SEMINARY-TRANSGENDER CONFERENCE
Reparative therapy criticized by Southern Baptist theologian
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β A leading Southern Baptist theologian is speaking out against psychological counseling aimed at turning young gays straight, saying homosexuality cannot be turned off like a switch.
The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Monday that conversion or reparative therapy can’t bring about redemptive change.
Mohler is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He spoke to reporters at the start of a conference entitled “Homosexuality: Compassion, Care and Counsel for Struggling People.”
Mohler is unwavering in the belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman. He believes homosexuals can change by accepting biblical teachings. But Mohler said Christians have sinned against gays by “reducing a massive human struggle to simplistic explanations.”
Gay rights advocates denounced the conference. Their protest included a prayer for love, inclusion and respect.
Sound:
250-a-12-(The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at news conference)-“and a woman”-The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says same-sex marriage isn’t biblical. (5 Oct 2015)
< 246-a-11-(The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at news conference)-“the opposite sex”-The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says this week’s conference doesn’t support therapy to make gay people straight. (5 Oct 2015) < 247-a-12-(The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at news conference)-“sufficient for this”-The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says homosexual attractions cannot be turned off like a switch. (5 Oct 2015) < 249-a-16-(The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at news conference)-“faithfully follows Christ”-The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says this week’s conference isn’t about making gay people straight. (5 Oct 2015) < 248-a-08-(The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at news conference)-“a superficial way”-The Reverend R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says Christians have placed too much faith in reparative therapy for same-sex attractions. (5 Oct 2015) < RIGHT TO DIE-CALIFORNIA California governor signs right-to-die legislation SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) β California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation allowing terminally ill people in the nation’s most populous state to use doctor-prescribed drugs to take their own lives. Brown says the emotionally charged bill forced him to consider what he would want if he was dying. Brown, a lifelong Catholic and former Jesuit seminarian, said he acted after discussing the issue with many people, including a Catholic bishop and two of his own doctors. California is the fifth state with such a law.. The measure applies only to mentally sound people and not those who are depressed or impaired. Religious groups, including the Catholic Church, and advocates for people with disabilities opposed the measure, saying it legalizes premature suicide and puts terminally ill patients at risk for coerced death. Christian disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada (JAH’-nee EH’-rik-sun TAH’-dah), a quadriplegic, said she was “deeply dismayed” that Brown signed the legislation. She said, “Compassion should never be defined as a lethal prescription put on your bedside table. To me, that is the consummate act of alienation and abandonment.” Sound: 282-a-12-(Toni Broaddus (BRAW’-duhs), California campaign director, Compassion & Choices, in AP interview)-“pint so quickly”-Toni Broaddus, the California campaign director with Compassion & Choices, says the story of a 29-year-old California woman with brain cancer who moved to Oregon to end her life added great momentum to the effort to pass California’s right-to-die bill. (5 Oct 2015) < 281-a-10-(Toni Broaddus (BRAW’-duhs), California campaign director, Compassion & Choices, in AP interview)-“end of life”-Toni Broaddus, the California campaign director with Compassion & Choices, says the group is pleased Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill allowing terminally ill Californians to take their own lives. (5 Oct 2015) < 283-a-08-(Toni Broaddus (BRAW’-duhs), California campaign director, Compassion & Choices, in AP interview)-“make for themselves”-Toni Broaddus, the California campaign director with Compassion & Choices, says the group will continue effort to get right-to-die legislation passed in other states and nationally. (5 Oct 2015) < 284-a-06-(Toni Broaddus (BRAW’-duhs), California campaign director, Compassion & Choices, in AP interview)-“the national level”-Toni Broaddus, the California campaign director with Compassion & Choices, says every American deserves the right to make their own end of life decisions. (5 Oct 2015) < 226-c-14-(Judy Lin, AP correspondent)-“course the largest”-AP correspondent Judy Lin reports that California has joined the list of right-to-die states. (5 Oct 2015) < 227-c-18-(Judy Lin, AP correspondent)-“a family member”-AP correspondent Judy Lin reports the new California law includes requirements for terminally ill patients seeking to legally end their lives. (5 Oct 2015) < 233-a-08-(Joni Eareckson Tada (JAH’-nee AYR’-ehk-sun TAH’-dah), quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, in AP interview)-“of their lives”-Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, says there are better ways to help people die. (5 Oct 2015) < 231-a-06-(Joni Eareckson Tada (JAH’-nee AYR’-ehk-sun TAH’-dah), quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, in AP interview)-“people kill themselves”-Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, says the terminally ill need care and compassion. (5 Oct 2015) < 230-a-11-(Joni Eareckson Tada (JAH’-nee AYR’-ehk-sun TAH’-dah), quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, in AP interview)-“for the elderly”-Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, says California’s right to die law may pressure vulnerable people into giving up. (5 Oct 2015) < 232-a-11-(Joni Eareckson Tada (JAH’-nee AYR’-ehk-sun TAH’-dah), quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, in AP interview)-“alienation and abandonment”-Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and Christian disability advocate, says society shouldn’t help depressed people kill themselves. (5 Oct 2015) < VATICAN-FAMILY Pope urges prejudices be put aside at start of family synod VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Francis is telling a contentious gathering of the world’s bishops on family issues to put aside their personal prejudices and have the courage and humility to let God guide them. Francis told 270 cardinals, bishops and priests Monday that the three-week synod isn’t a parliament where negotiations, plea bargains or compromises take place. Rather, he said, it’s a sacred, protected space where God shows the way for the good of the church. The synod is debating how the church