...The North Carolina Baptist Convention has voted to cut ties with congregations that affirm, support, or bless homosexual behavior. Convention spokesman Norman Jameson says the move was needed because, in his words, "homosexuality is the only sin that has its own advocacy group." The new policy gives the convention the authority to investigate homosexual-friendly churches. Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops has also been dealing with the matter of homosexuality. At their national meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops insisted they are trying to be more "welcoming than condemning," but said parishes must instruct homosexuals to remain celibate. The group has approved a new set of guidelines that says it is not a sin to be attracted to someone of the same gender -- only to act on those feelings. And on the subject of "reparative" therapy to change same-sex attraction, the bishops say there is no scientific consensus on whether it can succeed, but homosexuals can seek counseling to help them live a chaste life. [Fred Jackson]

...State lawmakers appear to have found a way to block a defense of marriage amendment in Massachusetts without having to go on record as opposing the proposal. The Massachusetts Legislature adjourned last week without voting on the amendment, and Lisa Barstow with VoteOnMarriage.org says that does not bode well for pro-family voters. "The 170,000 citizens who signed petitions to bring this matter forward will be left voiceless and powerless before the elected officials that are supposed to speak for them," Barstow contends. "What they did was ducked and ran on a legitimate vote, and I think that's what all citizens are really upset about." The pro-traditional marriage activist says Bay State legislators are misusing procedures to avoid taking a firm position on the issue of banning same-sex "marriage." "Unfortunately," she says, "it puts the amendment in limbo," which is not the place all those citizens who signed petitions to move the measure forward were hoping their elected officials would leave it. Lawmakers could vote on the marriage amendment when they return on January 2, the last day of the session; but Barstow believes that scenario is unlikely, and if the Massachusetts Legislature does not pass the proposal that day, she notes, the current version of the amendment will be dead. [Jeff Johnson]

...The New York City Board of Health is considering a radical new proposal that would allow people to change their gender on paper, without regard to their God-given anatomy and without the necessity of any surgical or other physical alterations. One pro-family advocate believes same-sex "marriage" activists have an ulterior motive in pushing this plan. New York City is moving forward with the proposal, which would let people alter the sex listed on their birth certificate, even if they have not had sex-reassignment surgery. Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, says this new approach to sex-redefinition has a purpose. "The transgender agenda may be the way that the homosexuals secure so-called gay marriage," he suggests. "What they're doing is they're saying gender is what you want it to be instead of what it's biologically created to be by God." It is preposterous, LaBarbera contends, for a person to simply decide what his or her gender is when "for the vast, vast majority of people, they have biology to tell them." The Americans for Truth spokesman says he believes this campaign to redefine gender "is the most radical movement, I think, in the whole agenda." The New York City Board of Health is expected to vote on the proposal in December, and it is expected to pass. [Rusty Pugh]

...American Family Association (AFA) chairman Don Wildmon says Wal-Mart has gone on record as a supporter of the homosexual agenda. In the "Out & Equal 2006 Workplace Summit Program Guide," Wal-Mart placed a full-page ad that explicitly stated it would be an advocate for the homosexual movement. According to AFA, the advertisement was developed for the Workplace Summit, a conference designed to train homosexuals to convince the companies for which they work to support the homosexual agenda, and was aimed at participating groups. The national retail chain also gave $60,000 to Out & Equal, a pro-homosexual organization pushing the homosexual agenda, including same-sex "marriage," in the workplace. The donation went to help sponsor the Out & Equal Workplace Summit held this past September in Chicago, Illinois. Wal-Mart's in-house homosexual group, "Pride," gave a PowerPoint presentation at the conference, detailing how its members were successful in getting the company to support the homosexual cause. Wildmon is urging AFA supporters to sign an online petition to let the retail giant know they will be among the million families who will not be shopping at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club on the Friday or Saturday following Thanksgiving. [Jenni Parker]

...It appears that homosexual "marriage" will soon be legal in South Africa. That country's National Assembly gave easy passage yesterday (November 14) to a bill that gives legal recognition to both homosexual marriage and civil unions. As Associated Press reports, all that remains for the bill to become law is for the measure to go to the National Council of Provinces, a step that is considered to be no more than a formality. South Africa's president is expected then to sign the bill into law. [Fred Jackson]

...The Vatican has entered the debate about Muslim women wearing veils, with a top cardinal saying immigrants should obey their host countries' bans on such face-covering. The assertion by Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the Vatican's office on migrants, comes two weeks before Pope Benedict begins his first visit as pontiff to a Muslim nation, Turkey. That officially secular nation has long wrestled over whether Muslim women there should wear head scarves in such places as universities and public offices. Vatican Radio reiterated Martino's stance, saying "the question of the veil for Islamic women" should be "considered in the context of respect for the laws of the countries which welcome" them. [AP]

...Mexico's Congress has passed a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to suspend the deportation of the mother of a seven-year-old boy and any other illegal immigrant parents of U.S. citizens. The lawmakers are backing second-grader Saul Arellano, an American citizen, who appeared before them to plead for help. He is trying to stop the U.S. from deporting his mother, who has taken refuge in a Chicago church. One lawmaker says that if the U.S. agrees, it would "create a precedent that will benefit more than 4.9 million children ... whose parents live under the threat of deportation." U.S. officials say there is no right to sanctuary in a church under U.S. law, but they have not moved to seize the boy's mother. [AP]