Religion & Law

NY high school cancels burgeoning Christian club, lets 60 others remain

Posted on February 22, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "A student has teamed up with the Alliance Defense Fund to file a lawsuit against a New York school district after school officials cancelled her once-flourishing Christian club . . . 'Christian student groups in public schools shouldn?t be discriminated against simply because they are religious,' said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman...

Canada: ?How to Respond to Teachers Pushing Pro-Gay Curriculum: Family Group Advises Parents?

Posted on February 22, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "The B.C.-based pro-family group Parents for Democracy in Education (PDE) have released a set of answers that parents can provide to teachers who ignore their complaints about the spread of homosexualist ?propaganda? through the curricula of Canada's schools...

Health Backlash in the States

Posted on February 22, 2010
Wall Street Journal (paid subscription only): "A backlash against ObamaCare is moving beyond the Tea Parties and has now arrived in state capitals. In more than 30 states, legislators are proceeding to pass statutes or ballot initiatives that would guarantee the right to choose medical services and insurance...

Uzbekistan: Baptists removed from posts, forced to pay massive fines

Posted on February 22, 2010
Forum 18: "Uzbekistan continues to attack the country's registered Baptist Union, local Baptists have told Forum 18 News Service. One Baptist, Valery Konovalov, has been forced to pay a fine imposed in his absence, after he was forced to appear as a witness in the trial of three leaders of the Baptist Union...

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Abortion has become ?plague? in Mexico City, acknowledges government

Posted on February 22, 2010
CNA: "The government of Mexico City noted in a report this week that abortion has become a 'plague' in the capital, as 7 out of every 10 women who inquire about the procedure end up choosing abortion."

?Choose Life? license plate trend gaining

Posted on February 22, 2010
Washington Times: "Abortion rights advocates have been unable to halt the 'Choose Life' license plate variations in nearly two dozen states, so now they're working to balance the bumper debate."

Victory for NC bishops as state abandons plan to compare pro-life laws to segregation

Posted on February 22, 2010
Catholic Culture: "In a victory for North Carolina?s bishops, officials of the state?s Department of Public Instruction have altered a draft civics and economic curriculum that compared pro-life laws to segregation."

Nebraska: State could reshape abortion policy

Posted on February 22, 2010
Omaha.com: "Nebraska could reshape national abortion policy if lawmakers embrace a proposal to ban almost all abortions after a fetus reaches 20 weeks."

?When the Salvation Army enlists in the government?

Posted on February 22, 2010
David Waters writes at the Washington Post: "So now the Salvation Army has to sublimate its religious purpose to fulfill its religious purpose. Or does it? Aren't there ways to 'preach the gospel' and 'meet human needs' without proselytizing? To act like Jesus rather than talk about him?"

Why ?freedom of worship? is not enough

Posted on February 22, 2010
Ashley Samelson, who works in International Programs for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, writing at First Things, On The Square: "Recently, both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been caught using the phrase 'freedom of worship' in prominent speeches, rather than the 'freedom of religion' the President called for in Cairo ...

Head of White House Faith Based Office Outlines Its Goals

Posted on February 22, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "On Thursday, Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships gave a speech (full text) at the Brookings Institute on the broad vision of the Office and its work over its first year ...

Utah: Summum wants its Seven Aphorisms to join Ten Commandments in city park.

Posted on February 22, 2010
Salt Lake Tribune: "Pleasant Grove on Friday asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit by a Salt Lake City religious group seeking equal space for its own marker in a city park that has a Ten Commandments monument."

Harry Reid Promises Democrats Will Push Through Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill

Posted on February 22, 2010
LifeNews: "In a new interview, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised Democrats will attempt to railroad the pro-abortion health care bill through Congress. He promised Democrats will employ the controversial reconciliation process to push through the bill on a majority vote denying a filibuster...

Uganda Lawuit Challenges Polygamy; Government Says It Is Protected Religious Practice

Posted on February 22, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Uganda earlier this month, the women's rights organization Mifumi Uganda Ltd. filed a petition in the country's Constitutional Court seeking to have laws that permit men to practice polygamy, but do not permit women to have more than one husband, declared unconstitutional...

Military leaders face grilling on normalization of open homosexuality

Posted on February 22, 2010
One News Now (AP): "Lawmakers this week will press the military's top uniformed officers for the first time on whether they think repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' makes sense or would be too disruptive."

