44, of Hythe, Hampshire, admitted the charges at Southampton Crown Court. The court heard he had used internet chatrooms to groom his victims. A judge said Thomas, a former minister at Hythe United Reformed Church, must serve a minimum of eight years before he is eligible for parole. Thomas, who had worked in Hythe for 10 years and was married, was suspended by the United Reformed Church pending disciplinary...

GLASGOW, Scotland, July 19, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Glasgow firefighters who refused to participate in a gay pride event may face disciplinary action, the Herald reported today. Ten men from the Cowcaddens fire station are under investigation after they refused orders to man an information stall during the Pride Scotia parade. The men were told to attend the June 24 event in uniform and hand out leaflets on fire safety. The Herald reported that some refused on grounds of conscience, while others were “embarrassed” to attend the event in uniform. Their superior officers reported the men for disobeying orders, said BBC...

The number of cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in the UK has continued to rise, according to official figures just released. Statistics from the Health Protection Agency showed that the number of STIs and other conditions diagnosed in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the UK increased by 3% between 2004 and 2005. The breakdown shows cases of chlamydia increased by 5% (from 104,840 in 2004 to 109,832 in 2005) and syphilis by 23% (from 2,278 cases in 2004 to 2,807 in 2005). Genital warts increased by 1% and genital herpes by 4% but cases of gonorrhoea deceased by...

A split may be imminent for the Church of Scotland over differing opinions regarding whether ministers should be allowed to conduct same sex partnerships. The Kirk’s General Assembly is most likely to conclude that the decision will be left up to individuals, according to the BBC. An evangelical group has intervened and threatened that such a decision could threaten the Church of Scotland. The group deny being homophobic, but claim that such a departure from clear biblical teaching is a severe step, which "endangers the unity of the Kirk", and called for ministers to be forbidden from conducting ceremonies. A...

Gay groups, activists, and anybody who loves seeing John Howard defeated are celebrating the landmark law allowing same sex couples the right to civil unions in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The local assembly approved the bill in a late night vote on Thursday. While many lesbians and gays are already planning their ‘big day’, some activists believe the law hasn’t gone far enough. Peter Furness of gay rights group Australian Marriage Equality called the move a way for couples to “celebrate their love and commitment” and "a very significant step forward in our push towards full legal equality under...