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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(June 2008) |
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The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society—and the world—today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"—outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"—will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.
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- S.F. revels in annual outpouring of gay pride San Francisco Chronicle, By Marisa Lagos,Chris Cadelago, Chronicle Staff Writers, June 30, 2008
-- There's nothing like celebrating marriage with hundreds of thousands of your closest friends. Less than two weeks after same-sex marriage became legal in California, drag queens, kids, politicians, shirtless men, married couples, straight couples and tourists flocked to San Francisco for the city's 38th annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, which culminated Sunday with a huge parade. Marriage was in the air as scores of people lined Market Street for the annual event, where veils and wedding garb were the fashion choice of many parade participants and spectators. Of course, scantily clad boys and girls - and boys dressed as girls - were also on hand during a celebration that seemed to attract more people, and families, than in years past, although official crowd count numbers were not immediately available. Many of the speakers and parade participants took the opportunity to campaign against a measure on the November ballot that would overturn the recent court ruling and ban same-sex marriage in the state. . . . As always, the parade started with the Dykes on Bikes - a contingent of dozens of lesbians on motorcycles who waved, honked and cheered as they roared down Market Street to screams from the crowd. This year, some members of the normally leather-clad group channeled their softer side and rode in wedding dresses and veils, streaming rainbow flags from their bikes. Further down the parade route were many of the local politicians who took the same-sex marriage fight to court, including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Kate Kendell, director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Behind the legal team was a large group of now-married couples, including many of the plaintiffs from the court case. . . .
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RELATED PHOTOS: S.F. revels in annual outpouring of gay pride San Francisco Chronicle, June 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Celebrating Gay Pride and Its Albany Friend New York Times, June 30, 2008
If there was ever any doubt that gay people form one of Gov. David A. Paterson’s most loyal and enthusiastic constituencies, that doubt was erased on Sunday by the howl of a drag queen on Fifth Avenue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Pride Delhi-Style Time magazine, By Madhur Singh/DELHI, June 29, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: INDIA: With saris and rainbow flags, activists march in India's biggest gay pride parade International Herald Tribune, June 29, 2008
Men wore sparkling saris, women wore rainbow boas and hundreds of people chanted for gay rights in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are illegal. Gay rights supporters took to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi to call for an end to discrimination and push for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Public Sex in Your Neighborhood? Check what's happening in your backyard Americans For Truth
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Tolerance Gone Wild’ in San Francisco as Cops Stand By Amidst Folsom Street Fair’s Public Perversions and Widespread Nudity Americans For Truth, October 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Sodom & Gomorrah Would Blush: Homosexual Sadists Mock Jesus with Last Supper Take-Off in Poster for ‘Folsom Street Fair’ Americans For Truth, September 27, 2007
RELATED SITE & PHOTOS: Folsom Street Fair
"The grand daddy of all leather events" takes place each summer in SoMa. Includes photos, schedule, and entertainment. In 2008 the world's largest leather event, the Folsom Street Fairtm, will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Don't be manipulated by the master marketers Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, Oct 4, 2005
. . . Few people realize it, but the same marketing techniques that companies use to induce us to buy a particular product are just as useful when it comes to selling us an idea. . . We’re bamboozled daily on a wide variety of subjects, from abortion on demand for any reason to same-sex “marriage.” As David [Kupelian] notes in his new book, The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom: “The plain truth is, within the space of our lifetimes, much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to us as though it had great value. By skillfully playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, these marketers have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as grossly self-destructive -- in a word, evil.” . . .
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- Money pours into Calif. gay marriage campaigns
Ballot initiative could see $30m Boston Globe, June 30, 2008
- Backers of Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would amend California's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, had, as of last week, raised nearly $2.3 million while foes had raised about $1.3 million. Fund-raising for the campaigns is only now beginning in earnest, and consultants predict that by the time voters go to the polls, each side will have raised as much as $15 million. "In many people's minds, it is the civil rights issue of the day, if not the decade," said Steve Smith, the main consultant seeking to kill the initiative and keep same-sex marriage legal in California. "People are very focused on it across the country.". . . . Both sides intend to use the Internet to raise money, and are already receiving donations from across the country. Opponents have raised 44 percent of their money from groups and individuals with addresses outside California. Backers have raised 34 percent of their funds from outside the state. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Why homosexuals despise marriage World Net Daily, By Kevin McCullough, October 27, 2006
What's the real goal of the activists, the judges and the radicals who seek to subvert a moral worldview? The answer is simple: No longer satisfied with practicing the unspeakable perverse sexual pleasures that their hearts seek in private bedrooms, they wish to be able to do so in public. They are also suffering from such immense guilt over their sexual behaviors, because they know inherently that the actions they perform are in fact unhealthy, that they will go to any means necessary to try and shut down the voices in their heads that tell them it is wrong. . . .