Jewish groups split on CLS v. Martinez

Posted on February 22, 2010
ADF Attorney Gregory S. Baylor writing at the Academic Freedom File: "Ms. Lauter suggests that if CLS prevails, public universities will be rendered utterly unable to address actual invidious discrimination. I continue to find it amusing that opponents of CLS?s position, finding themselves unable to mount a persuasive case against CLS itself, must resort to parades of hypothetical horribles...

ACLU threatens American way of life

Posted on February 22, 2010
Letter to the Editor in the Augusta Chronicle: "In their book, The ACLU vs. America, authors Alan Sears and Craig Osten quote Baldwin as saying: 'I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself ... . I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control by those who produce wealth...

?Donnelly touts dangers of gays in military?

Posted on February 22, 2010
NewsMax: "At a news conference in Washington, D.C. last Thursday, Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, argued against repeal of the current military eligibility law known as DADT that has been in effect since 1993 . . . Others speaking out against Obama?s plan to promote gays in the military included David Keene, President of the American Conservative Union; Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy; retired Admiral James A...

Debate bubbles over pulpit ?electioneering?

Posted on February 22, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel with ADF, faced off against Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which argues that 'pulpit-based electioneering' violates federal law and corrupts the true mission of faith communities ...

Stifling Campus Speech

Posted on February 22, 2010
NC Family Policy Council: "Nearly 60 percent of North Carolina?s colleges and universities have a speech policy, which seriously restricts students? First Amendment rights to free speech and free expression, according to a new report."

ABA Effort to Add Outcomes to Accreditation Standards Roils Law Deans

Posted on February 22, 2010
ABA Journal: "A proposed shift in ABA law school accreditation standards away from "input" measures?such student/faculty ratio or facilities?to student learning outcomes has law school deans talking; and worrying."

?Wis. Presbytery Approves Ordination of Openly Gay Man?

Posted on February 22, 2010
Christian Post: "In a closed meeting, a regional body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Saturday voted to ordain a partnered homosexual."

Obama?s Plan for Health Bill includes abortion funding

Posted on February 22, 2010
New York Times: "In the House, he needs 217 votes (the number is ordinarily 218, but two seats are vacant) ? a number that could be difficult to muster, especially because Mr. Obama?s bill does not include the tighter restrictions on payments for abortions favored by abortion opponents among House Democrats...

Isle of Man to consider civil partnership bill

Posted on February 22, 2010
BBC News: "Members of the Isle of Man's House of Keys will consider proposals to introduce civil partnerships on the island. The Civil Partnership Bill will have its first formal reading on Tuesday. If the bill is passed, gay and lesbian couples would be able to claim the same rights as those who are married...

Louisiana to appeal ?gay adoption? ruling

Posted on February 22, 2010
"A top state lawyer has confirmed that Attorney General Buddy Caldwell almost certainly will appeal a federal appeals court order requiring that Louisiana issue an amended birth certificate listing as parents two out-of-state men who, through a New York court, adopted a child born in Shreveport...

SC: Budget proposal would end state abortion coverage

Posted on February 22, 2010
CNBC: "Abortions wouldn't be covered for any reason by South Carolina's health insurance plan under a budget measure legislators have given an initial OK."

Idaho: Health workers? conscience rights proposal moves forward

Posted on February 22, 2010
Idaho Reporter: "A Senate committee has approved the proposal extending the freedom of conscience to pharmacists and other health care workers in circumstances involving emergency contraception and end of life care."

Federal court extends Citizens United; Enjoins San Diego law restricting corporate contributions

Posted on February 22, 2010
A federal district court today extended the principle of the recent Supreme Court case, Citizens United, to enjoin a law barring corporations from making contributions to independent expenditure committees. The court had earlier ruled that contributions to IE PACs may be unlimited.

Utah: Bill to change sex education dead on arrival

Posted on February 22, 2010
The Salt Lake Tribune: "After months of negotiations, a bill that would have changed sex education in Utah died with barely a whisper Monday morning after lawmakers chose not to talk about it. SB54 sought to change language in state law to clarify that Utah teachers are allowed to talk about contraception...

Mexicans seek 50,000 signatures to stop same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on February 22, 2010
Catholic News Agency: "Various civil and religious associations of Mexico, united under the organization 'Man+Woman=Marriage,' are working to collect 50,000 online signatures from Mexican voters in order to stop the recently-approved law allowing homosexuals to marry and adopt children...

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