An emotionally and sexually intimate partnership is, for many people, a school of love, writes Savi Hensman. This is not as romantic as it might sound: fearfulness, selfishness, rivalry and other negative traits may surface, and hard work may be needed to overcome these. Yet this can be a path to spiritual growth, which may manifest itself in small ways or through acts of heroic altruism. Such relationships, whether between opposite-sex or same-sex partners, can help to bring forth good fruit.

The Church of Scotland General Assembly, meeting in Edinburgh, has moved towards the acceptance of ministers living in a same-sex relationships.

New report from the Pew Research Centre shows more than 50 per cent of Americans support same sex civil unions.