A prominent Christian pastor in the U.K. has shocked members of the evangelical community by recently suggesting that there is biblical support for monogamous same-sex relationships.

Baptist minister Steve Chalke, senior pastor at Oasis Church in Waterloo, London, stated in an opinion piece entitled "A Matter of Integrity" in Christianity magazine that he believes the Christian Church should embrace monogamous homosexual relationships.

"When we refuse to make room for gay people to live in loving, stable relationships, we consign them to lives of loneliness, secrecy and fear," Chalke writes. more >>

Britain's Prince William, the future Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, only goes to church a "handful" of times a year, a newspaper in the U.K. reports.

British newspaper Daily Mail quotes sources as saying that William and his wife, Kate, "rarely, if ever" go to church privately on a Sunday morning, or indeed at any other time in the week. William, who is 30 years old and was confirmed into the Anglican faith in 1997, attends worship services only a "handful" of times each year, the newspaper said. When he does it is mostly connected with official engagements or on special occasions in the Christian calendar such as Christmas, as well as weddings and christenings.

Queen Elizabeth II, William's grandmother, is a devout Christian, with a deep sense of religious duty, who attends church on a weekly basis. William's father, Charles, Prince of Wales, is also known as a regular churchgoer, though he is also interested in other faiths such as Islam. more >>

Hundreds of thousands of people from across France gathered in Paris on Sunday to oppose President Francois Hollande's plan to legalize same-sex marriage, which would allow gay couples to adopt and conceive children.

Police estimated about 340,000 people participated in the "demo for all" march to oppose a proposed legislation billed as "marriage for all." It was one of the largest demonstrations in the French capital since an education protest in 1984, according to The Associated Press.

Organizers claimed more than 800,000 people turned out to oppose the proposal. Protesters started the march from three points in the city, walking up to four miles to converge at the grounds of the Eiffel Tower. more >>

The Russian government's recent decision to ban the adoption of Russian orphans to the United States is part of a long trend in which Russian politicians blame the United States for their country's problems, according to Dr. Heather Tafel, associate professor of political science at Grand Valley State University, in Allendale, Mich., and an expert on Russian politics.

"Particularly since [Russian President Vladimir] Putin came back to power, the United States has again become the bogeyman that Russian politicians like to blame for Russia's woes," Tafel said in a Monday interview with The Christian Post.

The ban on all inter-country adoptions to the United States was signed into law last week by Putin. The ban was passed as a backlash against the United States' Magnitsky Act. The Magnitsky Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in December, places travel restrictions on Russians suspected of human rights violations. more >>

Muslim activists in France have joined other religious groups in the country to oppose an upcoming bill that would legalize same-sex marriage by June.

"We will protest on January 13 by joining a pluralist campaign to preserve the traditional framework of marriage," read a public letter issued by 50 Muslim activists on Jan. 7, inviting all those who oppose same-sex marriage to join the 'March for All" protest in Paris this Sunday.

"We invite all French Muslims to turn out in large numbers," added the letter, which was reportedly signed by various Muslim grassroots groups, reported Reuters. more >>

The Church of England has decided to drop its ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships seeking to become bishops, as long as they make a promise to remain celibate. Conservative Anglicans, however, insist celibacy would be difficult to enforce, noting that the decision undermines church doctrine on marriage.

"The House has confirmed that clergy in civil partnerships, and living in accordance with the teaching of the Church on human sexuality, can be considered as candidates for the episcopate. There had been a moratorium on such candidates for the past year and a half while the working party completed its task," the Right Rev. Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said in a statement on Jan. 4 on behalf of the House of Bishops of the Church of England.

The Rev. James added that the House has deemed it would be "unjust" to exclude from consideration for the episcopate anyone who lives their lives in full accordance with the Church's teachings on sexual ethics and personal discipline. more >>