State Panel Urges Same-Sex Marriage for New Jersey

State panel urges same-sex marriage for New Jersey
Susan K. Livio and Claire Heininger, Religion News Service December 10, 2008 8:45PM
New Jersey should enact a law allowing gay marriage and waste no time passing it because the state's civil unions law fails to adequately protect same-sex couples, a report to be released Wednesday said.
The final report of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission says it gathered "overwhelming evidence" that the civil union law not only fails to provide the same protections as marriage, it also has created economic, medical and emotional hardships for gay couples.
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/12/state_panel_urg.html

Supreme Court Declines to Hear "Candy Cane" Speech Case

Supreme Court declines to hear 'candy cane' speech case

LaNia Coleman, Religion News Service December 12, 2008 12:40PM
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a case involving a Michigan fifth-grader who tried to sell candy canes with a religious message at his school.

The high court on Monday denied the petition that the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund filed on behalf of Joel Curry.

Curry was 11 in 2003 when he made candy cane-style Christmas ornaments with notes that school officials considered "religious literature." The notes attached to the ornaments, titled "The Meaning of the Candy Cane," referred to Jesus six times and God twice.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/12/supreme_court_d.html