http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=3&u=/nm/20030603/od_nm/malaysia_dcMalaysia, with just over 50% Muslim population, where the official religion is Islam, is now fining people for holding hands in public. 'About 30 unmarried couples have been fined $7.90 for holding hands in a drive to keep the city "morally clean," ', the 30 fined people were non-Muslims who do not consider holding hands to be morally wrong.
http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/coe_fundamentalism.htmlGrowing Fundamentalism within the Church of England is causing a potential split and financial bankruptcy of the liberal traditional Church of England, as the Anglican Church continues to struggle with gay tolerance.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=25145India passes anti-conversion laws. "These difficulties are exacerbated by the increased activity of a few Hindu fundamentalist groups which are creating suspicion of the church and other religions", the Pope said said, "Unfortunately, in some regions the state authorities have yielded to the pressures of these extremists and have passed unjust conversion laws, prohibiting free exercise of the natural right to religious freedom, or withdrawing state support for those in the scheduled castes who have chosen to christianity"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,969021,00.htmlNorthern region of Pakistan adopts Sharia law. This is the most extreme, barbarian form of religious fundamentalist rule that there can be, responsible for public stonings, apostasy laws and many other elements that we haven't known, in the UK, since the Dark Ages and Inquisition, but which are common in heavily Muslim countries. (The Muslim world is going through it's own Dark Ages, it has been said).
In other vaguely-remembered news (I can't be bothered to find more links...) a Canadian Anglican bishop/priest done a "gay blessing" ceremony, which is good, but according to Reform/Church Society (groups within C of E), 2/3 of bishops have stated they no longer recognize the Bishop as a Christian. In other good news, a Catholic/Protestant mutual service has occured, which is good although the Pope did say he didn't approve.
London, another city, and several European countries have ran government sanctioned gay relationship registration schemes for some time, to much opposition by Christian and Islam groups in the UK and Europe.
Link:
http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/homosexuality.htmlTags: church of england, homosexuality, india, intolerance, malaysia, news, pakista, religion, sharia, the pope
amused