June Fulton felt weird sitting in the third pew. “Everybody filled out their piece of paper, a ballot, and they had to sign it,” Fulton told CT. “Every person went up and put their paper in the basket and then we sat there quietly. So quietly. It was so strange to sit there so quietly as we waited.” (Silliman, Christianity Today)
Read MoreNews of the investigation became public in August 2022, after the Executive Committee first received a subpoena from the Department of Justice. That subpoena was issued a few months after the release of a major report showing some SBC leaders had mistreated abuse survivors for years and had intentionally sought to downplay the number of sexual abuse cases in the 13.2 million-member denomination. (Smietana, Religion News Services)
Read MoreFacing pressure to get in vitro fertilization services restarted in the state, Alabama’s governor swiftly signed legislation into law Wednesday shielding doctors from potential legal liability raised by a court ruling that equated frozen embryos to children. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill after it was approved in a late-night session by lawmakers scrambling to address a wave of criticism after services were halted at some of the state’s largest fertility clinics. (Chandler, AP News)
Read MoreChurch authorities on the northwestern island of Corfu accused the two opposition lawmakers of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” in voting for the law, which was approved with cross-party support on Feb. 15. Greece was the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage. (Unknown, AP News)
Read MoreThe deliberations of the Dutch parliament rarely make waves in the UK, but a motion passed by its MPs last week may have a profound effect on the way the NHS treats children seeking gender reassignment... (Rayner, The Telegraph)
Read MoreFrench conservatives have attacked the official Paris Olympics poster for removing a cross from the site of Napoleon’s tomb, as the government weighs hosting a Saudi “Olympic village” at the historic landmark. Two art-deco posters depicting the City of Love were unveiled this week to promote the 2024 games, with the illustrations adorning billboards across Paris. (Coen, The Telegraph)
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