New French Law Allows Gay Unions
, Oct. 14-The French Parliament passed a law on Oct. 20 giving legal status to unmarried couples, including same-sex partners, the Times reported.
“The new law makes France the first traditionally Roman Catholic nation to recognize same-sex unions. The decision came nearly two years after the Socialist government proposed the law, touching off protests by “conservatives” and the Catholic Church.
“The law allows couples, whether they are of the same sex or not, to enter into a union and be entitled to the same rights as married couples in such areas as income tax, inheritance, housing and social welfare,” the article reported.
Worldwide Christian Population Dips
, Oct. 19-The Christian population worldwide is experiencing a downtick, the online news service reported.
“According to the UK Christian Handbook, 28.3% of the world's population identified itself as Christian in 1990,” Religion Today reported. “The percentage of Christians will drop to 27.8% in 2000 and to 27.1% in 2010,” it said.
The primary reason? A lower birth rate among Christian families. The report added that about 85% of the world's non-Christians live in Asia.