Two deputies with Italy's small but vocal Radical Party caused an uproar among legislators in this predominantly Catholic country on Wednesday when they placed dolls representing two gay couples in Parliament's nativity scene.

Organizers of San Francisco's hedonistic Folsom Street Fair — sponsored by Miller Brewing, Co.  read more »

A new survey of the sex lives of students at Cambridge University has revealed that promiscuity adversely effects a person's ability to score good grades.

Catholic bishops say the new course usurps the family's freedom to shape a child's morality and will impart values that in some instances diverge radically from their own.  read more »

Pope Benedict XVI blasted Europeans for being selfish and not having enough children, in a sermon on Saturday at the 850-year-old pilgrimage site of Mariazell in Austria.

One of four ministers who oversaw three weeks of intensive counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard said the disgraced minister emerged convinced that he is "completely heterosexual."  read more »

Scantily clad prostitutes beckoning from behind glass windows — long a familiar sight in Amsterdam — will become rarer, officials said Monday in announcing a major cleanup of the city'  read more »

The synod of the Anglican Church of Canada's Ottawa diocese has voted overwhelmingly in favour of same-sex blessings.

U.S. Episcopal bishops, fed up with Anglican criticism of their support for gay priests, implored the Anglican spiritual leader to hear their side of the story — in person.  read more »

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticised his own church for being "obsessed" with homosexuality.

Dr Rowan Williams called for divine guidance after he flew into Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania for the five-day primates' meeting, that will be dominated by the bitter row over homosexuality that could split Anglicanism.

Delegates to the Baptist State Convention have voted overwhelmingly to expel a Charlotte church for welcoming gays and lesbians without trying to change them.  read more »

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina could expel any church that endorses homosexuality after its annual meeting this week.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who made headlines last presidential season by saying he'd refuse Holy Communion to John Kerry, has his eye on Rudy Giuliani this year.  read more »

A conservative diocese of the Episcopal Church has gotten a formal invitation to break with the national church over the ordination of gays and women.

An Alabama County circuit judge has ordered a millionaire to pay the Alabama-based Caritas religious group two (m) million dollars for violating a confidential April 2005 settlement of an earlier lawsuit.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, reaffirmed the Church’s opposition to euthanasia during comments on January 22. Cardinal Ruini also sharply cr  read more »

A Lutheran church in Chicago has ordained a lesbian who refuses to take a vow of celibacy, becoming the first to test a new resolution that gives bishops leeway in disciplining such violat  read more »

Spring Arbor University and fired transgender professor Julie Nemecek reached a financial settlement Monday (March 12) in her discrimination suit.

Under the regulations, it will be illegal for a Christian printer to refuse to print material promoting homosexual sex, or a Jewish conference centre to refuse to accept a booking from a g  read more »

Gay-sex controversies have led not to new theology but to a call for the church to help pastors fight their urges.

Evangelicals from across Brazil flooded San Paulo Thursday for the “March for Jesus” event as live Christian bands accompanied the more than one million marchers.The annual march, organized by evangelical churches, featured a concert with 30 Christian bands carried on 17 flatbed trucks performing live as participants marched through Brazil’s financial capital, according to Agence France-Presse.  read more »

A private, Christian university is firing a transgender professor who began appearing as a woman on campus in 2005. John Nemecek, 55, who goes by Julie Marie Nemecek and often wears a wig  read more »

New marriage guidelines are being drawn up by the Church of England amid fears that its clergy may be unwittingly conducting bogus weddings.

A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.  read more »

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has condemned plans to make it easier for lesbian couples to use IVF to become parents.

The Church of England yesterday edged closer to giving couples a wider choice of churches in which they can be married.

The US Episcopal Church has been given seven months to change its ways or face being kicked out of the Anglican Communion.

MEMBERS of the Church in Wales have voted not to approve a draft version of the Anglican Covenant.Dr Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales said he fears the draft covenant will lead to one  read more »

A national review committee of the Episcopal Church has dismissed all the religious charges brought against Connecticut Bishop Andrew Smith by leaders of six conservative parishes, the bishop said Friday.

An Ocean Grove church group is suing New Jersey, saying that the state is pressuring it to allow a civil union ceremony for a lesbian couple at its oceanfront pavilion, thereby violating t  read more »

A high-ranking Italian prelate has received threats for speaking out against a proposed law that would give greater rights to unmarried and gay couples in Italy.

The priest at their church has reportedly said that if news hadn't got out about them being a lesbian couple the public wouldn't have known and the church would not have had an issue with them as members.  read more »

The Vatican reversed the annulment of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II's first marriage, a union that had lasted 12 years and produced two sons.

Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, looks set to allow gays to marry in the Lutheran Church, with plans to introduce a new marriage law in Jan  read more »

THE Anglican Church is looking to woo brides and grooms back to their chapels by relaxing the requirement that at least one partner be christened in the church.

Several churches started an advertising campaign in Indianapolis this week, hoping to challenge the Christian assumptions about homosexuality. Five different billboards is being placed around the Indianapolis area with pro-gay messages.

The death of a family's beloved canine companion in Vermont has sparked a legal battle over pets' rights and the question of whether they should be recognized family members.

United Methodist clergy in Baltimore are asking for the denomination's highest legal authority to review a bishop's decision to reappoint a transgender pastor to lead a city congregation.Bishop John R.  read more »

The Shoreline Church in Old Saybrook, Conn., has joined the fight against today's Internet porn issues.

CAIRO, Egypt — The death of a 12-year-old Egyptian girl at the hands of a doctor performing female circumcision in the country's south has sparked a public outcry and prompted health and religious authorities this week to ban the practice.

An Episcopal diocese in central California voted Saturday to split with the national denomination over disagreements about the role of gays and lesbians in the church.Clergy and lay member  read more »

EDINBURGH, Scotland (UPI) -- Edinburgh University`s decision to forbid members of the Christian Union from teaching a campus course on homosexual abstinence is drawing fire.

Responding to an ultimatum from leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion, bishops of the Episcopal Church have rejected a key demand to create a parallel leadership structure to serve t  read more »

A conservative Episcopal parish in Marlborough is bolting the denomination, in the latest indication that even in liberal Massachusetts the Episcopal Church is losing congregations over it  read more »

Two of the largest Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly Sunday to break from The Episcopal Church and join fellow Anglican conservatives forming a rival U.S. denomination.

A former Baptist minister who had spoken out against homosexuality was acquitted Wednesday of propositioning an undercover male police officer.

When Sherzod, who recently graduated from Jacksonville (Ark.) High School, telephoned his Muslim parents in Uzbekistan to tell them of his newfound faith, his father disowned him, making it clear he was no longer welcome in his home and was never again to speak to his mother or his siblings.  read more »

A campaign by U.S. religious-right groups to soften their image by finding homes for children drew a cautious response from the Family Pride Coalition, which urged Friday that prospective adopters also find room in their hearts for tolerance.

The film takes a different approach to the gays-in-the-church debate.  read more »

Deputies have charged four gay activists with trespassing at Covenant College, a Georgia school affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America.

According to a report from the ELCA's disciplinary committee, Rev. Bradley Schmeling will be removed from the roster Aug. 15, after leading St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta si  read more »

A gay Jesus and a black female Christ are among the startling images that will go on display at the National Festival of Progressive Spiritual Art in Taos, NM on May 11-12.

A PLAY that depicts Jesus as a gay man who is seduced by Judas and conducts a gay marriage for two apostles has been condemned by religious leaders as it prepares to open in Sydney.The Ang  read more »

City officials have approved a parade request for the Green Coalition of Gay Loggers for Jesus.

Dozens of gay and lesbian clergy and seminarians from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on Tuesday openly proclaimed their sexuality to church members meeting this week at Navy Pi  read more »

John Reaney, a 42-year-old from North Wales, took the Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance to an employment tribunal after his appointment to the role of youth worker was blocked by the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis.

Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America announced Thursday it has removed Schmeling from its list of approved ministers because of his long-term relationship with a man. Schmeling and members of St. John's in Druid Hills say they will travel to a national church conference in August to try to change the minds of delegates on gay issues.

Lord Mackay of Clashfern, a former lord chancellor during the Thatcher era, is the patron of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF), part of a coalition of religious groups opposed to the new rules which they say will ride roughshod over their beliefs. The new rules, which ban those offering goods and services from discriminating against gays and lesbians, will force them to act against their consciences, they say.  read more »

--Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was having an extramarital affair even as he led the charge against President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair, he acknowledged in an interview with a conservative Christian group."The honest answer is yes," Gingrich, a potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate, said in an interview with Focus on the Family founder James Dobson to be aired Friday, according to a transcript provided to The Associated Press.  read more »

Greece's first gay weddings were held on Tuesday when two couples, abetted by a sympathetic local mayor, defied the threat of criminal charges and the wrath of the Orthodox church to tie t  read more »

A Montreal woman who sued her ex-husband for refusing to give her a Jewish divorce will ask the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday to consider whether religious obligations should be enforceable in the country's courts.

Israel's gay community braved opposition from religious fundamentalists and held a large rally in Jerusalem yesterday, complete with live music, dancing and declarations of pride.