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- Anglican Church offshoot founded by traditionalists in Jerusalem The Telegraph- UK, By Martin Beckford, June 29, 2008
A new church representing almost half of the world's 80 million Anglicans has been officially formed, posing a serious challenge to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The organisation created by traditionalists - called the Gafcon movement after the Global Anglican Future Conference which led to its creation - will retain ties with Dr Rowan Williams and will technically remain within the global Anglican Communion. But it is also likely to lead to orthodox Anglicans severing all links with the main churches in America and Canada, whose liberal leaders are blamed for sparking the current crisis by breaking with the Bible's teaching and by consecrating openly gay clergy and blessing gay "marriages". The movement's leaders will include at least two Church of England bishops as well as the heads of leading African, South American and Australian churches, and it is said to represent 35 million worshippers worldwide and so spell an end to the "colonial" domination of Canterbury. Organisers of the Gafcon summit in Jerusalem who produced a statement declaring the formation of the "church within a church" were keen to state that it does not represent a complete split or schism in Anglicanism, and that they only want to preserve the faith's original intentions. Their final statement stated: "We cherish our Anglican heritage and the Anglican Communion and have no intention of departing from it." But they said that some parts of the Communion were using "false Gospel" to rewrite the Bible along liberal lines, forcing some dioceses to break with their leaders in America and Canada and join churches in Africa and South America. And they claimed that the "colonial structure" of Anglicanism had failed to discipline those churches which had broken the rules by consecrating gay clergy and blessing same-sex unions. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Anglican church in meltdown over gays and women Times Online—UK, By Ruth Gledhill, June 16, 2008
The Church of England has been plunged into fresh turmoil by the “marriage” of two gay clergymen and threats of an exodus of priests opposed to the consecration of women bishops. The Times has learnt that up to 500 Anglo-Catholic piests are ready to resign after failing to secure the concessions that they had sought over women bishops. . . . A further blow will be dealt to the unity of the Anglican Communion this week when 200 traditionalist bishops attend a meeting as an alternative to the ten-yearly Lambeth Conference, which they plan to boycott. They will gather for the Global Anglican Future Conference, in Jordan, organised by evangelicals, in protest at what they see as the liberal direction of the communion. Yesterday the Church of England was investigating the “wedding” of the two gay priests in defiance of church rules on such ceremonies. .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay bishop ties the knot in New Hampshire Pink News, By Staff Writer, June 9, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: True colours of modern Christianity Sydney Morning Herald, By Michael Duffy, July 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Defender of the Faith: Why all Anglican eyes in London are nervously fixed on a powerful African archbishop Atlantic Online, By Philip Jenkins, November 2003 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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- Ruben Studdard Says 'I Do' People magazine, By Jessica Gold Haralson and Ivory Clinton, June 28, 2008
The Velvet Teddy Bear got hitched. American Idol's season 2 winner Ruben Studdard married Surata Zuri McCants at Canterbury United Methodist Church in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., Saturday with 20 groomsmen at his side. Studdard, 29, and McCants, 30, obtained a marriage license at the County Probate Office in Columbiana, Ala., last Monday. "They looked really happy," an eyewitness said. On Idol, Studdard was dubbed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" and was known for dressing down in jerseys emblazoned with 205, Birmingham's area code. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Ruben Studdard, Former American Idol Winner, Weds: The “Velvet Teddy Bear” jumps the broom in a classic Southern affair Essence.com, By Wendy L. Wilson, June 30, 2008
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- Chris Evert and Greg Norman Wed in Bahamas People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, June 28, 2008
Call it a love match! Chris Evert and Greg Norman were married on Saturday in a sunset ceremony in the Bahamas, the couple confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively. The tennis and golf legends, both 53, exchanged vows in front of 140 family and friends, including Matt Lauer and singer-songwriter Corey Hart. . . . Evert's youngest son Colton, 12, served as ring bearer, and sons Nicky, 14, and Alex, 16, walked her down the aisle. Also present were Norman's daughter Morgan, 23, and son Gregory Jr., 21, who served as best man. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Evert admits she and Norman had an affair NEWS.com.au, By Peta Hellard in LA, July 20, 2008
Chris Evert has admitted her love affair with Greg Norman was behind the demise of their marriages. The tennis legend revealed that she and Norman had tried to fight their desire for each other and had undergone couples-counselling with their longtime spouses, Andy Mill and Laura Andrassy, in an effort to overcome their mutual attraction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Chris and Greg admit they're a team This is London- ShowBiz News, January 1, 2007
Finally, it was easier to let the pictures tell the story. After months of denying that they are an item, Greg Norman and Chris Evert appeared together in public and made no attempt to conceal their affection for each other. . . . "If you want to keep a relationship secret, you don't turn up at Doyles with your lover and sit at a prominent table," said a fellow diner. "There's no doubt that Greg and Chris wanted to make a point.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Great wife Shark bites off $100m The Age- Austrailia, By Reid Sexton, June 24, 2007
Greg Norman's wife, Laura, will get an estimated $100 million after the couple's bitter divorce battle was mostly settled. The Australian golfer, who according to BRW magazine is worth about $325 million, was in Australia when the agreement was reached in Florida.
