"No one should be censored or fear criminal penalties for expressing their beliefs," said Santiago Guevara, a lawyer for Nueva Democracia, an NGO that with the support of the Christian legal defense organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, represented Nieto.

"Together with Kika, we are delighted that the Court has reversed this censorship decision. Kika stood firm during this ordeal to defend everyone's freedom to share their beliefs," Guevara said.

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Born and raised Catholic, McAnulty likes Pope Francis but says his regular relationship with the Church is a little strained.

"The marriage equality debates started and I just felt that the Church at the time didn't reflect my values.

"So I do things personally now, just take time out to reflect and all that sort of stuff", he told The Listener's Michele Hewitson

These days he's more of an Easter and Christmas Mass attender.

Despite being pro-marriage equality, the 35-year-old, MP says he believes in marriage and cannot wait to have kids, but that his god is "more in line with what Pope Francis has been saying than the blokes before him."

McAnulty admits he is cautious about talking about his faith, qualifying the comment saying it is not that it is un-Labour to do so.

"You go to South Auckland and tell Labour people that religion and Labour don't go hand in hand. [Michael Joseph] Savage talked about Labour as Christianity in action," he told Hewitson.

As well as liberal on marriage equality, McAnulty also supported the cannabis and euthanasia referenda.

McAnulty's view on ethical matters is more akin to Biden's view on abortion; he is not keen to impose his personal beliefs on others.

"God doesn't decide when people die," Hewitson asked.

"Not everyone believes in God and society needs a structure that allows people to pursue their own personal beliefs," he told Hewitson.

Hewitson, a supporter of the Masterton A&P Show, decided to put his ‘imposing personal belief' mantra to the test.

Hewitson asks if he would help save the A&P Show from its death throes.

He says ‘no' because he has long held the view that it should amalgamate with the Wairarapa show!

Despite some murmurings about the possibility of a ministerial post, McAnulty was given the job of Chief Government Whip.

He says he got the job he wanted.

"I have spent 12 years trying to win this seat, and I can't think of any other job where you would spend that long trying to get it and, as soon as you get it, start looking for another job.

"I want to keep this seat for as long as I want to do this job and I want to do a ….load for the region.

"But I won't be able to do that if I'm off doing ministerial …. straight away."

Source

• The Listener

The Council is tipped to consider the issue within the next few months.

Given that the civil law changes, the Diocese of Basel says it will bless same-sex unions, as long as the rites differ from marriage ceremonies.

"We welcome the proposed regulations that give homosexual partnerships stable and reliable legal protection," diocesan spokesman Hansruedi Huber says.

"It is important to us that children who grow up in same-sex partnerships receive a legal framework that serves the best interests of the child." Huber also said priests within the diocese may bless such unions, but the ceremonies "must differ in content and form from the church wedding."

The bishop of Basel, Felix Gmur, had made a similar comment in a news report in 2017.

"One does not bless the bond, but the two same-sex people on their common path together. … In the celebration of the church, one should avoid anything that is reminiscent of a marriage: the exchange of rings, the yes-word, the eternal promise of fidelity."

Church Militant, a far-right Catholic site that queried the diocese on whether it "affirms or denies the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexual acts being intrinsically evil." had not received an answer by last Wednesday.

At the other end of the spectrum, the U.S.-based New Ways Ministry that advocates for LGBTQ equality within the church, is pleased with the Swiss response.

"The Diocese of Basel's leaders, and many other church leaders, have shown the church has every reason to and must support civil marriage equality as what is best for LGBTQ families," a blog post says.

Source

• Advocate
• Image: CNS News

Bible Society Australia has teamed up with Coopers Premium Light to produce a video an openly gay agnostic, and a Christian conservative, debate marriage equality while drinking Coopers Premium Light beer.

The campaign website claims the men were able to enjoy their debate "because there was both a Bible and good beer on the table".

The brewery is owned by the Coopers family, who have been long time donors to the Bible Society.

The video has not been well received.

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The ninth man to lead the UN in its 71-year history has drawn opposition from gay rights and women's groups.

Guterres will replace Ban Ki-moon when he retires at the end of December.

The devout Catholic is against abortion, marriage equality and gay rights.

In 1995 he described homosexuality as "a mental disorder".

International gay rights organisations opposed Guterres's candidacy for the key position.

Gay activists in the US are calling on President Barack Obama to veto Guterres's appointment to the UN Security Council.

Australian women's groups are also speaking out about the appointment.

"It is outrageous that after 70 years, and vocal lobbying from women around the world saying that the next appointment must be a woman, that the UN is saying there is not a single woman on the planet capable of doing the job," Australia-based International Women's Development Agency chief Jo Hayter said.

"If we have a person sitting in this position who is not comfortable with women's choice, we have a leader from the past, not a visionary for the future."

International aid and development agencies are concerned the global push for women's rights and marriage equality could lose momentum under Guterres's leadership.

Portugal legalised abortion in 2007 after a national referendum.

State support for birth control was curtailed by the parliament in January this year.

Four women, including former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, were in the running for the top UN job that has never been given to a woman.

The former Portuguese prime minister and president held the post of the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.

Source

• The New Daily
• Image: www.un.org

Last week, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, delivered the Centre for Independent Studies' Acton Lecture titled "Should bakers be required to bake gay wedding cakes?"

Fisher raised a range of challenges facing religious liberty in Australia and across the world.

He rightly argued a "true democracy is a political order that acknowledges deeply held moral and religious convictions are important ... [and] concedes that people must obey both God and Caesar".

The principal target of the archbishop's address was the perceived threat to religious liberty following a change in the law to allow same-sex couples to access civil marriage.

Fisher raised concerns that those who advocate for the status quo will face recriminations and people will be compelled to act against their conscience.

Similar concerns have also been raised by Anglican Archbishop Dr Glenn Davies.

Let's be clear: a badly designed law can absolutely risk religious liberty, whereas a well-designed law will not.

To date, many religious leaders have simply opposed any change in the law.

Twenty-five years ago, that strategy made sense. A 1990 poll from the Institute of Family Studies found 14 per cent supported civil marriage for same-sex couples, while 51 per cent strongly opposed.

Today, such a strategy is gambling religious freedom on the roulette wheel. There are now many contemporary polls that show support is between 65 and 75 per cent, while opposition is continually declining and sits between 20 and 30 per cent.

That change has been driven by the families, friends and colleagues who know committed couples in relationships.

That attitudinal shift cannot be easily undone, and attempts to do so will strain the tolerance of Australians towards those prosecuting the argument justified in religious faith. Continue reading

• Tim Wilson is Australia's Human Rights Commissioner.