Health indicators for lesbians in these legally-recognized "marriages" did not suggest they are any healthier than non-"married" lesbians.

Gay men in these "marriages" also showed no improvement in their health.

"Turning to health outcomes, we find no relationship between legal access to same-sex marriage and self-rated health, substance use, or preventive care take-up for men in same-sex households," the authors wrote.

Bishop Jane Alexander's opening gambit, declaring LGBT people are "not an abomination" is a loaded statement along the lines of "when did you stop beating your wife?" It presupposes that there are conservatives in the church who think they are an abomination: no conservative I know thinks that.

'Is it ok for Muslim parents to stop their kids having non-Muslim pals?' asks Mary Wakefield in this week's Spectator. Her analysis is as naïve as that of a voyeur peeping through the keyhole of a glass door.

"I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order," Sessions said. "Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful."

This angered many "church" friends and others. They recall slave masters and Nazis who also cited St. Paul's "controversial" admonition to obey civil laws when demanding submissive allegiance.