- Uma Thurman, Arpad Busson engaged The New York Daily News, By George Rush, June 27, 2008
Uma Thurman, who played the sword-wielding Bride in "Kill Bill," is taking another stab at marriage, now that financier Arpad (Arki) Busson has proposed, her rep confirmed to the Daily News. Busson, who has two children with supermodel Elle Macpherson, just presented Thurman with a engagement ring so big "she can't fit it through the sleeve of her coat," a friend said. . . . . "It's a done deal. They're already planning the wedding." The couple hit it off last year at a dinner in Milan. She was coming off a three-year relationship with hotelier Andre Balazs. She was also feeling the aftershocks of her divorce from cheating second husband Ethan Hawke. (Her marriage to actor Gary Oldman ended in 1992. "Uma was dealing with visitation issues with her two kids with Ethan," said a friend. "Arky was going through the same thing with Elle. They bonded.". . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Thurman Still Struggling with Hawke Split Contactmusic.com- UK, October 10, 2005
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- Who's to blame for the break-up of Madonna's marriage? The Daily Mail- UK, By J Randy Taraborrelli, June 28, 2008
For weeks, the state of their marriage has been the subject of febrile gossip. But what's the truth? Madonna's biographer gives the inside track on the break-up of one of the most high-profile marriages in show business. . . . Stories about the disintegration of her seven-year marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie have been circulating for more than a year. Certainly their recent, very strained, appearance at the Cannes Film Festival did little to convince anyone that they were happy. But the rumour mill went into overdrive this week, when it was reported that Madonna had been consulting Fiona Shackleton, one of Britain's top divorce lawyers, who famously represented Sir Paul McCartney in his prolonged and bitter separation from Heather Mills. Guy, meanwhile, is said to have been in discussion with another prestigious law firm, Forsters. . . . . . Since the day they married in December, 2000, it's been a difficult tightrope walk as this oh-so driven woman has fervently pursued her career while, at the same time, trying to give her all to her husband and children: Lourdes, 11, Rocco, seven, and newly-adopted David, two, from Malawi. 'Every couple of years, it's the same story,' adds the source. 'She makes a record. She tours to promote it. It causes chaos in their lives. He complains. They fight - a lot. The tour ends. She promises "never again". Two years go by, and then she plans another record and another tour.' Certainly Madonna is determined to make this latest tour her greatest yet, but she's also trying to formulate a way to keep the family together, at least until it's over. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Madonna's Rep: No Divorce, No Affair People magazine, By K.C. Baker and Eileen Finan, July 01, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Unlucky star: Madonna - A £300m split? The Independent- UK, By Arifa Akbar, June 28, 2008
It always looked like an unlikely pairing: the queen of pop and the laddish British film director. Now, it seems, the marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie may be over. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Macca’s divorce lawyer lined up for encore with Madonna Times Online, Frances Gibb, Adam Sherwin, June 26, 2008
She did it for Macca — now she can do it for Madonna. Fiona Shackleton, the divorce lawyer who ensured that Sir Paul McCartney retained all but £24.3 million of his £825 million fortune, has been lined up by the 49-year-old pop star. . . . . It is thought that the couple did not have a pre-nuptial agreement, which means that the starting point for any settlement would be a split of 50-50. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Yes, women had it all - but can they STILL have a career, husband and children? The Daily Mail- UK, By Becky Sheaves, April 4, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Desperate Feminist Wives: Why wanting equality makes women unhappy Slate.com- By Meghan O'Rourke, March 6, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Couples first, lawyers last The Independent-UK, May 28, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Wealthy? Don't get married, lawyers say Times Online- Law, By Alex Spence, May 24, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Big Question: Has divorce become too expensive for the rich? The Independent Online- Legal- UK- By Maxine Frith, May 19, 2006
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- Kimora Lee Simmons Gets Sole Custody of Children People magazine, By Michael Y. Park, June 27, 2008
Kimora Lee Simmons has won sole custody of her two daughters with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, Ming, 8, and Aoki, 5. According to legal papers obtained by The Insider, Russell Simmons gets the girls one week out of every eight, plus extra time for summer vacations and holidays. In addition, he pays $20,000 per child per month in child support. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The divorce-ometer: What the stars have paid - by the hour - for their broken marriages The Daily Mail- UK By Claudia Connell, March 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: For better or worse: The good divorce guide The Independent- UK, By Virginia Ironside, March 18, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Tragically Widening the Grounds of Legitimate Divorce DesiringGod.org, By John Piper, October 17, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: What God Has Joined: What does the Bible really teach about divorce? Christianity Today, By David Instone-Brewer, October 5, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: How to get divorced without losing your shirt The Times Online- UK, By Sue Bland and Anna Wagstaff, July 26, 2007
Marriage on the rocks? Two big money divorce lawyers tell you 20 ways to make the split less painful.
