Religion & Law

Detroit strip club hearing draws pastors, dancers

Posted on February 23, 2010
WLNS.com: "Hundreds of strip club opponents and a smaller number of employees and other supporters of the clubs have packed a Detroit City Council hearing on whether to tighten adult business regulations."

Chicago Council on Global Affairs issues report on engaging religion in U.S. foreign policy

Posted on February 23, 2010
Co-chair Scott Appleby introduces the report at The Immanent Frame: "The TFR outlines the major elements of a comprehensive policy of constructive engagement with religions and religious actors abroad, indicating whom to engage, how to help them succeed, what vocabulary to use, and what the limits of such engagement are...

UK: DPP?s final guidance on assisted suicide due soon

Posted on February 23, 2010
The Christian Institute: "The Director of Public Prosecutions is preparing to issue his final guidelines on when cases of assisted suicide will be prosecuted. Keir Starmer QC, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for England and Wales, issued draft guidelines last year, explaining the circumstances under which he would be likely to prosecute a case of assisted suicide...

?Children sexualized from an increasingly early age?

Posted on February 23, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Children are being sexualised by computer games, easily accessible pornography and sexual slogans at an increasingly early age, according to a report due to be issued later this month. The report, written by Dr Linda Papadopolous, will reveal that girls feel pressurised to please boys, while boys feel pressurised to sleep with multiple girls...

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SC lawmakers OK state health plan abortion ban

Posted on February 23, 2010
AP: "South Carolina would cease state health insurance payments for abortions for victims of rape or incest under a measure approved Monday by a House budget panel."

College Professors Are More Likely to Believe ?Ten Commandments are Irrelevant Today,? New Study Says

Posted on February 23, 2010
CNSNews: "College professors are more likely than the average person to believe that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today -- and to think that America is a corrupting influence on good people, according to a new study released Monday . . . The study -- ?The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree and Civic Learning on American Beliefs? -- is available on the ISI Web site.

UK: Lap-dancing clubs increase while library numbers drop

Posted on February 23, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Lap-dancing clubs, casinos and betting shops are increasing in number in the UK, while the number of libraries and schools is falling, new figures show. The statistics have been called a modern day Domesday Book, with critics saying it shows the 'decline of traditional Britain...

BBC accused of ?zealous? drive for assisted suicide

Posted on February 23, 2010
Christian Institute: "The Care Not Killing Alliance has accused the BBC of providing 'biased' coverage on the issue, after it broadcast Sir Terry Pratchett?s lecture encouraging 'euthanasia tribunals.'"

Virginia: Legislative black caucus opposes McDonnell?s charter schools proposal

Posted on February 23, 2010
Washington Post: "The decison is somewhat surprising given that charter schools are strongly supported by President Obama and one of the caucus's own members, Del. Rosalyn R. Dance (D-Petersburg), is listed as a chief co-patron of one of the bills and appeared with McDonnell at his news conference...

In-Justice! Furor over O?s ?Gitmo? appointees

Posted on February 23, 2010
NY Post: "The Justice Department's disclosure that nine of President Obama's appointees had either represented or advocated for Guantanamo detainees has touched off a firestorm of criticism."

Maryland: ACLU Protests Treatment Of Girl Who Sat For Pledge

Posted on February 23, 2010
WJZ.com: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland is protesting the treatment of a middle-school student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance . . . "

A better path for charter schools in Virginia

Posted on February 23, 2010
Washington Post: "Most Virginia and Maryland jurisdictions have strong school systems. But if officials are so certain that no parents would welcome a choice, why not open the process? If there's no demand, charters won't come. As things stand, it's hard not to wonder why local boards fear the competition...

Pennsylvania: Sexually oriented businesses will need licenses

Posted on February 23, 2010
PhillyBurbs.com: "Doylestown Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve an ordinance that would require all sexually oriented businesses in the borough and their employees to be licensed by the borough."

Palestinian president warns of ?religious war?

Posted on February 23, 2010
Washington Post: "The Palestinian president warned Tuesday that the region could plunge into a 'religious war' over Israel's plans to recognize a disputed West Bank shrine as one of its own national heritage sites."

