These articles were first published in our July edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
Abortion statistics released by NHS Scotland in May show that Scottish abor-tion numbers hit a ten-year high in 2018.
The figures show that there were 13,286 abortions in 2018, an increase of 843 from 2017 when there were 12,443 abortions. Repeat abortions and abortions for women in poorer areas are twice as high as those from more advantaged areas.
The Oxford Union voted in May to oppose the ‘no platforming’ of controversial speak-ers at in-house debates.
Other universities have banned people including Peter Hitchens, Germaine Greer, Linda Bellow, and Jordan Peterson. In 2018 the University of Bristol began officially ban-ning speakers who challenged transgender ideology.
In May, whilst the Methodist church suggested that it should allow same-sex marriage, one member has stood up for biblical teaching on relationships.
A female Methodist became a Christian and said how she realised that she couldn’t be at peace with God whilst still in a relationship with her partner. Her testimony is available to read at Christian.org.uk
A liberal church in Darlington was set to host an Iftar meal and give space over to the Muslim community to host Islamic prayers, it was reported in May in the minutes of their meeting.
The church offered to cover up crosses to accommodate the group. The parish website advertises ‘Meditation, Mindfulness, Relation’ sessions, based in Buddhism.
On 2 June, Ann Widdecombe came under fire after she highlighted the logical confusion between transgender acceptance by society but a denial that someone could reject their sexuality and receive counselling for it.
Stating that science may explain sexuality one day and people may want to receive help not to be gay, she said: ‘If you simply rule out the possibility, you are denying people who are confused about their sexuality or discontented with it, the chances that you give to people who want to change gender.’
Scottish politicians backed the general prin-ciples of a smacking ban in May.
The Bill was passed by 80 votes to 29, with two abstentions from SNP MSPs. The Bill will now be considered in more detail. Some said the legislation would waste police time and was ‘not fit for purpose’.
The Scouts scrapped an 18-month-old transgender policy which members said put young people’s safety at risk, it was reported in May.
New guidance now takes welfare concerns into account, allowing leaders to inform fam-ilies or the authorities of a child’s ‘transition’. The World Health Organisation announced that ‘transgender health issues’ will no longer be recognised as mental and behavioural dis-orders. One representative said it would be classed under sexual health to ‘reduce stigma’.