Religion & Law

?The Absurd Fate of Frozen Embryos?

Posted on February 25, 2010
Zenit: "Because the Catholic Church's plea to not create this bioethical dilemma went unheeded by many biopharmaceutical companies, the Vatican is now forced to make a moral judgment on the fate of hundreds of thousands of frozen lives. Brian Scarnecchia, president of the International Solidarity and Human Rights Institute and professor of law at Ave Maria Law School, recently delivered a lecture on this developing issue at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace...

Patriarch pleads with Iraqi Prime Minister to protect Christians

Posted on February 25, 2010
CNA: "The Patriarch of the Syro-Catholic Church sent an urgent letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister on Wednesday pleading for government intervention to establish peace and security for Iraqi Christians, especially those in Mosul."

WV: Voters may decide marriage issue

Posted on February 25, 2010
News and Sentinel: "Local legislators believe a resolution calling for a statewide vote to amend the state constitution to include a legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman should be allowed to come out of committee and be presented to voters ...

KY: Sexting bill sails through House Judiciary Committee

Posted on February 25, 2010
WLKY: "The so-called 'sexting' legislation was unanimously approved by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. If signed into law, the bill would allow judges to fine juveniles for sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos via cell phone, instead of subjecting them to much more serious penalties...

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AL: Sexting becoming serious problem in DeKalb County

Posted on February 25, 2010
DeKalb County Times-Journal: "[DeKalb Sheriff?s Major Crimes Unit Commander Wade Hill] said the practice of children sending nude photos or sexually explicit messages by way of cell phone texts ? commonly known as 'sexting' ? is a growing phenomenon in DeKalb County...

Illinois ponders sexting trend

Posted on February 25, 2010
Post-Dispatch: "Now Illinois proponents are calling for the creation of other legal options that would allow authorities to intervene without filing criminal charges against minors. Two measures under consideration in Springfield would provide legal power to force minors into counseling, community service and other responses short of incarceration if they engage in sexting...

Introducing Jakarta?s ?polygamy club?

Posted on February 25, 2010
CNN: "Abuya, a 72-year-old preacher based in Malaysia, began lecturing on Islam and polygamy in 1968. He set up the company Global Ikhwan in 1997 and it has thousands of members around the world with clubs similar to the one in Jakarta in Europe, the Middle East and North America...

NY: ?Campaign goes after opponents of gay marriage?

Posted on February 25, 2010
New York Times: "Angered by the defeat last year of a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, a group of well-financed gay rights advocates has started a political action committee to take aim at state senators who have opposed same-sex marriage ...

?Abortion Numbers Fall Worldwide?

Posted on February 25, 2010
ABC: "About one in every five pregnancies ends in abortion, the global survey found . . . The report, by researchers at the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization, also found that abortion rates were unaffected by whether or not the procedure was legal or not in a particular country ...

Florida: Area lawmaker seeks abortion ban

Posted on February 25, 2010
The Gainesville Sun: "Abortion providers, people who assist them, and operators of clinics where abortions occur could receive long prison sentences under a new bill that mandates a wide-ranging state ban on the procedure."

Poll shows concern about American influence waning as China?s grows

Posted on February 25, 2010
Washington Post: "Facing high unemployment and a difficult economy, most Americans think the United States will have a smaller role in the world economy in the coming years, and many believe that while the 20th century may have been the 'American Century,' the 21st century will belong to China ...

UK: ?This tide of anti-Muslim hatred is a threat to us all?

Posted on February 25, 2010
The Guardian: "As long as British governments back wars and occupations in the Middle East and Muslim world, there will continue to be a risk of violence in Britain. But attempts to drive British Muslims out of normal political activity, and the refusal to confront anti-Muslim hatred, can only ratchet up the danger and threaten us all...

Maryland: ?Bills would make divorce easier, as long as there?s no sex?

Posted on February 25, 2010
The Capital: "Zirkin is a lawyer who works with divorcing couples. He said the three bills he presented Wednesday to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee are an effort to 'modernize (Maryland's) laws of divorce.' One way he hopes to change the law: redefining what it means for people to live 'separate and apart...

European Council President Van Rompuy insulted in parliament: ?Who are you, who voted for you??

Posted on February 25, 2010
EU Observer: "Herman Van Rompuy was subjected to a series of personal insults on Wednesday (24 February) spoiling his maiden appearance in the European Parliament as president of the European Council. Mid-way through a fairly tame exchange of views on EU policy, Mr Van Rompuy was visibly shocked and uncomfortable when comments by British eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage took a personal turn...

Nepal: Anti-Christian Sentiment Marks Journey for Bhutan?s Exiles

Posted on February 25, 2010
Christian Post: "Thrust from their homes in Bhutan after Buddhist rulers embarked on an ethnic and religious purge, Christian refugees in Nepal face hostilities from Hindus and others."

China extends position as world?s leading food producer

Posted on February 25, 2010
Business Daily: "China extended its position as the world?s leading food producer in 2008, when its agricultural production jumped 30%, measured by value, World Trade Organization data show. Chinese farm production rose to $759,94 billion in 2008 . . ...

