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Greece on Thursday became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex “marriage” and adoption of children. In a move signaling the widespread departure of the country from its Orthodox Christian roots, Greece’s Parliament approved the landmark legislation with 176 voting in favor and 76 against. Two legislators abstained from the vote, and 46 were not present in the house. The legislation was drafted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who pledged his support for legal same-sex “marriage” days into his second term. Mitsotakis, who belongs to the New Democracy party’s moderate faction, celebrated the law’s passage in a post on...

Church of Uganda Archbishop Stanley Ntagali has slammed the US for legalizing same sex marriages.The US Supreme Court ruled late last month that gay marriage is a nationwide right, a landmark decision in one of the most keenly awaited announcements in decades and sparking scenes of jubilation.The nation's highest court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, said the US Constitution requires all states to carry out and recognize marriage between people of the same sex.President Barack Obama praised the ruling, in a fresh victory for the White House.However, the Archbishop in a statement issued on Tuesday said the decision is grevious.Read...

6. State control The Clandestine Marriage Act of 1753, popularly known as Lord Hardwicke's Act, marked the beginning of state involvement in marriage, says sociologist Carol Smart of the University of Manchester. "You've got these parallel strands going on of the secular and the religious sides, and that clearly hasn't gone away," Smart adds. The act required couples to get married in a church or chapel by a minister, otherwise the union was void. Couples also had to issue a formal marriage announcement, called banns, or obtain a licence. Most prospective newlyweds were already following these directives, which were enshrined...

Puerto Rico’s ban on same-sex marriage remains in place after a federal judge dismissed a challenge to the ban Tuesday, saying the U.S. Supreme Court established a precedent four decades ago. U.S. District Judge Juan M. Pérez-Giménez said in his decision that by dismissing an appeal in Baker vs. Nelson, a 1971 case in which two men sought to marry in Minnesota, the Supreme Court bound all lower courts to assume bans on same-sex marriage do not violate the Constitution. The high court could choose to overrule itself but has not, he said. Document Puerto Rico same-sex marriage decision Puerto...

UNION COUNTY — The county freeholders have added their collective voice in support of gay marriage. In what same-sex marriage proponents say is the first such instance in New Jersey by a county-level governing body, the all-Democratic board adopted a resolution this week urging members of the Legislature to overturn Gov. Chris Christie's veto of Senate and Assembly bills that would have legalized gay marriage. Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, who introduced the board-sponsored resolution, said he hoped the board's action would spur freeholders in other counties to pass similar declarations and build momentum and ultimately encourage state legislators to override. “It's...

Poll asks: The Bisbee City Council will be voting on legally recognizing same-sex unions within the city Tuesday night. Are you for or against legally recognizing same-sex unions? I am for Bisbee's move to recognize same-sex unions. -OR- I am against Bisbee's move to recognize same-sex unions.

In the news: Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday signed into law a bill that will legalize civil unions for same-sex couples in the Aloha State. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and woman, according to a statement Wednesday from Attorney General Eric Holder. ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s OFF-SET questions is Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud, the only national organization representing gay conservatives and their allies. According to its mission statement, “GOProud...

Suddenly, it's becoming less of a stigma for bigwigs to associate with gays in the Republican Party. Not only has former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman's 9/22 fundraiser for gay marriage rights attracted numerous high-octane Republican donors and activists, but Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee will help the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay GOP group, raise money for its political action committee. A glossy pamphlet advertising the Log Cabin Republicans' national dinner at the Capitol Hill Club highlights an hour-long cocktail gathering with...

When former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman publicly acknowledged his homosexuality last week, the revelation was news because of his leadership role in a political party not known for its affirmation of gay-rights issues. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, who broke the story, called Mehlman the "most powerful Republican in history to identify as gay." Aside from chairing the RNC, Mehlman also managed the successful 2004 reelection campaign of President George W. Bush, which used the issue of state bans on same-sex marriage to draw conservative voters to the polls. As a prominent member of the GOP, Mehlman has contributed...

Why we are losing the 'gay marriage' battle Posted: February 24, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern Richard D. Ackerman © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com While everyone would like to claim that the homosexual "marriage" battle has energized the Christian majority in America, nothing could be further from the truth. The recent events in San Francisco and Massachusetts are the ultimate testimony to our lack of energy and desire to please God. We are currently losing this battle because we deserve to lose this battle. There are several reasons why we will not win this battle until we change our wicked ways. First, our...