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- Fatal Seduction: How a society millionairess seduced her own son to 'cure' him of being gay... and paid with her life
The Daily Mail- UK, By David Leafe, June 27, 2008
She did not see her assailant until it was too late. Pushing open the front door of the house in Kensington Square, the upmarket London enclave where she was staying with a friend, Barbara Baekeland was about to take off her coat when the maniac jumped out and tried to grab her. Terrified, the 50-year-old society hostess twisted free and ran outside, back down the steps. But she was too slow. . . . . Grabbing a fistful of her hair so that it tore and ripped at her scalp, he began dragging her into the road to throw her under a passing car. She tried to resist by clinging to the gate - so he began slamming it backwards and forwards on her fingers. Harder and harder, he smashed the metal against her hand, breaking her thumb in three places. Then, when she thought she could hold on no more, he suddenly changed his mind about how to finish her off. Letting go of the gate, he ran back into the house and reappeared with a carving knife, shouting that any woman who was near was going to 'get it'. Barbara Baekeland's life might have ended there and then, had her friend Sue Guinness not arrived home that very moment. . . . . . Within a few months, he would strike again - and this time there would be no reprieve. Barbara would die at the hands of her own child in a savage murder at their Chelsea home that sent shockwaves through high society in both Britain and America. The death of Barbara Baekeland left only one question: not who had killed her, but why? That riddle is at the heart of Savage Grace, a Hollywood movie about the murder, starring Julianne Moore, which is released next month and is based on the book of the same name by Natalie Robins and Steven Aronson. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: How a society beauty was finally murdered by the gay son she had seduced The Daily Mail- UK, By David Leafe, June 30, 2008
It's a jaw-dropping tale - the society beauty who seduced her son to 'cure' him of homosexuality and paid with her life. As the story of Barbara Baekeland becomes a Hollywood film - Savage Grace, released next month - a riveting book tells the truth about her 1972 murder. Here, we conclude our exclusive adaptation. . .
RELATED INTERVIEW: Michael Glatze: A former gay activist explains how he left homosexuality (pdf.doc.) NARTH.com, Interviewed by Dr. Joseph Nicolosi
RELATED ARTICLE: Redeemed! 10 Ways to Get Out of the Gay Life, If You Want Out Venus Magazine, By Charlene E. Cothran- Venus Magazine Publisher
RELATED ARTICLE: An Older, Wiser Ex-Gay Movement: The 30-year-old ministry now offers realistic hope for homosexuals. Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Research Yet: Two psychologists show that homosexuals should not be discouraged from seeking change Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study Of Religiously Mediated Change In Sexual Orientation' NARTH.com, By George A. Rekers, Ph.D.
RELATED ARTICLE: Kinsey's Secret: The Phony Science of the Sexual Revolution Catholic Culture, By Sue Ellin Browder
Alfred C. Kinsey had a secret. The Indiana University zoologist and "father of the sexual revolution" almost single-handedly redefined the sexual mores of everyday Americans. The problem was, he had to lie to do it. The weight of this point must not be underestimated. The science that launched the sexual revolution has been used for the past 50 years to sway court decisions, pass legislation, introduce sex education into our schools, and even push for a redefinition of marriage. Kinseyism was the very foundation of this effort. If his science was flawed — or worse yet, an outright deception — then our culture's attitudes about sex are not just wrong morally but scientifically as well.
RELATED ARTICLE: “This is the Way God Made Me” A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the “Gay Gene” TrueOrigin.com— Apologetics Press, Inc., By Brad Harrub, Ph.D. and Bert Thompson, Ph.D. and Dave Miller, Ph.D.
RELATED RESOURCE: National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)
RELATED RESOURCE: Exodus International—The largest information and referral ministry in the world addressing homosexual issues
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- And God Said, "Just Do It" Time magazine, By David Van Biema, June 26, 2008
Genesis, chapter 2 verse 24, says a man "shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But how liberally to define cleave? That was the very special Bible query the Rev. Stacy Spencer and his wife Rhonda took up last month with 252 married people at their New Direction Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn. And the Spencers' answer was ... encouraging. Does frequent sex have a place in marriage? Yep. Oral sex? Read the Song of Solomon 2: 3 for assurance. How about role-playing? One participant expressed a yearning to see her husband dressed as a police officer. The Good Book offers no specifics on that, so Stacy Spencer allowed that it was up to the woman, "as long as you're not lusting after a particular officer. Jesus talked about spiritual adultery, and that could be spiritual adultery. But if it's just a generic cop, go for it." Superior sex can be difficult for some couples to discuss with each other, let alone with their pastor. But having taken on almost every other aspect of their congregants' lives, churches oriented toward young adults and Gen Xers have begun promoting not just better sex, but more of it. Well, not just promoting it but penciling it in. When New Direction launched its "40 Nights of Grrreat Sex" program, the Spencers gave participants daily planners. . . . . New Direction is not the only church promoting a frequent-sex regimen. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: God's word on sex Time magazine, By David Van Biema, June 27, 2008
If you can remember scouring your parents paperbacks in search of their spiciest pages, you can understand the impulse behind the recently-published book The Uncensored Bible: The Bawdy and Naughty Bits of the Good Book. After all, for hundreds of years, the Bible was the only book available in many households. Most of the spicier stuff is located in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) which is more straightforward about sex than the New, if only because it is presents more narratives about imperfect (or simply randy) people. Here are some of the hotter (or weirder) chapters and verses:. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Q&A: Help for Sex-Starved Wives Time magazine, By Andrea Sachs, April 8, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Sexual Healing AOL Prevention
It's easy to get swept away by the rapids of your life instead of your passion. But if you care for your relationship -- and for yourself -- you need to put a stop to whatever stopped the fun things you and your partner used to do in bed.
