The claim a New Zealand academic’s latest book has been banned may be a little over-egged, but a publisher’s interpretation of international hate speech laws is an interesting example of the current global tensions between free speech and hate speech. Read more
News Shorts
Catholic hospital ordered to provide assisted-suicide services
Thursday, September 26th, 2019A Catholic hospital in Nova Scotia must provide physician-assisted suicide assessments to eligible patients who request them, the province’s public health service has ruled. St. Martha’s Regional Hospital will now perform assessments for patients seeking medical assistance in dying at its hospital, said Tim Guest, vice president of the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA). The Read more
Indonesia rethinks ban on sex outside marriage
Monday, September 23rd, 2019Indonesia’s president has delayed a vote on controversial new laws that would have outlawed sex outside marriage. They’d gained a lot of attention online, with the Australian government updating its advice for tourists heading to Bali. Now President Joko Widodo says the new laws need more consideration and has delayed next week’s vote. Bali’s a Read more
Some children can’t remember when they had a home
Monday, September 23rd, 2019At Lifewise, when we speak to rangatahi about their experiences of homelessness, many of them tell us that they can’t remember a time when they had a safe, secure, stable home. Imagine that, growing up without a home, living day to day, week to week, month to month, never knowing when you might find the Read more
Hong Kong Christians fear religious freedom could be ‘gone forever’
Monday, September 23rd, 2019Hong Kong Christians fear freedom of religion could be “gone forever” despite the withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill and leader Carrie Lam’s efforts to ease tensions in the administrative region. Christians and pro-democracy supporters are worried the Chinese government could make another attempt to ramrod legislation in Hong Kong that would specifically target the Read more
2018 Census: some random stats on religion
Monday, September 23rd, 2019According to the 2018 Census the Destiny Church has 1722 adherents. To put that in context against other indigenous Christian movements, Ratana has more than 40,000, Ringatū has more than 10,000, and other individual Pentecostal Churches are far larger. Twenty thousand people put Jedi as their religion, and more than 4,000 put Church of the Read more
Pope Francis slams ‘abuse’ of Alzheimer’s sufferers, carers
Monday, September 23rd, 2019Pope Francis appealed Wednesday for greater support for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and their carers, saying those with the disease were often abused. Sufferers “are often victims of violence, mistreatment and abuse that crushes their dignity,” Francis said during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, in a message to mark World Alzheimer’s Day on Read more
Bishop O’Connell – approachable and encouraging
Monday, September 23rd, 2019He could talk with anyone at any time, he was very approachable and he was a great optimist. These were some of the many positive attributes of Bishop Stuart O’Connell, SM, recalled by speakers at a requiem Mass at Owairaka in Auckland on August 9. Bishop O’Connell, Bishop Emeritus of Rarotonga, died on August 2, Read more
Abortion after 20 weeks gestation likely to be more frequent
Thursday, September 19th, 2019
In a submission to a Select Committee, Family First national director Bob McCoskrie stated proposed changes to abortion legislation would make late-term abortions more accessible and therefore more would occur. “Currently it’s only available for exceptional circumstances, danger to the life and health of the mother, or the child,” said McCoskrie “But in this bill Read more