Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A changes donations after facing LGBT+ protests
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A said on Monday it had stopped funding two Christian organisations, including The Salvation Army, that have come under fire from LGBT+ campaigners. The fast-food chain’s charitable arm, Chick-fil-A Foundation, donated millions of dollars over a period of years to The Salvation Army and to the Fellowship of […]
In the US, UMC’s Western Jurisdiction announces “safe harbour” for LGBTQ clergy
RNS The bishops of the Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church in the US have declared their churches a “safe harbour” for LGBTQ clergy. The Safe Harbor Declaration was announced Wednesday as United Methodists’ Council of Bishops wrapped up its autumn meeting in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. And it comes months before new restrictions strengthening the […]
In the US, dissent from Traditional Plan dominates United Methodists’ top court meeting
Earlier this year the United Methodist Church’s top court upheld much of the Traditional Plan strengthening the denomination’s language barring its LGBTQ members from marriage and ordination. But questions about that plan still dominated the Judicial Council meeting this past week in suburban Evanston, Illinois. “The matters before us are neither academic nor abstract. They are where […]
Pope Francis meets with US priest to discuss LGBTQ Catholics
RNS Pope Francis met one on one with American Jesuit priest James Martin at the Vatican on Monday to discuss LGBTQ Catholics, a move some advocates say is a signal of support for a priest who has come under fire for calling on Catholics to be more compassionate to LGBTQ people. “It was amazing and […]
ESSAY: EVANGELICALS – BEMOANING DUKE’S YOUNG LIFE DECISION IS NOT ENOUGH
In an article first published on Religion News Service, KEVIN SINGER, co-director of US group Neighborly Faith, looks at some wider issues in light of Duke University’s student government recent decision to deny evangelical group Young Life official status on campus…
Explainer: United Methodists float plans to split denomination after LGBTQ vote
RNS The United Methodist Church’s deadline for petitions for its next global meeting passed Wednesday, setting the terms for a final reckoning with LGBTQ issues that have divided the denomination for more than 40 years. The UMC’s General Conference 2020, to be held in May in Minneapolis, will consider the structure of what church leaders […]
Government contractors could refuse LGBT+ workers under new US religious exemption
New York City, USThomson Reuters Foundation US businesses with Federal Government contracts would be allowed not to hire LGBT+ candidates on religious grounds under a proposed rule announced on Wednesday by the US Department of Labor. The policy change would state that government contractors, including universities, hospitals and corporations, can claim religious exemptions in employment […]
Faith leaders react after Kenyan court upholds bans on gay intimacy
Nairobi, KenyaRNS In a case that pitted influential faith leaders against gay rights groups, Kenya’s High Court declined on Friday to force the repeal of sections of the penal code widely seen to discriminate against homosexuals. A ruling in favor of repeal would have been a trailblazing step for an Africa court, but the three-judge […]
In Australia, inclusion and religion face off in Folau hearing
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Israel Folau’s fight to save his Wallabies career will come to a head at a code of conduct hearing on Saturday, a trial cast as a clash between religious freedom and an organisation’s moral commitment to ensure an inclusive working environment. A three-member panel will weigh whether Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, breached Rugby […]
In the US, United Methodist court upholds ‘Traditional Plan’s’ ban on LGBTQ clergy, same sex marriage
Chicago, USRNS The United Methodist Church’s top court has upheld much of the Traditional Plan approved earlier this year, continuing the global denomination’s ban on the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members. Approved by delegates to a special session of the United Methodist Church’s General Conference in February, the Traditional Plan strengthens language in […]