The Eclectic Web–2013.3.1

Our current roster of stories:

  • Lots of talk in some quarters about giving up denominational names on church signs (and its not just Baptists who are thinking about this).
  • Efforts made to protect young girls from abortions
  • Freedom of religion pressure in Canada
  • The fruits of sin: Holland and the aftermath of liberalized prostitution and drug laws.

What’s in a (church) name?

Should Your Church’s Name Include Its Denomination?

“…churches with no denominational references in their name are:

  • “Less than twice as likely to be perceived as ‘honest.’
  • “More than twice as likely to give people ‘feelings of uncertainty.’
  • “Almost five times more likely to be perceived as ‘trying to hide what they believe.’”

Abortion news:

‘Interstate abortions’ for minors targeted in bill

“Introduced Feb. 14 in both the Senate and House of Representatives, legislation known as the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) would:

  • “Prohibit the transportation of a minor to another state for an abortion to avoid a parental involvement law in her home state;
  • “Require an abortion provider to notify parents at least 24 hours before performing an abortion on a minor girl from another state.”

Freedom of religion threatened: Canada

Manitoba poised to demand faith-based independent schools allow gay-straight alliances

Manitoba appears set to demand faith-based independent schools allow gay-straight alliances, sparking complaints it will be a threat to their freedom of religion.

The province may well be the first to require private schools — many of them religious — to comply with anti-bullying legislation because a large number receive 50% funding from taxpayers.

Unintended consequences of a liberated society

Why even Amsterdam doesn’t want legal brothels

Twelve years on, and we can now see the results of this experiment. Rather than afford better protection for the women, it has simply increased the market. Rather than confine the brothels to a discrete (and avoidable) part of the city, the sex industry has spilt out all over Amsterdam — including on-street. Rather than be given rights in the ‘workplace’, the prostitutes have found the pimps are as brutal as ever. The government-funded union set up to protect them has been shunned by the vast majority of prostitutes, who remain too scared to complain.

Holland Targets Its Drugs-and-Death Tourism

For many young Europeans, their first parent-free trip to Amsterdam is a rite of passage, and not for the unique architecture, beautiful canals, and rich museums, but rather to explore the internationally-renowned coffeeshops where they can buy marijuana in small amounts and smoke it legally.


Publication of links in The Eclectic Web feature does not imply endorsement of the viewpoint or contents of any of the websites linked. The links are provided as a matter of interest to Christians.