ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc.
Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.
..Abortion
Waiting for the Supreme Court to rescue religious freedomDwight G. Duncan - Mercator NetBusiness owners fighting Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate heard some good news last week. Last Friday, November 1, the Federal appeals court in Washington DC ruled 2-1 that the so-called contraceptive mandate, a regulation under Obama’s Affordable Care Act that requires employers over a certain size to provide insurance for free contraceptives, morning-after pills, and sterilization, most likely violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Donor Conception & Surrogacy Introducing Premier Egg Donors, the 'dating site' for egg donorsSam Clench - Herald SunA website called Premier Egg Donors is letting infertile parents choose egg donors based on everything from their looks to their line of work. The site displays a selection of donor profiles, which include photos, personal characteristics and messages from the donors themselves.
Drugs & Alcohol
Queensland Police blitz nets drugs bound for Gold Coast Schoolies Week celebrationsHeidi Braithwaite - The Courier MailA loaded sawn-off shot gun, and cannabis police say was destined for Schoolies celebrations have been seized during a series of raids on more than a dozen properties across Logan this morning.
Education
Queensland Government considers plan for schools to use funding for chaplains instead of educationTanya Chilcott - The Courier MailSchools could use funding for chaplains instead of education programs or support staff under a controversial move being considered by the State Government. The move would give Independent Public School principals the power to boost school chaplaincy hours at the expense of literacy and numeracy programs, or other staff including guidance counsellors and psychologists.
Health
ABC facing new questions over controversial episode of science program CatalystLara Sinclair - The AustralianTHE ABC has received 22 complaints after airing a controversial, two-part episode of science program, Catalyst, that examined the link between cholesterol and heart disease and whether the benefit of statins in lowering cholesterol had been exaggerated. ABC Radio's own presenter and producer of The Health Report, Dr Norman Swan, has been highly critical of the program, Heart of the Matter, and today tweeted a link to a blog that suggests Catalyst was “had” by a sophisticated public relations machine.
Marriage
NSW MP continues defence of marriagePaul Dobbyn - Catholic LeaderOpponents of the legalisation of same-sex marriage have reiterated the Federal Government should be the only legislator on the matter. NSW MP Greg Donnelly warned "the battle over the meaning of marriage has clearly moved from the Commonwealth Parliament to state and territory legislatures".
Time to drop the ‘marriage equality’ taglineSimon Copland - SBSMarriage equality has never actually been about full equality. An elitist agenda pushed by lesbians and gays has seen other members of the queer umbrella, whether it is people in poly relationships, or now trans and intersex folk slowly pushed under the bus.
Separate but equalJoshua Taylor - On Line Opinion The passing of the Marriage Equality Same-Sex Bill (ACT) is being celebrated as a landmark moment in the fight for marriage equality - and for homosexual couples in the ACT, it is. But for homosexual couples living in other states and territories, and the broader goals of the movement, this event may lead to long term consequences for the homosexual community, particularly homosexual couples in conservative states.
Politics
WA Senate election re-run may increase Palmer's powerHeath Aston - The AgeA Senate election re-run in Western Australia could result in Clive Palmer increasing his balance-of-power voting bloc from three to five, according to the "preference whisperer" Glenn Druery. Mr Druery told Fairfax Media he has already been asked to reform the "minor party alliance", a system of preference swaps in which small parties with tiny primary votes can get elected.
Prostitution & Sex Trafficking
Siberian teen Shatuniha sells her virginity online for $27,950News LtdA Russian teenager who sold her virginity through an online auction site has been given the go-ahead by police to seal the deal. The 18-year-old from Siberia, identified only as Shatuniha, posted an ad on the Russian auction site 24au.ru where she described herself as "new, not used", reports Gawker.
Refugees
Iran's 840,000 Afghan refugees not forgotten: UNHCRAFPThe UN High Commissioner for Refugees has “not forgotten” the 840,000 Afghan refugees in Iran, an official from the body said on a visit to Tehran on Tuesday. “The whole world is at the moment very much focused on the Syria crisis, it is also important that UNHCR show we have not forgotten the Afghan refugees,” UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Janet Lim said.
Religious Freedom & Persecution
Bodies of massacred Christians found in mass grave in SyriaAssyrian International News AgencyThe bodies of 30 Christian civilians, including women and children, killed by Islamist militias, have been found in two separate mass graves, in the city of Sadad. The number of Christian civilians confirmed dead in this small town halfway between Homs and Damascus has reached 45. Many are injured and several are missing.
Sexualisation of SocietyInternet porn has teens going R18 on sex questionsPaul Easton - Essential KidsA study of what teenagers really want to know about sex has revealed anxiety about being "normal", and the clear influence of internet pornography. Researchers from Family Planning put question boxes in sex education classes at five high schools across New Zealand last year. Students from years 9 to 12 were able to post their questions anonymously.
Other
What’s wrong with Richard Dawkins?Richard Bastien - Mercator NetFor starters, his arguments for Darwinism are not very scientific.
Westpac and Network Communications partner with Global CareChristian TodayIn true “Mates Helping Mates” fashion, Westpac Institutional Bank and Network Communications have partnered with Global Care in both the Blue Mountains bushfire recovery and this week’s National Others Week. Global Care, the social justice and disaster relief arm of International Network of Churches (INC), is working through Empower Church in Penrith, NSW, to help victims recover from the recent bushfires in NSW.
Two men blasted by shotguns in driveby attack in Bankstown, three arrestedIan Walker - Daily TelegraphTwo men were blasted by shotguns and three men were arrested less than an hour later while a house was also shot up in Sydney's west this morning. The two men were shot near their Holden Commodore in a drive by attack on West Terrace, Bankstown about 12.20am. The offenders sped off before the victims suffering gunshot wounds drove themselves in their car riddled with bullet holes to nearby Bankstown Hospital minutes later.
Cameron announces Sharia law finance plans for UKChristian InstituteDavid Cameron has announced plans to issue a Sharia law bond in the UK, making it the first non-Muslim country to do so. But Bishop Nazir-Ali warned against the move, saying dabbling with Sharia law could lead to “unforeseen consequences” for the Government.