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• The evolution of marriage | The evolution of gay rights and marriage laws now merge into the definition of marriage written by the Massachusetts court: 'We construe civil marriage to mean the voluntary union of two persons as spouses, to the exclusion of all others.' (Ellen Goodman, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  
  
• A tattered prize | Pity the gays. A Massachusetts court has moved them a giant step closer down the aisle to lawfully wedded bliss. But the long-sought prize isn't the sacred bond it's sold as - it's a decaying historical artifact. The next looming question is: Why bother? (Nicole Gelinas, New York Post)
  
  
• Manhandling marriage | Are marriages made in heaven, or in courtrooms? Are civil laws that define "the family" man's best effort to codify his understanding of God's law, or are they merely artificial constructions conveniently pieced together by legislatures and judges to suit their passing political and ideological interests? (Terence P. Jeffrey, The Washington Times)
  
  

Anglican church:

• Gay Bishop's Critics Advise Patience | Two leading critics of the recent consecration of an openly gay Episcopal bishop urged church members Monday to be patient, as they planned their next steps in a possible split in the American church. (Associated Press)
  
  
• Moderate rectors fight breakaway | Conservative priest's split over gays prompts campaign (San Francisco Chronicle)
  
  

Sexual ethics:

• Mothers' Union urges pre-marriage HIV tests | The Mothers' Union is to shed its coffee morning and sensible shoes image with a new campaign urging young people preparing for marriage to take an HIV test. The worldwide Christian movement is launching Living Positively, a campaign designed to combat the growth of HIV/Aids. (The Scotsman, UK)
  
  
• Singapore group get teenagers to sign virginity pledge | A pro-virginity group has convinced more than 6,000 Singaporean teenagers and young adults to sign a pledge not to have pre-marital sex. The Focus on Family lobby group, an offshoot of the US-based movement that promotes Christianity by preserving traditional and family values, said its aim was to spread the message that pre-marital sex was immoral. (AFP)
  
  
• Terry: Abortion, homosexuality remain an affront to America | The total has hit 45 million and it is time to halt the increase. That is the position of nationally known pro-life speaker Randall Terry, who was in Sergeant Bluff and Sioux City Saturday, continuing with his nearly 20 years of speaking out against abortion. (Sioux City Journal, IA)
  
  

Public morality:

• Many Christians Say Gambling OK | A new survey finds that more than half of Americans - and a sizeable number of self-described evangelical Christians - consider gambling and cohabitation morally acceptable. (Gambling Magazine)
  
  
• Christians cause chaos at psychic show | Fundamentalist Christian demonstrators caused chaos at the Baxter Theatre on Tuesday night as they hurled threats and anti-Semitic abuse at psychic Belinda Silbert. (Independent Online, South Africa)
  
  
• U.S. anti-porn effort is found wanting | Obscenity foes say their support for Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft hasn't translated into the aggressive crackdown they expected. (Los Angles Times)
  
  

Life ethics:

• Curate takes police to court over abortion of cleft-palate fetus | A curate is taking legal action to force police to investigate a late abortion on a woman who did not want to have a baby with a cleft palate (The Daily Telegraph, London)
  
  

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November (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47