RELATED ARTICLE: Pastor Prescribes 30-Day Sex Challenge For Married Couples. Author Hopes To Help Combat Divorce Rates NBC6.net, February 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Holy inappropriate! Britain's first Christian sex shop The Daily Mail, By Jenny Johnston, February 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: One preacher's message: Have hotter sex MSNBC.com, By Brian Alexander, December 4, 2006
Minister Joe Beam says good Christian marriages walk on the wild side. . . .
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- Sarah Jakes's enchanted Dallas ceremony is fit for a princess Essence.com, By Keyna N. Byrd, June 25, 2008
A spotlight beamed on the rear doors of the church as Bishop T.D. Jakes and youngest daughter Sarah Dionne Jakes emerged. Dressed in a stunning strapless, white gown and escorted by her father, pastor, motivational speaker and author Jakes, Sarah, 19, wed her college sweetheart, Robert Henson, 22, in a ceremony fit for a princess on Saturday, June 21 at The Potter's House in Dallas. "A lot of people have told us that we're too young and asked Robert and me 'Why don’t you wait?'" said Sarah, who accepted Robert's proposal on Mother's Day in 2007. "But when you feel like it’s right, love one another, and you're ready, why wait?" Robert agrees: "Everyone likes to say you have your whole life ahead of you, but tomorrow is not promised. I know I love her and we were ready." Family and friends filled the flower-laden pews of Jakes's megachurch. The seven bridesmaids were radiant in chocolate satin dresses. Sara's maid of honor, big sister Cora, 20, wore a aqua dress, while the groomsmen donned slick tuxedos. Bishop Noel Jones of the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, California, married the lovebirds, who met a year and a half ago through a mutual friend at their alma mater, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. After walking his baby girl down the aisle, an emotional Jakes prayed over Sarah and Robert. Then, Kelly Price and Micah Stampley sang the inspirational duet "Our Prayer" by Donnie McClurkin and Yolonda Adams. The enchanted ceremony was followed by a fairy-tale reception at her father's palatial 28-acre estate. Guests, including Tyler Perry, Dr. Phil McGraw, Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Tom Joyner and wife Donna Richardson Joyner, Paula White, Michael Irvin and Emmit Smith, were on hand for the celebration. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: God's Design for Marriage: Find the key to making your marriage flourish — just as God designed Family.org, By Carol Heffernan
"We have to stop asking of marriage what God never designed it to give — perfect happiness, conflict-free living, and idolatrous obsession," [author Gary] Thomas explains. Instead, he says, we can appreciate what God designed marriage to provide: partnership, spiritual intimacy and the ability to pursue God — together. So, what does Thomas think is the most common misconception Christians have about marriage? "Finding a 'soul mate' — someone who will complete us," he says. "The problem with looking to another human to complete us is that, spiritually speaking, it's idolatry. We are to find our fulfillment and purpose in God . . . and if we expect our spouse to be 'God' to us, he or she will fail every day. No person can live up to such expectations.". . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: The Covenant Marriage: How serious are marriage vows? If they are anything like an Old Testament covenant, they're very serious Family.org, By Al Janssen
RELATED ARTICLE: The Power of Commitment : Believe me, ours is not a perfect marriage. But I am far richer when I remember the "three Cs" of a great marriage. Family.org, By Phil Callaway
RELATED ARTICLE: Rules of Engagement Washington Post, By Sandra G. Boodman, Feb 28, 2006
When Jeannine Calandra and Zachary Butterfield got engaged last year, they decided to work on their marriage, not just their wedding.
RELATED ARTICLE: Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying The New York Times, December 17, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage: The surprising, enlightening, and sometimes hard truths we all face after we walk down the aisle — and how they teach us about what love really means MSN-Lifestyle- Relationships, By Ylonda Gault Caviness
RELATED RESOURCE: The First Five Years: Essentials for healthy, lasting relationships Family.org
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- Jill Scott Announces Engagement
Concertgoers first to hear of her upcoming nuptials to drummer Essence.com, June 25, 2008
Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott announced she’s engaged to her band’s drummer Jon Roberts on Friday, June 20, at her JVC Jazz Festival concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Scott’s rep has not released an official statement nor has he responded to calls, but audience members said toward the end of her performance, Roberts walked to the front of the stage and presented Scott with a bouquet of flowers. He then gave her a lingering kiss on the lips, which drew raucous cheers from the crowd. Scott blushed before turning to the audience and saying with a smile, “Ain’t life funny? We’re engaged.” . . . .
