Brights News Feed

The debate is over. Despite threats from the Catholic Church — backed by the Church of England, and regarded as “blackmail” by many — that their adoption agencies would be closed if they were forced to treat gay couples the same as heterosexual couples, the British Government has today confirmed that the Sexual Orientations Regulations in the Equality Act will apply to religious institutions. A transitional period will stretch to 2008. It may or may not herald the closure of the agencies, but either way it will ensure that vulnerable children will not be neglected, Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly insisted.

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Following on from similar efforts in the US which have failed, Russia has its own problems with the teaching of evolution being challenged in courts of law. A student has sued the St. Petersburg city education committee, claiming the biology textbook used in his school was offensive to believers and infringes her human rights, and that teachers should offer an alternative to Darwin’s theory.

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Orthodox Christianity is set to become a compulsory subject in a number of Russian schools, despite the secular constitution of the country. Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Smolensk regions are all to be included in the compulsory program. The curriculum changes are slated to take effect as soon as the new school year, in the next few days. At least 11 other regions will make Christian Orthodoxy — the country’s most widespread belief system — an optional subject.

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