A priest who openly professed his love for a parishioner has been defrocked by the Italian Church despite an overwhelming show of support from his congregation, press reports said Tuesday.  read more »

Many unsatisfied Japanese women are turning to "rent-a-fling" gigolo services, but these lonely ladies aren't looking for sex. They just want to cuddle.

A Polk County judge on Thursday struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, clearing the way for the couples to apply for marriage licenses.  read more »

A radical Baptist church in Kansas known for picketing the funerals of soldiers who perished in Iraq said it intends to protest Heath Ledger's memorial service with signs claiming the acto  read more »

Ruth Kelly was forced on the defensive over claims that she is plotting to give the Catholic Church an exemption from controversial new gay equality laws.

The Catholic Church in Kenya intends to include the fight against HIV/Aids in all of its activities throughout the country. A comprehensive national policy unveiled by the bishops in Nairobi yesterday seeks to reduce new infections, provide holistic and compassionate support for those infected and orphans, promote solidarity and responsibility, and empower church leaders to influence national policies on the pandemic.

A teen kicked out of the polygamist FLDS church has filed a lawsuit to force church leader Warren Jeffs to help him reconnect with his family.

LDS Church officials declined to be interviewed about Peter Danzig's case for the story, "Debate on gays forces musician out of LDS," but the church issued the following statement Sunday a  read more »

Though global Anglican leaders have urged the U.S.  read more »

The Lords last night backed the government and approved sexual equality regulations that will prevent church agencies discriminating against gay couples.

No matter what age the kids are or what the situation, telling them you no longer believe can be tricky. Here are three things to remember.

The support for the Rev. Bradley Schmeling at St.  read more »

Prompted by the sudden dismissal of a popular Atlanta pastor in a committed same-sex relationship, impatient supporters of gay clergy will push an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as  read more »

The controversial singer – who infuriated Christian church leaders by performing while hung from a cross wearing a crown of thorns during her ‘Confessions’ world tour – wants to be worshipped as a spiritual leader.

The first openly gay Christian pastor in Malaysia conducted a controversial worship service Sunday, calling on mainstream churches not to discriminate against homosexuals.

The Christian widow of a dead Malaysian launched a legal battle Monday against Islamic authorities who want her husband buried according to Muslim rites because he converted to Islam years ago.

The two people at the center of a criminal case against a polygamous-sect leader have painted dramatically different pictures of their arranged marriage.

The impact of religious fundamentalism on woman’s sexual and reproductive health and rights will be one of the issues to be debated at the Fourth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive  read more »

A melee broke out last week in Jonkoping, Sweden, after a group of fundamentalist Christian young people set a fire outside a celebrated photomural exhibit that portrays Jesus as gay.  read more »

if sperm could be grown in the lab, it would be possible to take early germ cells from one woman, turn them into sperm cells, and use those to fertilize the egg of another woman.  read more »

Even if a genetic cause for homosexuality is found, gay behavior would still be "sin," and Christians should support prenatal treatment to "cure" it, said SBC seminary president Al Mohler.

Like most woman her age, Salim has smoked, drank, had sex and even lived with one of her past boyfriends.However, if the devout Muslim family of her soon-to-be husband – or even her own  read more »

Canada's Anglicans narrowly voted Sunday against letting priests bless same-sex marriages, but they also agreed the blessings do not conflict with their church's core doctrine, a s  read more »

AN ANGLICAN scholar has launched a new book lampooning Christian family values. Dr Deirdre Good, a New Testament professor at the Episcopal Church’s General Theological Seminary in New Y  read more »

A new women's magazine will finally bridge the gap between religion and sex -- at least for religious Afrikaans women in South Africa.

Norway's state Lutheran church on Friday lifted an outright ban on allowing those living in homosexual partnerships to serve in the clergy, but will leave it up to each bishop to make  read more »

In the paper, which is very brief but contains citations from The New England Journal of Medicine and The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, [Surgeon General nominee Dr. James W. Holsinger] argues that the male and female sex are “indeed complementary.” Nothing terribly earth shattering there. He also goes into great detail about the increased incidences of disease and trauma among those whose sexual behavior involves the gastrointestinal tract. The report was given to a committee studying whether to change the church’s position that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. The UMC retained its position.

A government official in Madhya Pradesh has allegedly refused to allow an inter-religious marriage between a Christian man and a tribal woman at the behest of a Hindu group, triggering a p  read more »

The father of a 12-year-old boy told the Oregon Supreme Court that he should be allowed to arrange for his son to be circumcised, even if his ex-wife has concerns about the procedure.  read more »

The sticking point in the Legislature's effort to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation has been the threat seen by church leaders to their institutions' religious freedom  read more »

To the Spierings, Nebraska's requirement that newborn babies undergo blood screening within 48 hours of birth is an infringement on their religious beliefs and their right to decide what is best for their four children.