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- Fathering in America: What’s a Dad Supposed to Do? Psych Central, By Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., June 25, 2008
Americans seem more confused than ever about the role of fathers in children’s lives. On the one hand, more and more fathers are absent for all or significant periods of time. According to the 2006 Census, 23 percent of children under 18 do not live with their biological father and the number is climbing. On the other hand, search “fatherhood” on the web and you’ll find dozens of websites dedicated to teaching, encouraging, and supporting men in becoming more nurturing and involved fathers. Meanwhile, many TV sitcoms and animated shows continue to portray dads as dolts or, at best, well-meaning but misguided large children whose wives have to mother them as well as their offspring. If an alien in another universe happens to tune in to The Simpsons, Everyone Loves Raymond, Family Guy, etc., he (it?) will come away with a rather skewed idea of how men function in American families. . . . . We may be reconsidering how family should be defined. We may be confused about gender roles. We may be struggling with knowing how to parent well in a complicated time. But in the midst of all this confusion, there is a growing consensus that what kids need, at least, is clear. Kids need their fathers as well as their mothers. . . . What’s a Father To Do? Embrace your responsibility. . . . Be there. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Father's Day thoughts for the fatherless World Net Daily, By Greg Laurie, June 14, 2008
-- Father's Day has always been a hard day for me. That's because I never really had a father growing up. You see, I was illegitimate – the result of a one-night fling that my mom had with a sailor in Long Beach. I didn't find that out until my late 40s. My mom had quickly gone from marriage to marriage – seven of them, to be exact – so I never had a dad. As a result, there were big blank spots in my life – like trying to figure out a football game on TV, or how to tie your tie or defend yourself in a fight. There was just a void. (I recently finished a book about my life that I've entitled, "Lost Boy.") But every time Father's Day rolls around, I'm reminded that I have no dad. . . . . The truth is, a fatherless child can be headed for a lot of trouble. I don't think I'm overstating the matter when I say that most of our social ills today can be traced to the breakdown of the family – and specifically the absence of fathers. . .
RELATED RESOURCE: Greg Laurie Archive World Net Daily
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- Missing Ingredient For Gay Marriage: Women, Not Weddings Townhall.com, By Michael Medved , June 25, 2008
In a controversial recent piece in the Wall Street Journal (“Gay Marriage is Good for America”, June 22) Jonathan Rauch hails the benefits of matrimony in terms that most conservatives will enthusiastically endorse. “Marriage makes you, on average, healthier, happier and wealthier,” he writes. “If you are a couple raising kids, marrying is likely to make them healthier, happier and wealthier, too. Marriage is our first and best line of defense against financial, medical and emotional meltdown.” No fair-minded observer can argue against any of these observations, but at this point Mr. Rauch makes a logical leap that involves some neat rhetorical sleight-of-hand. . . . .The problem with the Rauch argument and the biggest threat from same sex marriage itself involves flagrant distortion of the “magic ingredient” for lasting, socially beneficial relationships. That ingredient isn’t governmental authorization or support. It is, rather, the uniting of male and female strengths and values in a durable combination. Men and women are different –profoundly, irreducibly, eternally. It is ridiculous and dishonest to suggest they are interchangeable in relationships. This undeniable truth obliterates the notion that a guy who takes another guy as life partner instead of a woman is just expressing his personal preference – like choosing a blonde over a brunette, or a Latino over an Asian. . . . . . American society has awakened to the terrible costs and dangers of fatherless households – and Barack Obama delivered an eloquent church sermon about the problem on father’s day. He neglected to mention, however, that every child-rearing lesbian couple is, by definition, a fatherless household, just as every gay male couple is even more unthinkable (in terms of raising offspring) as a motherless household. . . . . .It’s the female perspective and influence, not legal status, that civilizes couples (just ask my wife) as well as societies. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Is Good for America Wall Street Journal, By Jonathan Rauch, June 21, 2008
RELATED COMMENTS: Gay Marriage Is Good for America Wall Street Journal, By Jonathan Rauch, June 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Men really do think differently to women...and have a better sense of direction finds study The Daily Mail- UK, By Fiona Macrae, June 20, 2008
The next time your husband does something silly, try to be understanding. It's not really his fault, just the way his brain works. Equally, of course, he should be equally patient when you get a little bit muddled trying to make sense of the road atlas. A study has found that there are a host of subtle differences in the way men's and women's heads are wired. Hundreds of different genes are switched on and off differently within the cerebral cortex, which is the grey matter involved in memory, thought, reasoning, attention and language. The finding, made at Uppsala University in Sweden, could help explain some of the differences in the way the sexes think. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Obama's Father's Day Message CBS News Blog, Posted by Maria Gavrilovic, June 15, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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RELATED BOOK REVIEW: Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth By Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.
“A stunning book. Originally trained as a Jungian analyst, Satinover presents a scientific perspective on homosexuality interpreted through a traditional Judeo-Christian viewpoint. This book is both scholarly and philosophical, and is written in a clear style that is at once erudite and passionate.” -- Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D. (Eighth printing, 2003)
"Go out and get "Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth," one of the most compassionate, erudite books on the entire subject of homosexuality, whether you're homosexual, straight, undecided, this is a book to read." -- Dr. Laura Schlessinger
"Mr. Speaker, this is about the best book on homosexuality written in our lifetime. It should be read from sea to shining sea." -- Hon. Robert K. Dornan, on the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives
"Equally at home in genetics and psychology, Jewish and Christian teaching, Dr. Satinover demonstrates that the ancient [Biblical] viewpoint is astonishingly congruent with what modern science [has] learned about compulsion and its cure." -- Father Peter Toon, President, Prayer Book Society of the Episcopal Church. . .
