Homosexuality

Those supporting the continued ban on openly gay members in the Boy Scouts are gathering in over 50 locations throughout America Friday to express their concern, as the youth organization will vote next week on whether to lift the ban.

Friday's nationwide rallies, held at noon in several U.S. cities, were organized by OnMyHonor.net, an online coalition of parents, Boy Scouts, and Scout leaders in favor of maintaining current membership policies.

One rally in the Silver Spring Township of Pennsylvania reportedly attracted two dozen attendees and included speeches from an Eagle Scout, a scoutmaster and the mother of eagle scout who encouraged those in attendance to not "compromise their values" and encouraged their delegates attending the Boy Scouts national meeting in Texas next week to cast their vote against lifting the gay ban. more >>

A well-known conservative values organization is advising Christians against joining the AARP, a nonprofit dedicated to the needs of retired people, arguing that the interest group caters to the "homosexual agenda."

Buddy Smith, executive vice president of the American Family Association, self-described Christian, pro-family nonprofit, said in a recent interview that he believes part of AARP's membership fees and profits are used to promote the legalization of same-sex marriage on a federal level, as well as same-sex couple adoption.

Smith warned retired Christians ages 50 and over who are planning to become a member of the AARP. more >>

An Anglican congregation in Virginia that recently lost a property suit against The Episcopal Church is asking for a rehearing before the state Supreme Court.

George Ward, senior warden of the vestry of The Falls Church Anglican, told The Christian Post that the congregation will submit a petition that may be heard by the Court.

"Our attorneys looked carefully at the opinion and they briefed our vestry on it, and the attorneys highlighted for us that the opinion is based at least in part on arguments that really had not been raised in the seven years of litigation," said Ward. "Since they had not been raised, we have not been able to either brief them or argue them before the Court. And so, by putting in a petition for a rehearing, that would enable us to argue those issues." more >>

The Japanese electronics company Nintendo has reportedly fixed a glitch in one of its life simulation games that allowed one male character to marry another male character and raise children together.

The highly popular 3DS game, "Tomodachi Collection: New Life," has reportedly been at the top of Japan's software charts for the past several weeks, and involves players having control over their characters, including the ability to design a character, feed it, dress it, and make it perform tasks.

Although the game's apparent glitch allows male characters to date and marry other men, it does not allow the same for women. more >>

As delegates of Boy Scouts of America prepare to cast their votes on a controversial amendment to their membership standards on homosexuality, legal experts warned them on Tuesday against being "snookered and bamboozled" into accepting it.

Next Thursday, some 1,400 members of Boy Scouts of America's national council are expected to vote on the resolution seeking to revise the organization's membership policy on homosexuality at their annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas. If accepted, the resolution would lift an existing ban on youth who are "open or avowed" homosexuals. A ban on adult leaders, however, would remain in place.

"There is going to be a showdown in Grapevine Texas," said Cathy Ruse, senior legal fellow at Family Research Council, on Tuesday. more >>

An Ohio Catholic teacher's union said that it will not back Carla Hale, the teacher fired from her high school after officials found out she was in a same-sex relationship with another woman.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on Monday that the Central Ohio Association of Catholic Educators will not be supporting Hale's efforts to be reinstated as a physical-education teacher at Bishop Watterson High School.

"COACE's decision should not be interpreted as reflecting unfavorably upon Ms. Hale as a person or as an educator," a letter from the grievance committee provided by Hale reads. "She is known to COACE as a caring and compassionate educator whose professionalism is unquestioned." more >>