Religion & Law

Icelandic church delays decision on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on April 30, 2010
IceNews: "The National Church of Iceland yesterday took no formal position on a current parliamentary bill which would amend marriage laws to include gay couples. The national synod instead voted to refer the matter to the church?s doctrine and rites committee...

Poll affirms a vote for judicial know-how; 22% view ?gay? nominee as ?negative factor?

Posted on April 30, 2010
Washington Post: "A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that judicial experience is the most valued quality among a list of professional and personal characteristics. Seven in 10 say service as a judge is a positive quality for a Supreme Court nominee, while only 5 percent see it as a negative...

Jim Bopp, Jr.: Freedom manifesto key to Republican comeback

Posted on April 29, 2010
James Bopp, Jr. writes at the Washington Times: "We are at another turning point. President Obama is pursuing a socialist agenda based upon a demand for radical equality. As embraced by modern-day liberals, this is not equal opportunity, but equality of outcomes...

MD: Montgomery County takes baby steps toward charter schools

Posted on April 29, 2010
Washington Post: "Although charter schools have become firmly established in the District's education world, stepping over to Montgomery County means entering a charter desert . . . "

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Dumped by Cameron, now Tory hopeful?s job in peril

Posted on April 29, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A former Tory candidate who was dropped by David Cameron because of his beliefs on same-sex conduct has been suspended from his job as a primary school teacher, according to reports. Philip Lardner?s suspension from work, as reported by Scottish Television (STV), follows a media storm earlier this week after his views on homosexual conduct were attacked by a homosexual news website...

Canada: B.C. school disputes lesbian teacher?s allegations

Posted on April 29, 2010
The Vancouver Sun: "Officials at a Vancouver Catholic school are disputing the story of a music teacher who says she was fired after it emerged she was a lesbian whose partner had recently given birth."

Greg Baylor: Further Response to Prof. Hamilton re CLS v. Martinez

Posted on April 29, 2010
Breg Baylor writes at the Speak Up Movement, Academic Freedom File: "In March, Professor Marci Hamilton of Cardozo School of Law published a columnon the FindLaw website regarding Christian Legal Society v. Martinez.  I wrote a response, and FindLaw graciously published it...

Fenty apologizes for honoring leader of ?ex-gay? movement

Posted on April 29, 2010
Washington Post | D.C. Wire: "D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty apologized today over his decision to issue a certificate of appreciation honoring the leader of the 'ex-gay' movement, which believes homosexuals can be 'rehabilitated.'"

Two church-state rulings reach opposite conclusions

Posted on April 29, 2010
Cleveland Jewish News: "A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that an eight-foot Christian cross on government parkland in California did not violate the First Amendment?s Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion...

White House Less Concerned about Religious Freedom, Report Says

Posted on April 29, 2010
Christian Post: "Though the U.S. government should be increasingly mindful of religious freedom in its foreign policy and national security decisions, the opposite has occurred, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated its its 11th annual report ...

UK: Christian counsellor loses court fight over sacking

Posted on April 29, 2010
"Lord Justice Laws said legislation to protect views held purely on religious grounds could not be justified. He said it was an irrational idea 'but it is also divisive, capricious and arbitrary'."

MA: School Bully Bill Expected To Pass Thursday

Posted on April 29, 2010
WBZTV.com: "A final version of the anti-bullying bill goes to both the state Senate and House for votes today. Both sides are expected to pass the legislation, sending it to Gov. Deval Patrick for a signature. Read: The Bully Bill (pdf)."

Canada Has It Both Ways On International Abortion Funding & U.S. role

Posted on April 29, 2010
Jaclyn Schiff writes at NPR: "Although Canada came out recently against abortion funding, Oda's comments suggest the door is open for other G8 countries to follow their own course on aid for maternal and child health, including supporting abortion. As for the U...

John Cornyn: GOP leaders want their money back from Charlie Crist

Posted on April 29, 2010
Christian Science Monitor: "With Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist expected to formally announce late Thursday that he will run for the Senate as an independent, GOP leaders made clear they would do their best to starve him of campaign funds ...

Senate Democrats to unveil immigration plan

Posted on April 29, 2010
The Hill: "The memo indicates the Democrats' plan includes measures to bolster border security and unify standards for the detention and removal of illegal immigrants. The plan also provides a path to U.S. citizenship for illegal immigrants who agree to some penalties, including paying back-taxes ...

No Pro-Life Democrats Who Backed Pro-Abortion Health Care Back New Hyde Bill

Posted on April 29, 2010
LifeNews: "None of the pro-life Democrats who backed the pro-abortion health care bill in the House have signed on a co-sponsors of new legislation to apply the Hyde amendment to it. The new bill, the Protect Life Act, would fix the several different ways in which the measure funds abortions ...