Washington Supreme Court clarifies standard for nonparental custody petitions

Posted on February 25, 2010
In re Custody of: E.A.T.W. and E.Y.W., No. No. 81945-9 (Wash. Feb. 25, 2010) J.M. JOHNSON, J. -- Vito and Yasuko Grieco brought a nonparental custody action for permanent custody of their two grandsons, E.A.T.W. and E.Y.W., under chapter 26.10 RCW...

NY: School challenged after dismissing Christian club

Posted on February 25, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed suit against a New York school district after officials cancelled a Christian club . . . according to ADF senior counsel David Cortman . . . 'There were over 55 students on the club roster, and as a matter of fact, when they canceled the club, over 90 students signed a petition for the club to start back up again,' Cortman reports...

Appeals continue to seek stay of D.C. same-sex ?marriage? law

Posted on February 25, 2010
Catholic News Agency: "Opponents of a Washington, D.C. same-sex ?marriage? law are appealing a court order that denied a motion to prevent the law from going into effect . . . 'The people have a right to have the final say on any law regarding marriage passed by the D...

Same-sex ?marriage? opponents appeal before measure goes into effect in March

Posted on February 25, 2010
DC Headlines Examiner: "Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, two conservative groups active in the nation's capital, lodged the appeal on Wednesday. Attorneys for the two organizations placed the appeal in the hopes of allowing the issue of same-sex marriage to be decided by a popular vote...

Same-sex ?marriage? opponents appeal, advocates look to March 3

Posted on February 25, 2010
Washington Post, D.C. Wire: "Attorneys for Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization, today appealed a court order that upheld a D.C. Board of Elections ruling against a referendum on the issue . . . 'We are appealing because the District's marriage redefinition law shouldn't go into effect until voters have the opportunity to vote on a critical matter that affects everyone in the District,' senior legal counsel Austin R...

U.K. Commons Passes Sex-Ed Bill Forcing Schools to Promote Homosexuality, Abortion

Posted on February 25, 2010
"Under the bill, schools, both religious and secular, will be required to give children information on homosexual relationships as well as artificial contraception and abortion."

Woman Draws Pro-Life Shock by Live Blogging Abortion on Twitter, YouTube

Posted on February 25, 2010
LifeNews: "A woman who calls herself Angie the Atheist is prompting shock from pro-life advocates for live-blogging her drug-induced abortion and putting update on Twitter as she goes through the process. Angie recounts the process in graphic terms and displays a hatred for pro-life detractors...

Appeal filed in Forsyth prayer ruling

Posted on February 25, 2010
FOX 8: "The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and organizations that is representing the county, filed the appeal electronically Wednesday night . . . Mike Johnson, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, said he expects it to take several months before a date for oral arguments in the case to be set...

Forsyth County appeals prayer ruling: A vote of Olympian shortsightedness

Posted on February 25, 2010
Wall of Separation, blog of Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "Two activists with Americans United served as plaintiffs in the case, which was litigated by the North Carolina branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Not surprisingly, we hailed the court?s decision...

Negligent Supervision Claims Against Archdiocese Dismissed on 1st Amendment Grounds

Posted on February 25, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In two decisions handed down on Tuesday, Doe v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis and Nicholson v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis, (MO Ct. App., Feb. 23, 2010), a Missouri state appellate court held it is bound by Missouri Supreme Court holdings on whether the 1st Amendment to the U...

Before Justices, First Amendment and Aid to Terrorists

Posted on February 25, 2010
NY Times: "The line between speech protected by the First Amendment and aid to terrorists appeared elusive at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, and the justices? lively questioning complicated rather than clarified matters. They discussed travel to Cuba, the Communist and Nazi Parties, Tokyo Rose, treason and whether it is a crime to teach a terrorist how to play the harmonica...

NY: Employee Loses Sabbath Accommodation Claim

Posted on February 25, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Waltzer v. Triumph Apparel Corp., (SD NY, Feb. 18, 2010), a New York federal district court rejected claims under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and under the New York City Human Rights Law by a former employee of an apparel manufacturer who wanted to leave work early on Friday afternoons to accommodate her observance of the Jewish Sabbath ...

Muslim home schooling on the rise

Posted on February 25, 2010
One News Now: "A recent article in The Washington Post reports an increasing number of Muslims are turning to home schooling their children as an alternative to sending them to public schools, and that they are doing so for similar reasons as many non-Muslims: 'stronger academics, more family time, the ability to control their children's social interaction, and being able to teach them a Muslim worldview...

Florida Federal Court Rejects Jurisdiction In Church Homeless Shelter Challenge

Posted on February 25, 2010
Religious Clause Blog: "In Westgate Tabernacle v. Palm Beach County, (SD FL, Feb. 18, 2010), a Florida federal district court dismissed claims by a West Palm Beach church that its federal and state constitutional rights were violated by Palm Beach County's zoning enforcement efforts against its use of its church building as a homeless shelter ...

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