Religion & Law

Potential Supreme Court pick Garland could find foes on left

Posted on April 23, 2010
Washington Post: "Unlike several other possible candidates to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Merrick B. Garland probably won't face conservative opposition. Instead, it could be liberals lining up against him...

The rise and fall of Spanish ?super-judge? Baltasar Garzón

Posted on April 23, 2010
Soeren Kern writing at The Brussels Journal: "Baltasar Garzón, a high-profile Spanish judge and leftwing champion of the legal doctrine of universal jurisdiction, has been charged with abuse of power. Spanish Supreme Court investigating magistrate Luciano Varela charged Garzón with knowingly overstepping his jurisdiction by launching an illegal investigation into political crimes committed during and after the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War...

Kevin Keller debuts as first ?openly gay? character in Archie?s Veronica Comics

Posted on April 23, 2010
Washington Post: "Archie Comics announced Thursday that Riverdale High will enroll its first openly gay character in September."

Web, religious freedom on agenda as US-China rights dialogue resumes

Posted on April 23, 2010
Christian Science Monitor: "The Obama administration will soon face the first test of its policy toward human rights in China, after American officials announced on Thursday that they would resume human rights talks with Beijing in Washington next month ...

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ND: Proposal aims to lift ?burdens? off religion

Posted on April 23, 2010
Jamestown Sun: "A proposed North Dakota constitutional amendment would strengthen religious freedoms in the state two decades after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened them, the proposal's supporters say . . . The measure says a person's right 'to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief may not be burdened unless the government proves it has a compelling governmental interest' in regulating the behavior...

The Birth-Control Riddle: Fifty Years After the Pill?s Debut, Almost Half of Pregnancies in the U.S. Are Unplanned

Posted on April 23, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "Yet despite all these options, the rates of unplanned pregnancies remain high: Almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S.?some 3.1 million a year?are unintended, according to the most recent government survey, from 2001. One out of every two American women aged 15 to 44 has at least one unplanned pregnancy in her lifetime...

Canadian FLDS Leader Denied Advance of Legal Fees In B.C. Polygamy Reference

Posted on April 23, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Canada last October, British Columbia's Attorney General decided that instead of appealing the dismissal of polygamy charges that were filed against the leaders of two FLDS factions, the province would instead ask the British Columbia Supreme Court for clarification on the law's constitutionality ...

Korea?s Supreme Court Says Private Mission School Must Respect Students? Religious Rights

Posted on April 23, 2010
Religion Clause: "JoongAng Daily reports on the decision that held students' religious freedom must be respected even by private mission schools because students are assigned to the schools through a random lottery instead of by their own choice."

Kentucky High Court Voids Funding of Pharmacy Building, Scholarships At Baptist University

Posted on April 23, 2010
"the Kentucky Supreme Court held that a $10 million state appropriation for construction of a pharmacy school at a Baptist college violates the provision in Kentucky's Constituiton that prohibits public funding of 'any church, sectarian or denominational school' ...

Canadian legislation would require judges to speak French and English without interpreter

Posted on April 23, 2010
Canadian Constitutional Foundation: "If ever Canada?s Senate needed an opportunity to demonstrate its value by imparting 'sober second thought' to the legislative process, that moment arrived on April 13, 2010, when Bill C-232 landed on Senators? desks...

New Law Expands Florida Tax Credit School Voucher Program

Posted on April 23, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: “Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist yesterday signed SB 2126, a bill that dramatically expands Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program.”

Despite detrimental redefinitions, economist remains optimistic about future of marriage

Posted on April 23, 2010
U. of Dallas News: "In [Jennifer Roeback] Morse's opinion, the legalization of no-fault divorce is the most destructive redefinition of marriage. 'No-fault divorce takes away the permanence feature of marriage,' Morse said. 'Legally speaking, you do not have a binding contract...

GOP ramps up attacks on SEC over porn surfing

Posted on April 23, 2010
Findlaw (AP): "Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the Securities and Exchange Commission following reports that senior agency staffers spent hours surfing pornographic websites on government-issued computers while they were supposed to be policing the nation's financial system...

?Can a Public Law School Constitutionally Require a Christian Student Group Not to Exclude Non-Christians and Gay Persons? The Supreme Court Will Decide?

Posted on April 23, 2010
Vikram David Amar and Alan Brownstein write at Findlaw: "In this column, we discuss an interesting case on which the Supreme Court heard oral argument this week. It concerns student First Amendment rights and a public university's efforts to combat discrimination and promote diversity...

Doug Napier on KTVK 3: Save the National Day of Prayer

Posted on April 23, 2010
ADF attorney Doug Napier appeared on KTVK 3 TV to discuss the National Day of Prayer ruling. This video is a few days old, but it does provide a good overview about the National Day of Prayer. The Obama administration has since announced that it will appeal the ruling...

Democrats set showdown vote on Wall Street bill

Posted on April 23, 2010
AP: "Declaring themselves short of patience, Democrats set an initial showdown vote for next Monday on legislation to clamp new regulations on the financial industry while Republicans insisted on more bargaining . . . "

Montana group excluded, ?too religious?

Posted on April 23, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed suit against Montana over an employee charitable gift fund . . . '[O]ur client is the Montana Family Foundation (MFF), and they applied to participate in this program and to be able to receive donations from state employees,' [ADF Attorney Jonathan Scruggs] explains...

Alliance Defense Fund sends Nat?l Day of Prayer letters

Posted on April 23, 2010
Religion and Values: "The Alliance Defense Fund has sent letters to mayors across the country telling them that it is OK to observe the National Day of Prayer on May 6." | ADF News Release

Legal skirmish colors National Day of Prayer

Posted on April 23, 2010
Pew Forum (RNS): "On Thursday (April 22), the Justice Department said it would appeal the decision, capping a week of political uproar from conservatives after Judge Barbara Crabb of Madison, Wis., issued her April 15 ruling. The Alliance Defense Fund ...

Joel Oster on Reality Check Live: National Day of Prayer and other pending cases

Posted on April 23, 2010
ADF attorney Joel Oster appeared on Reality Check Live with Mike and Clairie Monokian to discuss the National Day of Prayer ruling and other cases. | The MP3 runs just over 13 minutes.

Greg Baylor Washington Watch Weekly with Tony Perkins: CLS v. Martinez oral arguments at the Supreme Court

Posted on April 23, 2010
ADF attorney Greg Baylor appeared on Washington Watch Weekly with Tony Perkins to discuss the National Day of Prayer ruling. | The MP3 runs just over 9 minutes.

High Court hears arguments on Christian student group

Posted on April 23, 2010
The New American: "The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments April 19 to decide whether or not a public institution can deny recognition to a student group if the group requires that only practicing Christians can be members . . . 'Forcing CLS to have an atheist lead its Bible studies is as absurd as the College Democrats being forced to elect Republican officers ? which under the current Hastings policy is indeed required,' argued ADF Senior Legal Counsel [Gregory Baylor], who is assisting in arguing the case before the Supreme Court...

Mike Johnson on ?A Call to Decision?: The Battle for Religious Freedom is Urgent

Posted on April 23, 2010
ADF attorney Mike Johnson appeared on a "A Call to Decision" with Pastor Butch Paugh to discuss various battles for Religious Freedom in our nation. | The MP3 runs just over 38 minutes.

Mike Johnson on the Hugh Hewitt Show: The National Day of Prayer ruling

Posted on April 23, 2010
ADF attorney Mike Johnson appeared on the Hugh Hewitt Show to discuss the National Day of Prayer ruling. | The MP3 runs just over 5 minutes.

Vatican will finance adult stem cell research

Posted on April 23, 2010
AP: "The Vatican will finance new research into the potential use of adult stem cells in the treatment of intestinal and possibly other diseases, officials announced Friday."

Jim Daly: A day of prayer for judicial common sense

Posted on April 23, 2010
Jim Daly, CEO of Focus on the Family, has this commentary at the Washington Post on the National Day of Prayer ruling. He writes: "To even the casual observer, Judge Crabbs's decision was a curious and perplexing one. After all, there have been federally recognized days of prayer in America for as long as there have been stars on the flag ...

Obama says Arizona immigration bill ?misguided?

Posted on April 23, 2010
AP: "President Barack Obama says the government must enact immigration reform at the national level - or leave the door open to 'irresponsibility by others.'"

Two States Drop Gambling Expansion Bills

Posted on April 23, 2010
Citizen Link: "Alabama and New Hampshire have both killed bills that would have expanded gambling. In Alabama, SB 380 would have allowed a vote this November on electronic bingo, but it was pulled from consideration by the sponsor . . . "

?Pro-Life? Democrats Face Tough Election After Health Care Vote

Posted on April 23, 2010
Citizen Link: "Four political action committees are targeting incumbents who voted for the health care reform law, despite their 'pro-life' claims."

ACLU asks Chesterfield to steer clear of Bible course

Posted on April 23, 2010
Augusta Free Press: "The ACLU of Virginia has asked the Textbook Review Committee of Chesterfield County Public Schools to drop from consideration a controversial Bible study course that may unconstitutionally promote religious beliefs in public schools...

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