Ciera Horton/WORLD News Service

ALASKA (BP) -- The Alaska Supreme Court on July 22 struck down a state law requiring abortionists to give two days' notice to parents before providing abortions to minors. In a 2010 ballot initiative, 56 percent of voters approved what became the law requiring parental notification, but not consent, for a minor's abortion. Now the court says the law is unconstitutional and violates Alaska's equal-protection guarantee. The decision "elevated the demands of abortionists over the rights of parents," ...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- The United Methodist Church's (UMC) Western Jurisdiction unanimously elected the denomination's first openly lesbian bishop on July 15, going against the UMC"s official stance on homosexuality. The Rev. Karen Oliveto's election follows long-term disputes within the 12.7 million-member UMC about homosexuality, furthering concerns of an impending church division. "This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and ...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- ChristianMingle, a dating website targeting Christian singles, has agreed to open its matchmaking service to clients seeking same-sex relationships. The agreement came as part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed by two gay men who claimed the company's focus on heterosexual relationships discriminated against them. Conservatives denounced the decision as a strike against religious liberty and an unnecessary interference in private business. "Early on in their quest to legalize homosexual marriage, advocates assured us that it would not infringe on the ...