(SRN NEWS)-( ) While most Christians celebrate Christmas this Thursday, on December 25th, some Eastern Orthodox traditions will mark the holy day on January 7th. That’s because they follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular […]
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(SRN NEWS)-( ) While most Christians celebrate Christmas this Thursday, on December 25th, some Eastern Orthodox traditions will mark the holy day on January 7th. That’s because they follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular world. In fact, the exact day and month of Jesus’s birth are unknown. The tradition of celebrating on December 25th first emerged in the fourth century. Early followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate His birth but instead focused on commemorating the resurrection.
( ) A federal appeals court has blocked Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, declaring it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists and counselors. In a 2-to-1 opinion, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals says the law illegally restricts speech that reflects the moral beliefs of therapists. It set aside a lower court’s ruling and granted a preliminary injunction sought by Catholic Charities. Conversion therapy is a term generally applied to efforts by Christian counselors to help young people abandon the homosexual lifestyle. Several states have tried to ban the practice.
( ) The Australian state of New South Wales is proposing a ban on public displays of the ISIS flag and other extremist symbols. This follows the mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach this month that killed 15 people. The draft laws include penalties of up to two years in prison and fines. Premier Chris Minns says chants like “globalize the intifada” will also be banned. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to curb radicalization and hate, including broadening hate speech definitions and toughening punishments. The prime minister says “Australia will not allow these evil anti-Semitic terrorists to divide us.”
( ) The Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled a series of regulatory actions designed to keep children from undergoing sex-change operations. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy says “This is not medicine, it is malpractice. Sex-rejecting procedures rob children of their futures.” Medicaid programs in slightly less than half of states currently cover sex-change operations. Another 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning those procedures. The Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding Tennessee’s ban means those other laws are likely to remain in place.