?Gays and God are not mutually exclusive?

Posted on April 29, 2010
The Webster University Journal: "Every vote counts . . . well, except those big, flaming gay ones. That's the stance the Christian Legal Society took in 2004 and is now defending in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The CLS is a student group at the University of California's Hastings College of Law ...

What do you call an illegal legal society?

Posted on April 29, 2010
Hannah Shtein writing in The Badger-Herald: "UC Hastings Dean Leo Martinez claims that rejecting members on the basis of sexual orientation is indeed discrimination. Countering this, CLS attorney [Greg Baylor]states that it is not discrimination for a belief-grounded group to require that its members share its core values...

American Legion: Hill praises High Court for cross ruling

Posted on April 29, 2010
The American Legion: "'To remove the Mojave Cross, or to conceal it inside a plywood box as it has been for several months, is a violation of free expression in itself,' American Legion National Commander Clarence Hill said . . . 'This is a great victory, and a testimony to the commitment and influence of The American Legion,' said [Joe Infranco], senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund...

GOP Senators Hammer Nominee on Death Penalty Case

Posted on April 29, 2010
Blog of the Legal Times: "Judge Robert Chatigny, nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, faced withering questions today from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee about how he handled the case of a notorious serial killer...

5th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In Challenge To Texas Pledge of Allegiance

Posted on April 29, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "Yesterday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Croft v. Perry, (recording or oral arguments), an Establishment Clause challenge to the Texas Pledge of Allegiance recited in public schools in Texas."

USCIRF Releases 2010 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom

Posted on April 29, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In a press release today, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced the release of its 2010 Annual Report. The Report recommends to Congress, the White House and the State Department that 13 countries be listed as "countries of particular concern (CPCs)" -- countries where the most egregious violations of religious freedom are taking place ...

Chaplains oppose ?Don?t Ask Don?t Tell? repeal

Posted on April 29, 2010
CBN: "'If they preach or counsel soldiers, airman, sailors, or soldiers, etc., that marriage is only one man and woman woman, certain types of behavior or immoral, they will be in direct conflict with military policy if this law is changed by Congress,' said [Jordan Lorence], Senior Counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund...

No more National Days of Prayer?

Posted on April 29, 2010
Virtue Online: 'The judge has, in effect, declared 250 years of American Christian heritage is unconstitutional,' declared [Alan Sears], President of the Alliance Defense Fund."

Veterans memorial given Supreme clearance

Posted on April 29, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney [Joe Infranco] tells OneNewsNow the initial lawsuit was filed by one of the usual groups. 'Essentially what you have here is a case brought by the ACLU -- America's number-one religious censor -- that was based upon the wounded sensibilities of a lone atheist who was "offended" by the fact that there was a cross on this property,' Infranco illustrates...

Military is muzzling chaplains and others who support ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell? policy on homosexuality, former chaplains say

Posted on April 29, 2010
CNSNews: "'The chaplains of many of the world?s religions believe that marriage is defined only as one man and one woman and that certain types of sexual behavior are immoral,' [Jordan Lorence] told reporters. 'It is hard to think in the past in American history where formal U...

Christian lawyers claim religious persecution: Will the Supreme Court agree?

Posted on April 29, 2010
Religion Dispatches: "Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a closely-watched case by both the religious right and civil liberties advocates . . . [Alan Sears], the president of the Alliance Defense Fund (which is CLS's co-counsel in the case), told the Values Voters Summit in 2007, 'the homosexual agenda and religious freedom are on a collision course,' and claimed the goals of the 'homosexual agenda' included silencing religious speech ...

Mojave cross can stand

Posted on April 29, 2010
California Catholic Daily: "'The ACLU and its allies should not be able to demolish war memorials based on the objection of one person who can?t seriously claim to have suffered harm from it,? said ADF Senior Counsel [Jordan Lorence]. 'Americans want memorials to our nations? fallen heroes protected...

Mojave symbol should stay, high court rules

Posted on April 29, 2010
San Diego Union-Tribune: "'The majority decision recognizes we have a strong religious tradition in this country and (that) the display of religious symbols in certain circumstances doesn?t violate the Constitution,' said [Joseph Infranco], a lawyer with the Alliance Defense Fund, which was involved in the Mojave and Mount Soledad cases...

Court backs Mojave cross deal; case sent back to 9th Circuit

Posted on April 29, 2010
Redlands Daily Facts: "Joseph Infranco, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said the Supreme Court's decision sends a strong message to the 9th Circuit court. 'If they do not straighten this out and get it right and allow the land transfer to stand, I'd be surprised if the Supreme Court does not overturn them again and slap their hand a little harder,' Infranco said...

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