Pope Francis will make an “apostolic journey” to the United States Sept. 22-27, where he will become the first pope to address a joint session of Congress. The infographic below highlights key events on the papal itinerary. Seventh-day Adventists, who see prophetic significance in the pope’s increasing influence over world affairs, have planned sev
In a landmark decision last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of same-sex marriage. The Court has made gay marriage a fundamental constitutional right for everyone in the United States. Writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy said, No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devot
With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to release its ruling on same-sex marriage next Monday, it's an ideal time to look at the status of gay couples elsewhere in the world. Following the historic result of the same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, this infographic shows where the rest of Europe stands on the issue. It's interesting to note that
In his commentary Luke for Everyone, N.T. Wright shares an anecdote, perhaps apocryphal though repeated by many, about the Russian Orthodox Church during pre-communist Russia. Apparently, in October of 1917, a contentious, drawn-out debate broke out among the church’s leadership during its synod in Moscow. What was it about? The color of clerical v
I can still remember my mother reading to me from the book Gifted Hands, Dr. Ben Carson’s chronicle of his rise from the ghettos of Detroit to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as the director of pediatric neurosurgery. It was a story so powerful that it resonated with even me: a white kid in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. The book’s likely
If I were a Supreme Court justice who had to decide on gay marriage, and all I could rely on were the oral arguments made to the Court last week, I would almost certainly vote in favor. This is bad news for supporters of traditional marriage. I have been a vocal supporter and advocate for the traditional position over the last decade. But the argum
This week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments for same-sex marriage. A perusal of the subject materials leading up to this week as well as during and after the SCOTUS proceedings points to the following questions for the supporters of same-sex marriage: 1. The historical definition of marriage—Although widely viewe
The Adventist Centre in Watford, London, England, cancelled its Holy Sexuality Conference scheduled for April 21 to 25. The decision came after approximately 40,000 people signed a change.org petition decrying the event, saying it would “promote the dangerous idea that being gay is something that can be cured.” The petition urged the Home Office of
Is supporting religious freedom an act of bigotry? This question is seriously being asked in the wake of the recent media eruptions surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas. The firestorm surrounding these bills has brought the tension between religious freedom and gay rights to a new level of pu
