Religion
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28 September 2007Archbishop claims condoms are infected with HIV 7 The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Mozambique has claimed that some European-made condoms and anti-retroviral drugs are deliberately infected with HIV.Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio's remarks, made at celebrations to mark 33 years of Mozambique's independence, have angered the country's many AIDS campaigners.Talking to a BBC reporter, the Archbishop Chimoio said: "Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose." -
28 September 2007Catholics call for boycott over SM apostles 1 A Roman Catholic pressure group is calling for a boycott of a brewing company's products after their logo appeared on a gay advert.Bill Donaghue, president of the Catholic League For Religious and Civil Rights, called for the boycott of Miller on US breakfast show Fox and Friends this morning.The move follows Miller's sponsorship of the Folsom Street Fair, which takes place on September 30th, during San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. -
26 September 2007US Anglicans to stop ordaining gay bishops 29 In a bid to stop the Anglican Church from splitting, the American Episcopal Church has agreed not to ordain any more openly gay bishops and will not introduce a formal blessing ceremony for same sex civil partnerships.The compromise between the liberal and conservative branches of the Episcopal Church, as the Anglican Church is known in the US, was agreed late last night as a vote was taken at crisis talks in New Orleans.The church has agreed to "exercise restraint" when selecting bishops. -
25 September 2007Anglican church debates final position on homosexuality 4 As the decision deadline creeps up the Anglican community waits to hear whether the church will split over their official position on homosexuality.A 30 September deadline has been set by the Anglican church for the American Episcopal Church to agree to a full ban on any appointing new gay bishops or approving same sex civil partnerships within the clergy. -
23 September 2007Archbishop of Canterbury: Homosexuality is not a disease 6 "I do not assume that homosexual inclination is a disease," the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, told bishops of the American branch of the Anglican Communion.He warned that "violence against gay and lesbian people is inexcusable," adding: "Gay and lesbian people have a place in the Church as do all the baptised."
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19 September 2007Archbishop criticised for demanding gay concessions 1 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is in New Orleans today meeting with bishops of the American branch of the Anglican church.It has been widely reported that he will demand guarantees from them that no more gay bishops will be ordained and that the American church will not bless gay relationships.The crisis over gay issues began in 2003 with the ordination in New Hampshire of the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson.
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18 September 2007Archbishop to hold “secret” meeting with gays 4 Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is to meet behind closed doors with gay Anglicans to discuss the current crisis in the Church.The Times revealed details of the "secret" meeting. -
16 September 2007Williams will tell US churches to stop ordaining gay bishops 1 The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams will visit New Orleans on Wednesday to meet bishops from the United States Episcopal church to urge them not to ordain any more gay bishops.
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14 September 2007Media warned over ex-gays research + New York-based non-profit Truth Wins Out is warning news organisations to be highly sceptical of a biased "ex-gay" study that has been released by right wing therapists in Nashville.The research suggests a significant percentage of gay people can become straight through religious-based counseling."It comes as no shock that anti-gay 'researchers' at Wheaton College and Pat Robertson University would release a study that claims you can pray away the gay," Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen said. -
12 September 2007Evangelicals respond to gay equality judgment 20 The Evangelical Alliance called on Christian evangelicals in the UK to "think about their responsibilities to other people created in the image of God" following yesterday's court decision on the Sexual Orientation Regulations.The High Court in Northern Ireland ruled that a provision of the Sexual Orientation Regulations must be removed.Mr Justice Weatherup said that a provision that protects LGB people from harassment when accessing goods and services should be set aside.
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11 September 2007Anglican bishop calls LGBT people inhuman 26 A bishop of the Anglican Church in Nigeria has condemned has condemned the activities of homosexuals and lesbians, and described those engaged in them as "insane people".In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria earlier this month the Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Rt. -
10 September 2007Christians may be sued over Little Britain posters + An attempt by Christians to 'reach out' to young people has led to threats of legal action from lawyers representing the interests of gay comedian Matt Lucas and his fellow comics David Walliams and Catherine Tate.A major supplier of religious publicity materials, Christian Publishing and Outreach, used catchphrases from Little Britain and The Catherine Tate Show in a series of posters that also carried Bible quotations. -
10 September 2007US church calls for end to gay military ban + The Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), which has more than 300 churches and 43,000 members around the world, has joined other communities of faith in opposing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell@ policy of the U.S. -
7 September 2007Feature: Grim realities of life for gays in Iran + Gay Iranian organisation IRQO has published an in-depth interview with a gay male couple about the challenges of living in the Islamic Republic, both from the religious authorities, their families and other Iranians. -
7 September 2007Church of England attacks equality legislation 9 An official document from the policy-making body of the Church of England has raised objections to the new Single Equality Bill.The new legislation, which is at consultation stage, aims to harmonise and simplify the law with regards to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and other forms of discrimination.In its official submission to the consultation, the Archbishops' Council said new laws were unnecessary and the Church could be forced to marry people who have undergone gender reassignment surgery.
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6 September 2007Pope faces gay protests on Vienna trip 4 Thousands of police and soldiers will be on the streets of the Austrian capital Vienna tomorrow as Pope Benedict XVI begins his three-day tour of the country.The authorities are expecting a significant demonstration against the presence of the Roman Catholic leader by Socialist youth organisations opposed to his hardline stance on homosexuality and other social issues."He doesn't want us to marry, to live in legal partnerships," Christian Hougel, an Austrian gay rights activists, told AP. -
5 September 2007Cardinal attacks homophobic radio station + Poland's most influential cardinal has launched a broadside attack on a notorious radio station branded anti-Semitic and homophobic by its critics.Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, spelt out fears that the position of the church in Poland was increasingly being confused with those of Radio Maryja, run by Fr Tadeusz Rydzyk - a Redemptorist monk."Pastoral work is gradually slipping out of bishops' control and into the hands of others," he said.
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28 August 2007Anglican bishop compares gay hate to slavery 5 The openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire has attacked the attitudes of homophobic African bishops in an interview with BBC Radio 4 this morning.Gene Robinson spoke openly about his view on the current controversy surrounding the Anglican Church."It's very painful for me," he said. -
23 August 2007Homophobic Christian thinks gays are all white 13 Stephen Green, an activist with extremist group Christian Voice, has questioned the presence of racist group the National Front at Pride events, on the basis that "homosexuals are not black or Asian as a rule."The controversial preacher made his observation as part of his report on the group's website about his protest at this year's Brighton Pride celebrations.He also complains that the NF are "copying" his idea of protesting at gay events. -
21 August 2007Nigerian bishops to boycott Anglican conference 13 The Church of Nigeria gave its strongest indication yet on Monday that it would boycott next year's conference of global Anglicans to protest against what it called "intransigence" by pro-gay U.S.