can better care for Catholic families at a time when marriage rates are falling, divorce is common and civil unions are on the rise. Conservatives have been insisting on church doctrine about the indissolubility of marriage while progressives are seeking a more merciful approach to family problems. TEN COMMANDMENTS Workers removing Ten Commandments from Oklahoma Capitol OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) β A granite monument of the Ten Commandments has been removed from the Oklahoma Capitol grounds. A contractor the state hired began removing the monument around 10:30 p.m., local time, Monday. Its removal comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court determined the display violates a constitutional prohibition on the use of public property to support a “system of religion.” Office of Management and Enterprise Services spokesman John Estus said the state is paying the contractor $4,700 to remove the six-foot-tall sculpture. Estus said the monument will be taken to a private conservative think tank, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which has agreed to store it. Estus said the decision to remove the monument at night was to minimize the distraction to workers in the building and to prevent public demonstrations. RELIGIOUS FOOTBALL PLAQUE LAWSUIT Colorado college sued for denying Bible-themed donor plaque DENVER (AP) β A graduate of a Colorado university who wanted to cite the names of Bible verses on a donor nameplate in a football locker room has sued his alma mater for rejecting the request. Michael Lucas wanted the plaque recognizing his $2,500 donation to be inscribed with “Colossians 3:23” and “Micah 5:9,” but not with the words in those verses. The Colorado School of Mines said even the inclusion of the verse names would violate separation of church and state, according a lawsuit filed in Denver federal court last week. Lucas argues that it constitutes private speech protected by the First Amendment. The university said it is disappointed that the former football player sued and disagreed with his claim that it restricted his free-speech rights. For his donation, Lucas was getting one of 130 personalized plaques in the locker room of the school’s new athletic facility. Quotations approved for other donor nameplates included, “Give ‘Em Hell!” and “Take your whiskey clear,” according to the lawsuit. SUPREME COURT-SCHOOL VACCINE REQUIREMENT High court won’t hear challenge to NY school vaccine rules WASHINGTON (AP) β The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a challenge to New York state’s requirement that all children be vaccinated before they can attend public school, upholding an appeals court ruling that said the policy does not violate students’ constitutional right of religious freedom. The appeals court had also upheld a federal judge’s ruling that students exempted from the immunization policy for religious reasons could still be barred from school during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. The attorney for three New York City families who challenged the mandate indicated the issue was not going away. Attorney Patricia Finn pointed to a preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge last month allowing a Clarkstown parent to exempt a boy from vaccines containing animal byproducts or fetal tissues on religious grounds. POLICE-RELIGIOUS MOTTO Lawmaker seeks AG opinion on police showing religious motto AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β A state senator is asking the Texas attorney general for an opinion about a police department displaying “In God We Trust” on its patrol vehicles. Lubbock Republican Sen. Charles Perry defended police in Childress, near the Oklahoma border. He asked Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been indicted on securities fraud charges, for legal guidance. Childress and a few police forces elsewhere have begun displaying the national motto in recent months. That comes amid nationally publicized tensions between law enforcement and some communities they severe. The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation has asked Childress police to remove the mottos, citing separation-of-church-and-state. That prompted Perry’s letter Monday. But Childress Police Chief Adrian Garcia has already responded by inviting the nonprofit to “go fly a kite,” and posting his response on Facebook. PRIEST-BOY-GUN CHARGE Priest accused of pointing musket at boy over football teams LITTLE FERRY, N.J. (AP) β A lawyer for a New Jersey priest accused of pointing a functioning musket at an 8-year-old boy inside the church’s rectory says his client will plead not guilty. Harold Cassidy tells The Record newspaper that the Rev. Kevin Carter is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday. Carter remains free on $15,000 cash bail. Bergen County prosecutors charged Carter with child endangerment and aggravated assault by pointing a firearm on Friday. Both charges stem from a Sept. 13 incident at St. Margaret of Cortona Roman Catholic Church in Little Ferry. Authorities have said the incident apparently was spurred by a football rivalry. Carter, an avid New York Giants fan, and the boy, who roots for the Dallas Cowboys, were talking about football shortly before the incident occurred. CATHOLIC SAINT-PRISON Michigan prison rejects Catholic saint relics display LANSING, Mich. (AP) β Officials from the Michigan Corrections Department have denied a request to bring the relics of a Catholic saint known for forgiving her killer to the Macomb Correctional Facility in New Haven. Corrections department spokesman Chris Gautz cited concerns about the security of the facility and the relics in rejecting an appearance on Friday. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Vatican-sponsored program Pilgrimage of Mercy requested that the relics of St. Maria Goretti, an 11-year-old Italian girl stabbed to death while resisting a sexual assault in 1902, be displayed at the prison. The Rev. Carlos Martins, who oversees the relics, said he was disappointed that prisoners at the facility would not be able to see the relics. The program is set to visit parishes in Plymouth, Sterling Heights and Detroit during its multistate tour. HASIDIC ENCLAVE NY county, communities sue over Hasidic village expansion GOSHEN, N.Y. (AP) β A county and nine municipalities in New York’s Hudson valley have filed a lawsuit over a proposal to allow a fast-growing Hasidic Jewish village to annex 164 acres of adjacent land. The lawsuit on behalf of Orange County and a group of towns and villages was filed on Friday. The Town of Monroe and the village of Kiryas Joel approved the annexation last month. The Middletown Times Herald-Record reports that the lawsuit seeks to overturn their approval, and challenges the adequacy of Kiryas Joel’s environmental review. Leaders of the densely settled enclave of ultra-Orthodox Satmar Hasidic Jews have said Kiryas Joel needs more land to accommodate its fast-growing population. Opponents say they fear increased congestion from more apartment buildings in the suburban area.