A pastor has been convicted of sexually assaulting a parishioner to whom he gave healing baths and naked rubdowns to rid her of evil spirits.

The estranged wife of a pastor claims her husband blended his professional and personal finances so thoroughly that his church should be counted as an asset in their divorce.

The Pentagon's top general expressed regret Tuesday that he called homosexuality immoral, a remark that drew a harsh condemnation from members of Congress and gay advocacy groups.  read more »

A majority of members at Pittsburgh Presbytery's largest church voted Sunday to split off from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and join a more conservative denomination, in part because  read more »

A judge sentenced a polygamous-sect leader Tuesday to two consecutive terms of five years to life in prison for his role in the arranged marriage of teenage cousins.  read more »

Rev.  read more »

The Christian Concern for Our Nation are to petition the queen, as head of the Church of England, asking her to state their case that the proposed Sexual Orientation Regulations discriminate against Christians to Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Amsterdam's red-light district is well-known for its various vices, and now one of its most famous trades, prostitution, is getting a statue in its honor.

A human rights commission has heard that marriage commissioners should not be allowed to use religious beliefs to pick and choose who they marry.

Religious groups led the city's gay pride parade on Sunday, lending gravity to an often outrageous event that also featured a jumble of drag queens in feather boas, marching bands, motorcycle-riding lesbians, rugby players and samba dancers.

Never in a "million years" did Robert Renix think he would find a Baptist church that would accept someone like him: a black Baptist gay man.  read more »

In a change of tactics, Church officials now say they will not close down adoption agencies as a result of new laws forcing them to deal with applications from gay couples. Instead, they will deliberately break the law in order to bring a case to court.  read more »

In a brief interview with the Associated Press, Romney elaborated on comments he made during a campaign event dubbed "Ask Mitt Anything" in which an audience member questioned whether pastors should preach that homosexuality is a sin.  read more »

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexiy II said on Tuesday European civilisation was threatened by a divorce of human rights from Christian ethics that opened the way to immoral behaviour.  read more »

"The problem they have with the African believers is because we remained faithful to the biblical teachings and instead challenged them about their conduct.  read more »

Pope Benedict XVI will convene a meeting this week in the Vatican to discuss whether the vows of celibacy and the ban on marriage for priests who want to marry, or have married in the past, should be overturned.  read more »

Apparently the "will of Christ" just happens to dovetail with the policy goals of the far right.  read more »

Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, accordin  read more »

More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, according to a new study. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past.

Kids with religious parents are better behaved and adjusted than other children, according to a new study that is the first to look at the effects of religion on young child development. The conflict that arises when parents regularly argue over their faith at home, however, has the opposite effect.

Gisele Bundchen is the biggest international star on the runway during Rio's Fashion Week, but she's also making headlines for criticizing the Roman Catholic church's opposition to condom use and abortion.  read more »

A Malaysian Muslim man switched at birth in a hospital mix-up wants to change his name after being reunited with his ethnic-Chinese biological family and become a Buddhist.

Anglican Church in Tanzania has said it will no longer knowingly accept money from dioceses, parishes, bishops, and individuals that "condone homosexual practice or bless same-sex uni  read more »

Funding for tertiary courses in prostitution could be considered under changes aimed at boosting quality and relevance in the sector, [New Zealand] education officials say.

Thompson favors a constitutional amendment that bars judges from legalizing gay marriage, but also leaves open the door for state legislatures to approve the practice.  read more »

A group of Christian church leaders have failed to ban a performance by Elton John on the island of Tobago, after the island's House of Assembly dismissed their call.

State and national gay rights groups are questioning Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's decision to appear at a fundraising banquet this month for a conservative Christian group bac  read more »

The Supreme Court of Canada made a rare foray into the religious forum yesterday, coming to the aid of a 48-year-old Jewish woman whose estranged husband had stubbornly refused for 15 year  read more »

To the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church he's number IV on the docket for their Oct. 24-27 session: "A Review of Bishop's Decision ...  read more »

Britain's major Muslim group joined the Anglican and Catholic churches Thursday in backing a plea to exempt Catholic adoption services from new government legislation that bans discrimination against homosexual couples.

The general council of the United Church of Christ (UCC) last week voted in favor of a resolution that affirms "equal rights for couples regardless of gender," BBC News reported.The nonbinding resolution does not require pastors to marry same-sex couples.

A British girl has accused her school in London's High Court of "religious discrimination" after she was expelled for refusing to remove the so-called Christian "purity  read more »