₦airaland Forum

The Methodist church has become the largest religious denomination in the UK to allow same-sex marriages, putting it at odds with the Church of England.

A move to change the definition of marriage won overwhelming support at the Methodist conference on Wednesday, with the first same-sex weddings in Methodist chapels expected in the autumn.

A freedom of conscience clause will allow ministers to opt out of conducting such weddings.

The Rev Sonia Hicks, elected as the Methodists’ first black female president at the weekend, said it was a “historic day for our church”. She urged people “to support each other respecting our differences”.

The Methodist church is the UK’s fourth-largest Christian denomination, with about 164,000 members in more than 4,000 churches. The vote to allow same-sex marriages was passed by 254 to 46 votes.

The motion required a change to the definition of marriage to be “a lifelong union in body, mind and spirit of two people who freely enter it”.

The conference also voted to recognise, accept, and celebrate the love and commitment of unmarried cohabiting couples.

Same-sex marriage is forbidden in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church, but permitted by Quakers in Britain, the Scottish Episcopal church and United Reformed Church.

Jayne Ozanne, a campaigner for LGBT+ equality and a member of the C of E’s ruling body, the General Synod, said the vote reflected “the significant shift that there has been among Christian attitudes in England, and shows how so many people would echo the recent call of Bishop Paul Bayes to allow same-sex marriage in the C of E”.

Underlining the divisions within the C of E on sexuality, Andrea Minichiello Williams, of the conservative group Christian Concern, said: “God’s plan for sex is one man, one woman marriage ... Every church denomination – including Methodists and the C of E – should confidently proclaim this vision, rather than mirror the zeitgeist.”

After her election as president on Sunday, Hicks told the conference about her great-aunt Lize, who had arrived from Jamaica with her Methodist membership card only to be rejected from her local church because she was black.

“In a world where people are excluded because of their ethnic background, their sexual orientation, their gender or simply because, like me, they were brought up on a council estate, I believe that we are called to show God’s love for all people,” she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/30/methodist-church-allows-same-sex-marriage-after-vote

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared China malaria-free, after a 70-year effort to wipe it out.
China used to report 30 million cases a year during the 1940s. Since then, eradication efforts have driven down case numbers.
The country used various methods to break the cycle of transmission of the parasite via mosquitos.
The WHO said the country had now gone four years without registering a case, giving it malaria-free certification.
China's success was hard-earned, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and came only after decades of targeted and sustained action.
Beijing is arranging celebrations for the 100th anniversary of its ruling Communist Party (CCP) this week, and hailed the certification as a "great achievement for China's human rights cause".
"The CCP and the Chinese government have always prioritised safeguarding people's health, safety and prosperity," said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
"Eliminating malaria is a great contribution by China to human health and global human rights progress," he added.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through mosquito bites.
The illness starts with symptoms such as fever, headaches and chills and, without treatment, can progress quickly to severe illness and often death.
Although preventable and mostly curable if diagnosed and treated promptly, the World Health Organization estimates there were 229 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2019 and 409,000 deaths. Around 94% of all infections were reported in Africa.
China's government has brought malaria cases down by using anti-malarial drugs, spraying mosquito breeding grounds, and distributing insecticide-treated nets.
Countries can apply to the WHO for certification as malaria-free after they report four consecutive years of no indigenous cases. They must then present evidence of this, and demonstration their ability to prevent any future outbreak.
According to the WHO, China has become the 40th country to be declared malaria-free. Those within the last few years include Argentina, Algeria and Uzbekistan.
Earlier this year, a vaccine developed by a team at Oxford University tested 77% effective during a small trial in Burkina Faso - the first vaccine candidate to achieve this number. Larger trials will now be carried out across four African countries to confirm the findings.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57670189

Finally

Nice one Mr president, let them know we don't tolerate rigging in nigeria.

U were definately drunk before going to bed.

This is the simple truth that ipob youths act as if they don't know. Their forefathers tried and it only brought misery upon them, this generation of ipob will suffer the same fate if they don't learn from their ancestors.

I hope our copy cat will not come and do lockdown for us again.

All things shall pass away indeed. This ppl really use me catch mugu, see as i was washing my hand and staying indoors for this rubbish.
ASUU abeg call off strike jare make we do resume school.

Shanklee:
I had 1h some minutes ago and I had to manage it till the day after tomorrow
As per wise boi wen i be, i just bought two cups of garri (one cup per day) and 20 naira sugar (half per day).
we moveee

U and who is moving? Stand ur ground and fight poverty jare.

Mokason288:
Igbo Amaka ... I cud bet my life that lady must be an Igbo lady

So it's only ibo ppl that help children?
Tribalism won't take u anywhere.

I swear, i can't buy any of this onions more than 20 naira here in kano.
Kai! Am not sure i can survive a week in the south.

Hmmm.
I think the end sars protest has lost it's purpose

Why carry ur problem to another man's house?

I am tired of all this end sars protest jare, sars has already been disbanded, lets protest about something else.

I don even forget say this thing still dey exist.

In summary, Nigeria is the capital of poverty in the world.

Nigeria is the most unluckiest country in the world.

Maybe it's because am broke that i find it ridiculous to buy a car for a girl am not married to. This life nothing is guaranteed, anything u are giving ur girlfriend should be something u can genuinely afford without ever wanting it back. Guys, look b4 u leap.

Some years ago, i was doing bricklayer work in navy barracks. One guy with short nicker just came and carried shovel we were using to work without permission and i started shouting abuses at him and told him he did not have manners, i never knew he was an officer, he went to the gate and came back with two mean looking navies and told them to deal with me. It took the solidarity of my co-workers who pleaded on my behalf that i was new there to pacify them. We latter became friends with the man.

Even in death, baba still dey send us pocket money.

salisy:
Shut up! You know nothing about Bauchi

Maybe not much, but i know the north, and socio-cultural issues in the north like this transcends accross most hausa states.

Abide by this statement at ur own peril.

Sounds really funny, but i think it makes sense for a state like bauchi considering pending issues like child marriage, forced marriage, girl child abuse, high rate of unfairly divorced ladies and even rape of young ladies and minors. If properly handled i think this ministry can be key players in creating mass sensitization, providing a legal support for young and divorced ladies, and even empowerment to these ladies.

Hmm

Fire and water don't play together.

You forgot to add the best of the lot...
"That is why we were where we were"
While the man appears to be intelligent,calm and collected with a certain kind of enigma, he has been the most docile and toothless v.p we've had.

So buhari has priorities? Wonders shall never end.

Hmm. I still don't know sowore's ambition. I wonder if he thinks he can topple buhari and be our dream president, or he just wants to be famous. What ever the case he should know that protest and raising banners in abuja will not even disturb buhari's afternoon nap, let's assume buhari and his cabinet become 'patriotic' enough to step down, who will now replace them? Is it not the same cycle of corrupt ppl.
Lets be real now, our problem is bigger than buhari or tinubu, in a country where u can buy vote for 500, what do u expect? Even after revolution, Nigeria will still be up for the highest bidder.

He dy collect samples.

Listen to urself, God created man, man sinned against God, God became a man and was killed by man to save man from God. wow!

MightySparrow:
As in? Eeh?

Omo! See format abeg.

Thank God for today.