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Sources

New Zealand First Asia-Pacific Country To Legalize Gay Marriage

TVNZ, NZ HERALD, FAIRFAX NZ NEWS, 3 NEWS (New Zealand)

Worldcrunch

WELLINGTON – New Zealand has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage.

Parliament voted 77-44 late Wednesday to amend the 1955 Marriage Act to describe marriage as a union of two people regardless of their sex, sexuality or how they choose to identify their gender.

People were queuing in the rain outside Parliament, reported broadcaster TVNZ, to witness the groundbreaking legislation.

The line has already started to get into parliament and watch a little history #MarriageEquality instagram.com/p/YMcGLFu7UT/

— Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) April 17, 2013

Crowds are spilling onto K Rd footpaths as they gather to watch Louisa Wall's Marriage Equality Bill #MarriageEquality

— Morgan Tait (@morgtait) April 17, 2013

Member of Parliament Louisa Wall, who introduced the bill, started the session with an emotional speech, saying “In our society, the meaning of marriage is universal – it’s a declaration of love and commitment to a special person,” reported Fairfax NZ News.

“Having Parliament recognize and address injustices and unfairness matters to those affected by it. It’s the start of a healing process,” TVNZ quoted Wall as saying.

“Excluding a group in society from marriage is oppressive and unacceptable,” said Wall, who later thanked her partner for "sharing this journey." “There’s no justification for the prohibitions of the past based on religion, race or gender.”

“Nothing could make me more proud to be a New Zealander than passing this bill,” she concluded, receiving a standing ovation and rounds of applause.

Watch her full speech here.

The bill passed after months of emotional debate, parliamentary submissions and passionate protests from both sides of the issue, reported the New Zealand Herald.

MP Louisa Wall in Parliament on Wednesday:

So pleasing to see #marriageequality trending above #thatcherfuneral. It's what she wouldn't have wanted.

— Patrick Strudwick (@PatrickStrud) April 17, 2013

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Society

Should Christians Be Scared Of Horror Movies?

Horror films have a complicated and rich history with christian themes and influences, but how healthy is it for audiences watching?

Should Christians Be Scared Of Horror Movies?

"The Nun II" was released on Sept. 2023.

Joseph Holmes

“The Nun II” has little to show for itself except for its repetitive jump scares — but could it also be a danger to your soul?

Christians have a complicated relationship with the horror genre. On the one hand, horror movies are one of the few types of Hollywood films that unapologetically treat Christianity (particularly Catholicism) as good.

“The Exorcist” remains one of the most successful and acclaimed movies of all time. More recently, “The Conjuring” franchise — about a wholesome husband and wife duo who fight demons for the Catholic Church in the 1970s and related spinoffs about the monsters they’ve fought — has more reverent references to Jesus than almost any movie I can think of in recent memory (even more than many faith-based films).

The Catholic film critic Deacon Steven Greydanus once mentioned that one of the few places where you can find substantial positive Catholic representation was inhorror films.

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