Religion & Law

UK: Tory confusion over ?same-sex marriage?

Posted on May 04, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Whatever the result of the election, experienced observers believe MPs are likely to have a free vote at some stage on whether civil partnerships should be renamed as ?marriage?."

?Lutheran church to reinstate gay pastor in Atlanta?

Posted on May 04, 2010
Google News (AP): "The Chicago-based Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said Tuesday the Rev. Bradley Schmeling and the Rev. Darin Easler have been approved for reinstatement."

Former Argentine President to vote in favor of same-sex marriage

Posted on May 04, 2010
OnTopMag ("gay advocacy website"): "Nestor Kirchner, Argentina's former president and a current national deputy, says he'll vote in favor of a gay marriage bill . . . Kirchner relinquished control of Argentina in 2007 when he handed the reigns of power to his wife, Christina Fernandez de Kirchner...

MA: Mendon OKs strip club

Posted on May 04, 2010
Milford Daily News: "Selectmen last night granted an adult entertainment license to Showtime Entertainment LLC owners George and Christopher Funari, who plan to put a strip club at 50 Milford St. The license comes with numerous conditions, including paying for an off-duty police officer to patrol inside the building and in parking lots on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

UK: Knowsely Council to segregate sex education classes to lower its high rate of teenage pregnancies

Posted on May 04, 2010
CCFON: "Male and female pupils are to be taught separately during sex education classes in a bid to cut teenage pregnancy rates in Knowsely, Merseyside, an area notorious for the highest rates of teenage motherhood in Britain."

WV: Lawmaker Threatens Lawsuit as FPCWV Releases Voter?s Guide

Posted on May 04, 2010
Engage Family Blog, Family Policy Council of West Virginia: "As part of it?s mission to educated the voters of WV on issues of life, marriage, and religious freedom, the Family Policy Council of WV (?FPCWV?), has released its West Virginia Nonpartisan Values Voter?s Guide for the May 11th primary election ...

SC Lawmakers Consider State Day of Prayer: Will other states follow in wake of National Day of Prayer ruling?

Posted on May 04, 2010
WLTX.com: "Rep. Chip Limehouse says the legislation is in response to a federal judge's ruling last month that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional." | H. 4893

Abortion Rates Rising Among the Poor

Posted on May 04, 2010
Yahoo News: "Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of poor women in the United States having an abortion increased nearly 60 percent, from 27 percent to 42 percent, says a new study. According to the report released May 4 by the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute ...

Judicial supremacy and the Constitution

Posted on May 04, 2010
Robert Lowry Clinton writing at National Review Online: "Many Americans are puzzled and angry about the judicial assault on religion, morality, and common sense that has been going on for the past few decades. People wonder, for example, how the First Amendment (which guarantees freedom of religion as well as separation of church and state) could possibly require the expulsion of religion from public life, or outlaw prayers at high-school football games and graduation ceremonies...

NY Appeals Court: ex lesbian partner can seek visitation despite biological parent?s wishes

Posted on May 04, 2010
"New York's top court says a woman whose lesbian partner gave birth following their civil union in Vermont has parental rights, including visitation."

Most Women Pay for Their Own Abortions

Posted on May 04, 2010
Anne Wilde Mathews writes at the Wall Street Journal via Google: "Most women getting abortions pay for them out of their own pockets, with private insurers picking up the cost for just 12%, according to a new survey . . . But the new survey by the Guttmacher Institute suggests that private plans play only a limited role in enabling women to obtain abortions...

California Therapist Association Pressured to Disbar Members Who Treat Unwanted Homosexuality

Posted on May 04, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "California's pro-family therapists are striving to persuade the state's largest therapist association to stand firm against demands to suppress or kick out members who seek to help clients with unwanted same-sex attraction."

Polygamy Controversy Presents Dilemma for Post-Christian France

Posted on May 04, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Ballo, himself the child of a polygamous situation, said that Islamic men practice polygamy in order to receive income from their 'wives?' state benefits. 'They practice polygamy just for that,' he said. 'I'd go so far as to say that polygamists here (in France) are breeding for cash...

IA: State Investigating Dangerous Telemed Abortions at Planned Parenthood Centers

Posted on May 04, 2010
LifeNews: "The state of Iowa has announced it has begun an investigation into the new 'telemed' process Planned Parenthood is using to dispense abortion drugs."

Senate Committee to Vote on Pro-Abortion Obama Judicial Pick Goodwin Liu

Posted on May 04, 2010
LifeNews: "The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Thursday on controversial pro-abortion appeals court nominee Goodwin Liu."

Study Shows Half of Women Getting Second Abortion, Don?t Use Private Insurance

Posted on May 04, 2010
LifeNews: "A new study from the pro-abortion Guttmacher institute appears to confirm a point the pro-life community was making during the debate over health care reform. Meanwhile, the new research on women getting abortions find half getting at least their second abortion and more poor women getting abortions ...

Audio Recording: Oral arguments at the DC Court of Appeals in the DC marriage case

Posted on May 04, 2010
The MP3 recording from today's oral arguments runs approximately 1.5 hours. ADF attorney Austin R. Nimocks argued on behalf of the plaintiffs. | Related ADF press release: ADF attorneys available to media following hearing over DC marriage initiative

Jeremy Tedescoe on the Complete Story with Dick Bott: Can a counselling degree be conditioned on denial of personal religious beliefs?

Posted on May 04, 2010
ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco on the Complete Story with Dick Bott to discuss this: E. Mich. Univ. ousts student for not affirming homosexual behavior. | The MP3 runs just over 28 minutes.

Washington Post Reporter?s ?Bigots? Tweet Criticized by Right

Posted on May 04, 2010
Politics Daily: "When The Washington Post recently hired blogger Dave Weigel to cover the conservative movement and the GOP, one right-leaning site, Newsbusters, was not impressed . . . Weigel [recently] sent out the following Tweet: 'I can empathize with everyone I cover except for the anti-gay marriage bigots...

Obamacare has a poison pill for doctor-owned hospitals

Posted on May 04, 2010
Washington Examiner: "Within days of enactment of the new law, developers across the country nixed plans for 24 new physician-owned hospitals under construction. It will be a struggle for an additional 47 new such hospitals under construction to meet an Obamacare-imposed deadline of Dec...

Travis Barham: Softball league rediscovers freedom of association

Posted on May 04, 2010
ADF Attorney Travis C. Barham writing at speakupmovement.org/university: "Each year, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAAA) sponsors the 'Gay Softball World Series.' But three bisexual men?represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights?filed a discrimination suit in Seattle, Washington because their team was disqualified for having too many 'heterosexual' players...

A tale of nine nurses: Punishing religious beliefs

Posted on May 04, 2010
Chuck Colson writing at Crosswalk: "The Alliance Defense Fund is representing Cenzon-DeCarlo, arguing that forcing her to assist in taking the life of a 22-week pre-born child is, 'illegal, unethical, and a violation of Cathy's rights of conscience as a devout Catholic...

Prayer Day on despite ruling

Posted on May 04, 2010
The Tampa Tribune: "Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, isn't surprised that some politicians are ignoring the federal court ruling . . . Gaylor compared her group's battle over National Day of Prayer as a 'David versus Goliath fight...

Should schools promote ?gay clubs??

Posted on May 04, 2010
One News Now: "There's no question that school administrators are under tremendous pressure from pro-homosexual organizations not only to promote homosexuality by supporting 'gay' clubs, but also to label as discrimination any discussion of reparative therapy or suggestion that many teens outgrow same-sex attraction...

Religious freedom under fire

Posted on May 04, 2010
Crosswalk: "Last month, a federal judge from Wisconsin struck down the National Day of Prayer, ruling that it violates the constitutional ban on government-backed religion . . . [Joel Oster], senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund said, 'The National Day of Prayer provides an opportunity for all Americans to pray voluntarily according to their own faith and does not promote any particular religion or form of religious observance...

Obama proclaims prayer day despite court ruling against practice

Posted on May 04, 2010
Associated Baptist Press: "President Obama has followed through on his promise to declare May 6 the National Day of Prayer despite a controversial April 15 ruling by a federal judge who said the government encouraging its citizens to pray violates the First Amendment ...

Italian city fines Muslim woman for wearing burqa

Posted on May 04, 2010
Yahoo News (AFP): "Italian police fined a Muslim woman for wearing a full Islamic veil in a street in the northern city of Novara, possibly the first such incident in Italy, city officials said on Tuesday."

Do ?Family Values? Weaken Families?

Posted on May 04, 2010
". . The paradox is this: Cultural conservatives revel in condemning the loose moral values . . . But if you want to find two-parent families with stable marriages and coddled kids, your best bet is to bypass Sarah Palin country and go to Nancy Pelosi territory ...

Alan E. Sears: Securing Liberty

Posted on May 04, 2010
How did we get from a common agreement on Jefferson?s words to the proposition of Chai Feldblum?

Challenge To Town Council Invocations Moves To Britain

Posted on May 04, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "Today's London Daily Mail reports that the National Secular Society (NSS) is filing a test suit against the Bideford Town Council, in North Devon. The suit claims that opening town council sessions with Christian prayer violates Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights that protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion ...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.