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RELATED BOOK REVIEW: Homosexuality and the Truth First Things- The Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life, By Elizabeth Moberly, March 1997
. . . This pattern of pressuring institutions and researchers to produce results favorable to homosexuals and then claiming the results as objective evidence occurs again and again in pro-gay literature, and is perhaps one of the most curious features of scholarship in our times. . .
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- Heinz mayonnaise advert with two men kissing set to become most complained of the year The Daily Mail- UK, By Paul Revoir, June 24, 2008
A mayonnaise advert showing two men kissing has been withdrawn after it led to more than 200 complaints. Heinz confirmed last night that it had withdrawn the television commercial for its Deli Mayo following 'consumer feedback'. The ad was launched a week ago yesterday and had been due to run for five weeks. Heinz said it was no longer aired after last Friday. Nigel Dickie, of Heinz UK, said: 'It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it. 'The advertisement, part of a short-run campaign, was intended to be humorous and we apologise to anyone who felt offended.' . . . Viewers said it was 'offensive', 'inappropriate' and 'unsuitable to be seen by children', while some parents were angry that they had been forced to explain same-sex relationships to their youngsters who asked them about the ad. The commercial shows a family scene with a young boy and girl getting ready to go to school. He is dressed like a delicatessen worker and has a New York accent. Their father enters the kitchen, grabs a sandwich and says to the man: 'See you tonight, love'. The 'mum' then shouts back 'Hey, ain't you forgetting something', before the two men kiss. 'Mum' then tells him: 'Love you. Straight home from work sweetcheeks.' It finishes with the slogan: 'Heinz Deli Mayo – Mayo with a New York Deli flavour.'. . .
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RELATED VIDEO: Anger at church 'gay wedding' BBC News, June 15, 2008
The Bishop of London has ordered an investigation into a church blessing for two gay priests. The Reverend Peter Cowell, 50, and the Reverend Dr David Lord, 28, exchanged vows in the City of London in May.
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- The gay priests 'wedding' album: A seven-tier cake, pink bouquets and a waltz The Daily Mail- UK, By Tom Kelly, June 23, 2008
Enjoying a tender first dance at their 'wedding', they are the two gay priests at the centre of a worldwide outcry. Peter Cowell and David Lord became the first homosexuals to be blessed in an Anglican service with a traditional marriage liturgy in which they exchanged vows and rings. Pictures of the £80,000 event have emerged, showing Mr Cowell, 50, and New Zealander Dr Lord, 28, dressed in identical morning suits and holding bouquets of pink roses. The Bishop of London has ordered an urgent investigation into the blessing at the end of last month which one senior member of the clergy condemned as 'blasphemous'. The service infuriated many senior figures in the Church of England and has reignited the row over gay clergy which threatens to tear apart the worldwide Anglican Communion. The couple arrived on May 31 at the 12th century St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London in a horse-drawn carriage. . . The traditional service by rector Martin Dudley was based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and opened with the words: 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join these men in a holy covenant of love and fidelity.' The couple exchanged £8,000 diamond-encrusted wedding bands, each declaring: 'With this ring I thee bind, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.'. .
RELATED ARTICLE: Archbishops regret gay 'wedding' BBC News, June 18, 2008
The Church of England's two most senior figures have expressed concern after the "marriage" of two gay priests was held at a London church.
RELATED ARTICLE: Anger at Anglican gay 'wedding' BBC News, June 15, 2008
Traditionalists in the Anglican Church have been angered after two gay clergymen exchanged vows in a version of a marriage ceremony. . . . Anglicans worldwide are split over homosexuality and conservatives have condemned the service - which had no legal status - as blasphemous. . . Under Church of England guidance, gay priests can enter civil partnerships as long as they remain celibate. Guidance also says that gay couples who ask a priest to bless their partnership must be treated "pastorally and sensitively".
RELATED BLOG: Historical Christianity Can Not be Reconciled with Gay Christian(*a) Theology Scripture Refiner's Fire- Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in Love, January 26, 2008
. . .We believe God can forgive any sin including gay-sex, and we believe gays should be accepted in the church body like any other sinners. However, we do not accept their brazen attempt to legitimize immoral conduct that the Bible never commanded us to accept. It is not required for a sinner to repent first before they attend church, and they are welcome to attend, but it is required that they must abstain from injuring the church body by trying to legitimize immorality. In our opinion the gay Christian Movement is a Trojan horse to launch the gay-political agenda into the church. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology Leadership U, By Joe Dallas
This three-part series will address the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments--or tenets--into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality OrthodoxyToday.org, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible.
Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . .
