Alice Bassett-Smith was married, and now she is not. She and her United States-born husband married in 2000, lived together in both New Zealand and the US, divorced in 2008 and have both moved on. So, she was stunned when telephoned “out of the blue” by a Catholic priest a month ago and told her Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Marriage’
Having one sexual partner for life best for your health says visiting doctor
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
A visiting United States psychiatrist says in sexuality – “and I’m not talking about morality, I’m a physician” – the ideal was one sexual partnership for life, delayed until adulthood. “People that are able to achieve that – not that this is so easy – never have to worry about these myriad health issues.” “Health issues Read more
Study of children of same gender parents is flawed
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
A recently released study suggesting children of same gender parents fare worse than others is flawed because it does not compare children living with parents in stable same gender relationships with children living with parents in stable heterosexual relationships. “In fact, only a small proportion of its sample spent more than a few years living Read more
Hone Harawira a moral conservative
Friday, June 22nd, 2012Hone Harawira is known for a lot of things, but not many people realise he is a social and moral conservative. He is against, for example, drug liberalisation and gay marriage and in an interview with Bryce Edwards Hone claimed to be against a society of “choice”. This, I think, reveals an authoritarian attitude not uncommon in Read more
No sex please; we’re British
Friday, June 1st, 2012
The British Government is planning to remove sex from the law of marriage, so that same-sex couples can be wed. In current British law marriage is not official until a man and woman have “ordinary and complete” sexual intercourse, which means same-sex couples cannot meet the requirement. Tory MP Edward Leigh says the move will Read more
- Gay rights groups disappointed as same-sex marriage left out of Queen's 2012 speech
- Liberal leader Clegg attacks Cameron on gay marriage
- British Muslims launch new petition to oppose same sex marriage
- Archbishop Vincent Nichols says equal marriage will damage society
- Same sex marriage will boost flagging institution (Comment)
Where do NZ politicians stand on polygamy?
Friday, June 1st, 2012
Two government studies released by Canada’s Justice Department in 2006 recommended the decriminalisation of polygamy, with one arguing that the move was justified by the need to attract more skilled Muslim immigrants. Family First NZ is calling for the National, Labour and Green parties to state where they stand on the issue of redefining marriage Read more
Honeymoon: Zuckerbergs marvel at the Sistine Chapel
Friday, June 1st, 2012Mark Zuckerberg and new wife Priscilla Chan were spotted brushing up on some Italian architecture as they toured the Sistine Chapel during their honeymoon in Rome. Snapped by a fellow culture-vulture, the Facebook CEO wandered around the chapel in the Vatican with a priest and tour guide, occasionally placing an affectionate hand on his new Read more
Does Facebook wreck marriages?
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his status to “married” Saturday and received over one million “likes” from his followers. But the site he founded isn’t always so marriage-friendly. In fact, lawyers say the social network contributes to an increasing number of marriage breakups. More than a third of divorce filings last year contained the word Read more
Marriage: a religious or a civil institution?
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
It was only after the Protestant Reformation that marriage came to be considered as a civil institution. The early Christians understood marriage to be a union between one man a one woman. It was not a contract or a financial arrangement but a sacred union that reflected God’s love. “Christ turned the accepted cultural norms Read more
Annulment rules may be tightened
Friday, May 4th, 2012
The Vatican may soon require a more restrictive approach to annulments. A Rome conference held in late April focused on canon 1095 of the Code of Canon Law, which allows a marriage to be declared invalid if one of the parties lacked the ability to consent because of “causes of a psychic nature.” More annulments Read more