In an unprecedented assault on individual liberty and parental rights, California Governor Jerry Brown released a statement on September 30 after signing SB1172 into law, banning 'nonscientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide. "These practices have no basis in science or medicine, and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery," wrote Brown.

Beginning in 2013, anyone under the age of eighteen in the state of California whose personal, family, or religious values are at odds with their homosexual feelings will be forbidden to seek help from a mental health practitioner unless the clinician tells them to accept their homosexual feelings and identify themself as gay. To do otherwise, says the law, would be harmful and potentially lead youth into depression and self-harm.

On its face, it sounds very reasonable. What levelheaded politician (or anyone else, for that matter) would support a therapy that makes young people want to kill themselves? But when one examines the evidence underlying this law, it smells more of activism masquerading as science. more >>

In her new book Becoming Visible: Letting Go of the Things that Hide Your True Beauty, author Sue Z. McGray talks of the struggle she personally faced overcoming immense feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, and tragedy, including the death of her younger sister, before eventually rising to one of the highest echelons of the Mary Kay Cosmetics Corporation.

McGray, who was born into a Christian home to a Baptist pastor as a father, only realized her worth to God as an adult, through the help of a friend.

McGray spoke with The Christian Post about her struggles with co-dependency and her ultimate realization that she is a beautiful being in God's eyes. more >>

LifeWay Christian Resources has issued a statement explaining its decision to not stock in its stores Christian blogger and author Rachel Held Evans' new book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, which has received mixed reviews regarding its theological message.

"LifeWay Christian Resources is not able to comment regarding why specific products are not selected from the thousands we review," LifeWay said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post.

"However, we select resources consistent with the expectations of our customers based on several issues including alignment with evangelical beliefs, past sales by an author, and how they fit within LifeWay's values and vision," the statement added. more >>

According to author Rachel Held Evans, LifeWay Christian Resources will not stock A Year of Biblical Womanhood at its bookstores when it is released later this month, possibly over the book's inclusion of the term "vagina".

Although Evans, an award-winning Christian author and blogger, affirms that she is not positive as to the exact reason for LifeWay's decision, she believes, presumably, that it may have something to do with the "vagina controversy," also known as "Vaginagate," which occurred in summer 2012.

"I'm disappointed, of course, and not just because I'll take a hit in sales," Evans wrote on her personal blog in reference to LifeWay's decision. more >>

The Boy Scouts of America have said they will not give the Eagle Scout award to a boy scout in California because he refused to agree to scouting's principle of "Duty to God" and does not qualify for membership due to his sexual orientation.

"This scout proactively notified his unit leadership and Eagle Scout counselor that he does not agree to scouting's principle of 'Duty to God' and does not meet scouting's membership standard on sexual orientation," BSA spokesman Deron Smith told ABC News, speaking of Ryan Andresen, who had recently completed the requirements to earning his Eagle Scout award but came out gay.

"Agreeing to do one's 'Duty to God' is a part of the scout Oath and Law and a requirement of achieving the Eagle Scout rank," Smith said, adding the Boy Scouts does not actively ask the sexual orientation of boys. more >>

The Toronto District School Board in Canada has come under fire after it released posters in its schools encouraging acceptance and tolerance of different sexual orientations, including in one poster what some say is a reference to polygamy.

The poster under question features a collection of all sorts of different couples represented by stick figures – men and men, women and women, men and women, – but also has an image of three stick figures grouped together, which includes a man and two women.

"This will certainly be controversial among some parents, particularly religious parents of different faiths, and maybe even those who aren't religious who think this isn't appropriate for young children, who may not understand," said Doretta Wilson from the Canadian group Society for Quality Education. She suggested that the Toronto school district was going overboard in its quest to be politically correct. more >>