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- Why Are So Many Women Depressed? [Part 2] Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, June 24, 2008
It is widely reported that women suffer depression at twice the rate of men. Apparently, more women are clinically depressed than ever before. On the assumption that these assessments are true, the question anyone interested in the subject -- which means anyone who cares about any woman -- asks is, why? In a recent column I offered one explanation -- the impossibly high expectations for happiness that feminism created for many women. There are other possible explanations. One is the way in which many girls have been raised. As every wise person and wise culture in history has known, it is impossible to attain any happiness without conquering one's nature. This is, of course, equally true for boys and girls, men and women. However, along with feminism arose a belief in the superiority of female nature. One result of this has been the suppressing of many male instincts -- both negative and positive -- along with little or no suppression of negative female instincts. . . . . The 1960s ushered in The Age of Hubris, a time of almost unprecedented levels of conceit that one knew better than all previous generations how to order life, that almost everything inherited from the past was just plain wrong and outdated. For this hubris we have paid, and will continue to pay, a steep price. And many women, untrained in subduing darker aspects of their natures, deprived of the female joy of femininity and increasingly deprived of men (as opposed to boys), are feeling the brunt of these losses. They call it depression. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why Are So Many Women Depressed? Part I Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, March 11, 2008
As one who regularly talks to women, and about men and women, on my radio show and who has informally counseled women of all ages, I would like to offer some explanations that may run counter to currently acceptable ones, but which should shed light on the subject. Assuming that any new phenomenon -- in this case, much higher rates of depression among women -- suggests a new cause, the major new cause can only be the consequences of feminism. This does not mean that feminism has achieved nothing good. . . . But how much good feminism has achieved is unrelated to the question of whether it is a, or even the, primary contributor to the rise in depression among so many women. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Heather Locklear in Treatment for Depression, Anxiety Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D, June 24, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Depression Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D., Feburary 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Stop Whining, Start Living,’ by Dr. Laura TODAY- MSNBC.com, March 10, 2008
The well-known talk show host says life is too short to sweat small stuff
RELATED ARTICLE: Anxiety: An Introduction to Anxiety Disorders Psych Central, By John M. Grohol, Psy.D., January 18, 2005
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- Marrying Mr Wrong: When love is not enough The Sunday Times- UK, By Jane Green, June 22, 2008
I remember the weeks leading up to my wedding. I was 30 years old, and I tried not to think, tried to keep moving, tried not to stop for a single minute to consider that perhaps the reasons I was getting married were not the right ones; that those feelings I kept trying to stuff down were panic; that not only was there more to life than this, but that I deserved it. I hadn’t had a good history of relationships. In my twenties, I had a series of flings, relationships that lasted a few months, all of which seemed to follow the same pattern. Men would meet me, think I was independent, attractive, good fun, all of which I was. And a few weeks, or months later, the neediness would kick in, and I became jealous, difficult, high-maintenance. The needier I became, the more they distanced themselves, and every relationship seemed to end with me in tears, wondering why I couldn’t get it right. When I met the man who was to become my husband, I was 29 years old. I’d had enough. Thirty was my own personal sell-by date, a great looming cloud that hovered over me throughout my late twenties, and if I wasn’t married before 30, I believed I would be sitting on the shelf for ever. The husband wasn’t like the others. For the first time, I was able to check all the boxes. Or at least, almost all. Ambitious? Check. Intelligent? Check. Would he be a good husband? A good father? Check. Was I attracted to him? . . . . . I felt as if I were doing what was expected of me, being a good girl. I was marrying a man everybody seemed to approve of, stepping out of my twenties where I had dated musicians, artists and writers, and chosen an investment banker, someone I thought my parents might choose for me, someone who would help me grow up, give me the conventional life I had decided I ought to have, rather than the unconventional one that in retrospect would have suited me much better. . . . Everything about our marriage was conventional. We were married in the same place my parents had married 32 years earlier, with a reception at Claridge’s. My dress was beautiful, the flowers divine, and I didn’t stop to think about why I felt so empty inside. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A marriage to regret? The Sydney Morning Herald, By Samantha Brett, May 7, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: When your marriage is falling apart, should you stay or should you go? The Daily Mail- UK, April 9, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Most marital problems revolve around why the wife is unhappy with her husband' Men's News Daily, By Glenn Sacks, March 4, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Latest Insult to Women: "Settle for Mr. Good-Enough" By Lesley M.M. Blume, February 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Marry Him! The Case For Settling For Mr. Good Enough Atlantic Monthly, By Lori Gottlieb, February 8, 2008
RELATED VIDEO: Should women wait for Mr. Right? MSNBC.com
RELATED ARTICLE: Great Expectations Psychology Today, By Polly Shulman, March 27, 2007
Has the quest to find the perfect soul mate done more harm than good? Psychologists provide insight into how the never-ending search for ideal love can keep you from enjoying a marriage or a healthy relationship that you already have.
RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage: The surprising, enlightening, and sometimes hard truths we all face after we walk down the aisle — and how they teach us about what love really means. MSN-Lifestyle- Relationships, By Ylonda Gault Caviness
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