Rev. Greg Dell of Chicago will be tried by a jury of 13 Methodist ministers next month for performing a "marriage" ceremony in which two men were united.
Charged with "disobedience to the order and the discipline" of the Methodist Church, Rev. Dell could face suspension, censure, or at worst, lose his status as a Methodist minister.
Rev. Dell's prosecutor, the Rev. Stephen C. Williams, was quoted as saying "It couldn't be clearer that Greg Dell violated his ministerial vow to uphold the church's teachings."
The charges did not come as a surprise to Dell, who said he expected his performance of the "service of holy union" would cause an uproar. He hopes that his actions will encourage serious discussion about his Church's views on lesbian and gay people.
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .
