Religion Whips Depression

ABCNEWS.GO.COM, Jan. 24 — “Is there a secret weapon against depression? Research suggests it might be religion,” reports the website of ABC News. “Studies show that people who practice some sort of religion are happier … than those who don’t.”

“Generally, religious people have a positive view of the world,” said Dr. Harold Koenig, a psychologist and co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University. “They see a purpose and a meaning in their life and have hope.”

Studies also show that religious people cope better under severely stressful conditions. “They feel that God is with them and gives them strength,” said Koenig.

Help for Homosexuals

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Jan. 24 — Fifteen billboard advertisements have popped up in the area of Galveston, Texas, that depict either a smiling man or woman, bearing the message, “I questioned homosexuality. Change is Possible. Discover how.”

The billboards are in promotion of an upcoming Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out” conference to help people understand what causes homosexuality and how to prevent it,” said Joe Cline, a Galveston resident who organized the advertising effort. Cline said speakers will include a former homosexual, who is now married with two children, and a former lesbian.

Ban on Families Lifted

XINHUA NEWS AGENCY, Jan. 27 — China’s Ministry of Education has announced that it will lift a 25-year-old policy that barred university students from marrying and bearing children while enrolled at universities.

The ban has forced students considering marriage, or those who have gotten pregnant, to make difficult decisions — abandon plans to marry, have an abortion or end their studies.

Cheng Jing, a student at Peking University, praised the policy shift, saying it would be “a step forward in upholding students’ human rights.”

Sending a Message

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY, Jan. 19 — The Schoenstatt Movement in Germany has begun collecting signatures against late-term abortions, which German law permits even when the baby could survive outside the mother’s womb.

Late-term abortions are permitted when it is believed that the birth of a child will gravely affect the life or health of the mother.

Organizers of the signature drive hope to influence the upcoming legislative session in the German national legislature.

Teaching Marriage

AGAPE PRESS, Jan. 26 — Arkansas lawmakers are considering whether new public school textbooks must define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Last November, Arkansas voters gave approval (75%-25%) to a measure that defines marriage in that way, effectively banning same-sex marriage.