A member of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is calling for a ban on marriages at Christian churches if they refuse to also perform same-sex unions.
According to new guidelines from the Dutch national doctors association, doctors with moral objections to euthanasia have “a moral and professional duty” to refer patients to another doctor willing to euthanize them.
A radical atheist group called „What the f...“ released a video on youtube in which crosses are being destroyed with much violence and hatred.
A reparative therapy conference, which aims to help people who struggle with same sex attraction, was denied to use of the Medical School Foundation (UM) facilities in Poznan, Poland. The conference, featuring psychologist Dr. Joseph Nicolosi of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), received criticisms from Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, and it was after them that UM decided not to host the event. Gazeta Wyborcza highlighted that the American Psychological Association (APA) has concerns about the effects of treatment for same-sex attraction.
American embassy officials under the Obama administration complained that the Catholic Church teaching is a major source of “homophobia” in the heavily Catholic country, according to private cables published by Wikileaks.
‚Advice UK’, the largest support network for free advice centres in the UK, has pushed out a Christian debt counselling charity from its membership for offering to pray with clients suffering from debt problems.
Churches which refuse to conduct gay marriages should be stripped of their licence, according to Member of Parliament Mike Weatherley of Hove. While marriage between people of the same sex is not legal in the UK but civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 to give couples the same legal protection as if they were wed. Mr Weatherley said according to „The Argus“: “As long as religious groups can refuse to preside over ceremonies for same-sex couples there will be inequality. “Until we untangle unions and religion in this country we will struggle to find a fair arrangement.”
Several French theaters have scheduled Romeo Castellucci's play "Sur le concept du visage du fils de Dieu" (On the concept of the face of the son of God) or "Golgotha picnic" to be on their stage this year. The play "Sur le concept du visage du fils de Dieu" depicts in the 2nd act a group of children throwing grenades onto a large image of Jesus displayed in the back of the stage. After Jesus is "stoned", the 3rd act shows the same image on Jesus being torn apart while the words "you are (not) my Shepherd" are displayed.
„Golgotha Picnic“, a theater play written by Rodrigo García, abuses mercylessly Christian icons and Bible passages in brings them in the proximities of terror and barbarism. Christ is called "el diablo puto" (the f... evil); money notes are placed at the Jesus' side wound; burger bread covers the floor as a parody of the multiplication of the loaves; and a piano player, totally naked, ridicules the “Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross” by Haydn.
A political campaign supported by a social media campaign advocated the removal of the tax exemption granted to the Catholic Church. The supporters of the proposal claim that the Church money would help Italy to overcome its financial crisis, and would therefore make other governmental spenditure cuts unnecessary. The Catholic Church properties are exempted from tax because of the community service they provide and the social function church buildings serve. In the fall of 2011, the issue was dropped.
Volker Beck, member of the German Bundestag (parliament) and speaker on human rights issues of the Green party, has launched an initiative to engage the German Medical Association against the German Union of Catholic Physicians (BKÄ). On their website, the BKÄ provides informations about therapeutic options in case of unwanted same-sex attraction.
On August 21st a crucifixion group was defaced with black paint in Wassenberg-Myhl by strangers.
Belfast's Gay March 2011 was (again) marked by anti-Christian offensive signs. One sign read: “Jesus had two dads (and he turned out just fine)”. Another protester bore a placard that said “Jesus protect me from your followers”.
A UK Christian electrician who won a fight with his employer over his right to display a small Palm leaf cross in his van is now saying that the company has reneged on its agreement. 64-year-old Colin Atkinson was asked by his employers, Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) in West Yorkshire, to remove the cross after an anonymous complaint from a WDH tenant. The company threatened Atkinson with disciplinary action when he refused, but backed down when their threats prompted a public outcry and criticism from prominent religious leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey.
In the first year after the centre-left’s victory at local elections, local politicians decided to prohibit the traditional Ascencion Day barbeceue – at which „Crostine“ and „Salamelle“ (special Italian sausages) have been indispensable for decades. The reason was that Ascension Day took place during Ramadan. Not to offend the Muslim minority, the local government decided to serve only water melon instead of the traditional barbeceue.
The Swiss club of immigrants Secondos Plus demands that the Swiss Cross be removed from the flag of Switzerland because it "didn't correspond anymore to the multicultural Switzerland of today." As alternative, they suggest to go back to the national flag of 1799 which contains green, red and yellow stripes.
A demonstration against the Catholic Church and the visit of the pope during the major Catholic event of World Youth Day, resulted in the young Christian visitors be booed, spat and shouted at. Several World Youth Day participates were physically attacked, one had to be treated in hospital for being kicked in the stomach. Eight anti-pope demonstrators were jailed.
A hospital in London that recently attempted to force two Christian nurses to commit abortions has backed down after legal threats using the Equality Act to protect the nurses pro-life beliefs.
New guidelines issued by the UK pharmaceutical regulatory board tends towards stripping pharmacists of their right to conscientious objection with regard to refusing the sale of the morning-after pill, an abortive device.
Vandals started a devastating fire in the parish church of Saint-Lucie in Begijnendijk (Flemish Brabant). They entered the church through a window and put fire to the curtains and chairs. The damage is significant and the church was closed for several weeks.