c. 1996 Religion News Service

Australian euthanasia advocates seek to expand assisted suicide law

(RNS) _ The son of the first person to commit suicide under a new euthanasia law in Australia’s Northern Territory is calling for voluntary euthanasia to be legalized across the Australian continent.

At a press conference in Sydney Monday (Oct. 7), Rod Dent said a national referendum should be held to determine whether medically assisted suicide should be legalized throughout Australia, the Associated Press reported. The news conference was sponsored by the Coalition of Organizations for Voluntary Euthanasia.

On July 1, Australia’s remote Northern Territory became the first jurisdiction in the world to enact a law allowing voluntary euthanasia. In the Netherlands, euthanasia is still technically illegal, although the practice is widely accepted.

Two weeks ago in the Northern Territory, Dent’s father, Bob Dent _ a 66-year-old carpenter suffering from prostate cancer _ became the first person to die under the new law when he activated a computer that pumped lethal drugs into his system. He died Sept. 22 and was cremated Sept. 27 in a Buddhist ceremony.

At Monday’s news conference, the younger Dent said he would like to see a national ballot giving all Australians the opportunity to decide whether to legalize euthanasia. Although national elections are not required in Australia for another three years, the prime minister has the authority to call a referendum at any time.

A coalition of religious groups led by the Roman Catholic Church is challenging the Northern Territory law before Australia’s High Court. The case is expected to be argued in November. Opponents of the law are also urging the Australian federal parliament to step in and overturn the territory’s law through national legislation.

Supreme Court rejects appeal of law protecting abortion clinics

(RNS) The U.S. Supreme Court Monday (Oct. 7) declined to hear arguments from Wisconsin anti-abortion advocates against a 1994 federal law that protects access to the entrances of abortion clinics.

The justices without comment rejected a case brought by five anti-abortion protesters who argued that Congress had no right to enact a law restricting protests in front of abortion clinics, the Associated Press reported.

The justices Monday let stand a lower court ruling that the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act was within Congress’ legitimate right to regulate interstate commerce. Three federal appeals courts previously have upheld the constitutionality of the act, which was passed by Congress two years ago.

Lawyers for the five abortion protesters argued that the act inappropriately regulated activities that should be left to state and local law enforcement.

The five protesters in the case _ Michael Skott, John Stambaugh, James Ketchum, George Wilson and Daniel Balint _ were charged with violation of federal law after they were arrested Sept. 29, 1994, in front of a Wisconsin abortion clinic. The men had blocked the front and rear doors of the clinic with cars and then welded and handcuffed themselves to the cars. Firefighters spent more than four hours trying to remove the protesters from the cars.

The Supreme Court will examine other issues involving abortion clinic protests this term in a separate but related case from Buffalo, N.Y. On Oct. 16, the justices will hear oral arguments about the constitutionality of a court injunction that imposes a 15-foot so-called”bubble”between abortion clinic patients and anti-abortion protesters.

The plaintiff in the case is the Rev. Paul Schenck, who was arrested in front of a Buffalo abortion clinic. His attorney, Jay Sekulow of the Virginia-based American Center for Law and Justice, is arguing that the injunction violates the freedom of speech.

Southern Baptists continue allocations to help burned black churches

(RNS) Southern Baptists have allocated almost $180,000 to state organizations to help burned African-American churches.

The Oct. 4 allocation brings assistance from the Southern Baptist Church’s Arson Fund to $649,965, said Baptist Press, the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The denomination began distributing money to its state conventions in July after establishing the fund in June at its annual meeting.

The state conventions are responsible for determining the amount of assistance each affected church in its state will need.

Third sex scandal in a week hits Florida Catholic diocese

(RNS) The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla., was hit by another sex scandal involving a priest in the same week that two other scandals became public.”It’s been a challenging and very painful week,”Mary Jo Murphy, diocese spokeswoman said Thursday (Oct. 3), according to the Associated Press.

In the latest incident, the Rev. William Lau, 46, resigned from Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in St. Petersburg amid accusations that he sexually abused an unidentified person years ago.”The adult complaintant, noting that the incident occurred many years prior, asked for anonymity and expressed concern for the church,”officials announced in a news release after receiving inquiries from a local television station.

Lau is now at St. Luke’s Institute, a Washington, D.C., rehabilitation program that he entered in May. Officials would not give details on his treatment.

Earlier in the week, the Rev. Patrick Clarke of the Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor resigned after it was disclosed that he had been married for 15 years.

In addition, the Rev. Simeon Gardner, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lutz, recently resigned after admitting he used $220,000 in church funds to silence a man who threatened to expose their sexual relationship.

Quote of the day: Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon Church president

(RNS) Speaking Sunday (Oct. 6) on the concluding day of his church’s semi-annual conference, Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, called on mothers to forgo employment and stay at home with their families if they want to be”the real builders of the nation.””It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. I hope that if you are employed full-time you are doing it to ensure that basic needs are met and not simply to indulge a taste for an elaborate home, fancy cars and other luxuries.”

MJP END RNS