N E W S B R E A K
Adventist Leader Responds
to Same-Sex Ruling
Canadian court has ruled that the traditional definition of marriage--as an exclusive union between a man and a woman--must now be stretched to accommodate same-sex relationships. In its July 12 decision, the Ontario Superior Court said that the common law definition of marriage "as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others" "is inconsistent with constitutional values in modern Canadian society, and offends the equality rights of gays and lesbians" under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The court has given the federal government two years to reformulate the common law marriage definition to make provision for the legal recognition of same-sex marriages.
Attorney Barry Bussey, public affairs and religious liberty director for the Ontario Conference, says the court has overreached its role, and has failed to show proper deference to the role of the legislature. "The court's decision amounts to a radical alteration of the constitution," says Bussey. "In matters of gay rights, the legislative process to amend the constitution has been consistently ignored. We expect to see this case appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada."
If the Canadian Supreme Court were to ultimately uphold the lower court decision, Canada would become the second country to legally recognize same-sex marriage. In 2001, the legislature of the Netherlands adopted a bill expanding the legal definition of marriage to include homosexual unions.
The traditional family unit is a "treasure worth preserving," says Bussey. "Marriage is the basic building block of our society; one that has been tested over time, and which has served as the core unit of civilization for thousands of years."
Traditional marriage is a concept that is also deeply entrenched in the fabric of Canada's social and legal systems, adds Bussey. He points to a case decided last year by the British Columbia Supreme Court, which found that marriage, in Canada's constitution and common law, "unambiguously means a monogamous opposite-sex relationship."
An official statement of the Adventist world church, adopted in 1999, affirms the church's commitment to the Biblical principle that "sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman." According to the statement, Adventists will endeavor to follow the example of Jesus when he "offered caring ministry and words of solace to struggling people, while differentiating his love for sinners from his clear teaching about sinful practices."
The Ontario case began in 2001 when the provincial government refused to legally recognize the marriages of two same-sex couples who had participated in "wedding ceremonies" in a Toronto community church.
--Adventist News Network
New Law in Brazil Prohibits Examinations on Saturday
Representatives of the Brazilian state of Pará recently approved a bill that prohibits holding public examinations on Saturday. The bill states specifically that exams cannot be scheduled between 2 p.m. on Fridays through 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
"With this new development, Seventh-day Adventists, Jews, and others will have the same opportunities that everyone else has. This is nothing more than recovering a right that they did not have," said Representative Martinho Carmona, president of the Pará Legislative Assembly and author of the bill.
The push for this new bill came when 13 Adventist university students faced an exam scheduled on Sabbath last March. When the students approached President Carmona, they were given permission to sit for the exam on a Saturday night instead.
"We were happy because in addition to helping us, President Carmona took the initiative of proposing the new bill. He also accepted our invitation to speak in one of our worship services," said Orley de Morais, one of the 13 students.
"While the approved bill will only apply in the Brazilian state of Pará, there are similar laws in 15 other states in Brazil," commented Siloé Almeida, director of public affairs and religious liberty for the South American Division. "This approval is definitely a positive milestone for the Adventist Church in Brazil. In standing firm for our beliefs, our students have played a part in not only 'opening doors' with a government official, but they have also made the path easier for future students."
Youth Take to the Streets of Tijuana
Two hundred people have been baptized following a Youth Evangelistic Outreach program last month in Tijuana, Baja California, North Mexico.
Seventh-day Adventist youth in the area participated in a week-long evangelistic outreach effort titled "Love Without Boundaries." The program was led by the Church's youth department in the Inter-American Division, along with Adventists in the North Mexican and Baja California area.
Bernardo Rodriguez, director of the youth department for the Church in Inter-America, spoke at the meetings every evening. "This is the first outreach of its kind under the strategic plan for church growth in Inter-America this year," he said. "The youth were closely involved in the programs of this evangelistic event."
During the week, Adventist youth from Tijuana were involved in community service such as cleaning parks, streets, and the stadium. They also took part in a blood drive called "Donating Life."
According to Rodriguez, similar youth events will take place each year in a different region of Inter-America. Next year's Youth Evangelistic Outreach program will be held in the city of Tapachula, in Soconusco, South Mexico. --Adventist News Network
Esmond Named Insight Editor
Dwain Neilson Esmond, associate editor of Message magazine, was recently named as editor of Insight magazine. Esmond has been involved with Adventist publishing since graduating from Oakwood College in 1994. He authored the youth devotional book, Beyond the In-a-Pinch God. Esmond replaces Lori Peckham who left the position after the birth of her son. "I see him as a visionary, particularly in the youth area," says Review and Herald vice president of periodicals, Larry Becker.
Born in Guyana, South America, Esmond is the first African-American to take the helm of a church youth publication. "It is a privilege to share the love of God with others," he says.
Esmond and his wife Kemba attend the Germantown SDA Church in Philadelphia.
News Notes
Dan Goddard, senior pastor of College View Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, died Wednesday, July 3. He had been diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in May.
Goddard, 56, became pastor of College View in the summer of 2001, succeeding Greg Nelson, who left to plant a church in Seattle. Before his death, Goddard said that his lifelong dream had been to pastor a college church.
Goddard is survived by his wife, Kathy, and their three children: Tom, Beth, and James. Dan and Kathy met while attending Union College in 1966. Dan also pastored in Colorado, California, Missouri, and Maryland.
Donations may be sent to the Dan Goddard Memorial Fund, in care of Union College Administration Office, 3800 S. 48th St., Lincoln, Nebraska, 68506.
Laurence Skinner, former associate world youth leader for the 
General Conference, died in Colton, California, July 10, 2002. While in his position at the General Conference, the idea of Pathfinder Clubs was adopted worldwide and he is credited with writing the first Pathfinder handbook. Skinner worked in the Southeastern California, Southern California, Northern California, and Washington conferences as well as the North Pacific Union Conference.
Deandra Gibson, 14, a student at Bahamas Academy Secondary Seventh-day Adventist School in Nassau, Bahamas, was recently awarded a scholarship commemorating the Golden Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The scholarship was one of only 92 granted to children around the world.
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