Marijuana use by seniors goes up as boomers age

Posted on February 22, 2010
AP: "The rise was most dramatic among 55- to 59-year-olds, whose reported marijuana use more than tripled from 1.6 percent in 2002 to 5.1 percent. Observers expect further increases as 78 million boomers born between 1945 and 1964 age . . . "

?Gay Soldiers Don?t Cause Disruption, Study Says?

Posted on February 22, 2010
NY Times: "The study, 'Gays in Foreign Militaries 2010: A Global Primer,' is to be released Tuesday by the Palm Center, a research group at the University of California, Santa Barbara."

Marriage more stable than cohabitation, research finds

Posted on February 22, 2010
Christianity Today: "Cohabitation is a less stable form of relationship today than it was 15 years ago and particularly for couples with children, says relationships charity The Jubilee Centre . . . Yet the analysis also showed that cohabitation does not serve as a ?trial marriage? but instead increases the odds of divorce...

Fla. Rep. Charles Van Zant seeks ban on abortion

Posted on February 22, 2010
Tallahassee.com: "A legislator who has travelled the world as a Baptist minister wants Florida to ban abortion ? inviting a U.S. Supreme Court rematch over law, morality and medicine . . . "

Why is Shirley Dobson Smiling? A federal lawsuit can?t shake her faith in religious liberty

Posted on February 22, 2010
National Day of Prayer: "The FFRF lawsuit is the first to challenge these annual proclamations, and ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot, who headed up Mrs. Dobson?s defense (in coordination with those representing the other defendants and the government), called the suit against Mrs...

Virginia: Christian Leaders Rally to De-Fund Abortion Provider

Posted on February 22, 2010
CBN: "The organizers of the Virginia de-funding Planned Parenthood rally are confident it will become a reality, especially with a pro-life governor in office. They are also hopeful that their actions will send a strong message to other states to do the same...

UK: Choice threatened by Whitehall sex ed grab

Posted on February 22, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A Government plan to centralise control of sex education in Whitehall will threaten parental choice and may squeeze Christian teachers out of their jobs, a top lawyer says."

Historical Display Goes Up in Sumter County, Georgia

Posted on February 22, 2010
Christian Newswire: "We are excited to announce that another set of the 'Foundations of American Law & Government Display' has been placed in a government building. This time the documents go up in the new Sumter County Courthouse in Americus, Ga...

Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate Partisan Politicking At Liberty University

Posted on February 22, 2010
"Americans United for Separation of Church and State today asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a pattern of partisan politics at Liberty University, asserting that Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. used school resources to intervene in a November House of Delegates election...

University of Wisconsin documents reveal taxpayer funding of abortion, in potential violation of state law

Posted on February 22, 2010
"Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Alliance Defense Fund have filed an additional open records request for any recent records regarding payments made between UW and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin."

European court no longer able to rule on crucifixes in Italy

Posted on February 22, 2010

Union moves to represent airport screeners

Posted on February 22, 2010
AP: "The nation's largest federal employee union is moving ahead with efforts to represent about 40,000 airport screeners even though the government has not given them collective bargaining rights."

Researchers Want NIH Stem-Cell Guidelines Changed to Protect Pro-Lifers

Posted on February 22, 2010
Citizen Link: "A team of researchers has recommended that the National Institutes of Health change its ethics guidelines for embryonic stem-cell research to protect the rights of embryo donors."

Disagree with the admiral on open homosexual behavior in the military No way!

Posted on February 22, 2010
One News Now: "A conservative military watchdog says the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was 'way out of line' when he recently asked troops if they supported repealing the ban on homosexuals serving in the military."

Senate GOP: Dems lack votes to use partisan tactic on health reform

Posted on February 22, 2010
The Hill: "Senate Republicans are claiming Democrats lack the votes to pass healthcare reform through reconciliation rules, but their math appears a bit fuzzy."

Nebraska legislature considers statewide regulation of sexually oriented businesses

Posted on February 22, 2010
Family First has issued an email update that reports: As of now, there is no state standard for these businesses. Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, Nebraska - District 44 introduced and priotitized LB 443. This bill would place statewide regulations on sexually oriented bookstores and strip clubs and would do the following: ? Require S...

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