Religious abortion-rights advocates in the US are planning their next move following the judgement against the right to abortion. One advocate is Jody Rabhan, chief policy officer for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). She and other members of her organisation are “absolutely devastated, shocked and angry,” she says. “This is not the end. Read more
Sometime next year, the European court of human rights will decide on the case of a Dutch woman who feels unfairly treated because her country’s highest court has told her she cannot wear a plastic colander on her head for her ID photo. Pastafarians, who are members of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s believers Read more
For Catholics who put their faith first, before anything else, there is one way – above all others – to view the life and death issues facing local communities, the nation and the world: and that is, through the lens of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching! But instead, it clearly appears that more often Read more
A unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court ruling has confirmed Philadelphia’s Catholic Social Services’ right to refuse to foster children to same-sex couples. Plaintiff Sharonell Fulton says she is overjoyed with the decision. “My faith is what drives me to care for foster children here in Philadelphia and I thank God the Supreme Court believes that’s a Read more
The former Australian prime minister John Howard has reignited the religious freedom debate, arguing schools should be able to hire teachers based on whether they accept the beliefs the school is based on in the same way political parties favour staff who believe in a party’s ideals. In a presentation to Christian organisation Family Voice Read more
Pope Francis Social Encyclical: ‘Fratelli Tutti’ was launched at the Vatican, Sunday 4 October, 2020. The document focuses on fraternity and social friendship as the ways to build a better, more just and peaceful world – with the contribution of all: people and institutions. The official summary follows, with a link to download the full Read more
October 4, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti during a visit to Assisi. The encyclical calls for a new kind of politics and emphasises social friendship as a way to build a more just and peaceful world. It encourages the contribution of all people and institutions and seeks to build a global movement Read more
A committee from Western Australia’s Legislative Council recommends preserving the confessional seal. In its report on the Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2019, the Council’s legislation committee says: “Ministers of religion be excused from criminal responsibility [of mandatory reporting] only when the grounds of their belief is based solely on information disclosed during religious Read more
Chinese Christians receiving government assistance have been told to replace Christ with Mao or risk losing their welfare payments. Compliance includes replacing all religious symbols in their homes with pictures of Chairman Mao and President Xi Jinping. Christians in several provinces have had visits from government officials and had their religious images replaced. The policy Read more
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused China of “gross and egregious” human rights abuses against its Uighurs and said sanctions against those responsible cannot be ruled out. Reports of forced sterilisation and wider persecution of the Muslim group were “reminiscent of something not seen for a long time”, he told the BBC. The UK Read more