Religion Today Daily Headlines - November 8, 2012

Religion Today Daily Headlines - November 8, 2012

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

  • Maine, Maryland Legalize Gay Marriage in Historic Vote
  • Catholics Broke for Obama, Evangelicals for Romney
  • First Lesbian Goes to U.S. Senate in 'Historic' Election for LGBTs
  • 'Ten Commandments Judge' Restored to Chief Justice of Alabama Supreme Court

 

Maine, Maryland Legalize Gay Marriage in Historic Vote

Maine and Maryland voted to legalize same-sex marriage Tuesday, breaking a 32-state record of states voting down gay marriage rights. They will become the seventh and eighth states to legalize gay marriage and the first to do so through the people's vote rather than a court decision or legislative act. Minnesota and Washington state also had similar measures on the ballot. Minnesota voted down an effort to define marriage in the state constitution as being between one man and one woman; results from Washington had not been called as of Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, but early returns were showing voters narrowly approving same-sex marriage.

Catholics Broke for Obama, Evangelicals for Romney

Catholics voted for Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by 50 to 48 percent, while Protestants preferred Romney by a 15-point margin -- 57 to 42 percent, the Religion News Service reports. Obama won 70 to 26 percent among Americans with no religious affiliation, 69 to 30 percent among Jews and 74 to 23 percent among other religions. Evangelicals voted for Romney 78 to 21 percent -- the same rate as Mormons. Additionally, those who said they attend worship weekly preferred Romney by 20 points, 59 to 39 percent, while those who said they attend less frequently went for Obama by 25 points.

First Lesbian Goes to U.S. Senate in 'Historic' Election for LGBTs

Voters in Wisconsin sent Democrat Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, making her the first open lesbian to be elected to the upper chamber, CNSNews.com reports. Baldwin, who was the first openly homosexual candidate to win election to the House in 1998, defeated former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists called her victory the "crown jewel" in a night of victories that voters handed to homosexuals. "Tonight, we achieved historic victories in the fight for LGBT equality," said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "We secured our first-ever electoral victories for marriage in Maine, Maryland and Minnesota; Tammy Baldwin is headed to the U.S. Senate; and President Obama secur[ed] a second term." Chuck Wolfe, president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Tuesday will "go down in history. ... Tonight Tammy shattered a glass ceiling that has existed for more than two centuries, and we could not be more thrilled."

'Ten Commandments Judge' Restored to Chief Justice of Alabama Supreme Court

Roy Moore, known as the "Ten Commandments judge," edged out his Democratic opponent Tuesday to win back his seat as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, the Christian News Network reports. Moore, the predicted favorite over Democrat Bob Vance, had been removed from the position in 2003 when a state panel expelled him from office for failing to comply with a federal court order to remove a two-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments that he had placed in the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery. Moore argued he had a right to acknowledge God and that following the order would have been a violation of his oath to the Constitution. He went on to run for governor in 2006 and 2010 and lost, and his name was also mentioned as a presidential candidate in 2004 and 2008 for the Constitution Party, though he never ran. Many predicted Alabama residents would choose him Tuesday due to both his name recognition and his stance on biblical values. "Most people see him as a godly man with strong convictions," said Republican state party chairman Bill Armistead.

Publication date: November 8, 2012

Religion Today Daily Headlines - November 8, 2012