Religion & Law

PA: Sexting is no felony, bill says

Posted on January 25, 2010
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "So Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee will discuss House Bill 2189, introduced by Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, which would classify sexting by minors -- youths under 18 -- as a second-degree misdemeanor instead of a felony, as it now can be classified...

Judge extends lesbian custody suit, finds Lisa Miller in contempt of court

Posted on January 25, 2010
Vermont Times-Argus: "A Rutland Family court judge is giving a Virginia mother at the center of a same-sex custody battle 30 days to comply with his order before he imposes sanctions that could include a warrant for her arrest."

Teens turn to new options for birth control

Posted on January 25, 2010
Baylor College of Medicine: "Teens and young adults who opt for hormonal birth control are bypassing the pill and choosing longer term options like injections and implants, said a Baylor College of Medicine expert on teen sexual health."

Phoenix Diocese pushes to make stronger marriage bonds

Posted on January 25, 2010
Arizona Republic: "With the definition of marriage being challenged nationwide, the Catholic Church in Phoenix has introduced significant changes in its program for couples who want a church wedding lengthening the preparation time from six to nine months...

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UK: Lords defeat gov?t over church staff

Posted on January 25, 2010
The Christian Institute: "The Government has lost in the House of Lords over its attempt in the Equality Bill to alter the law on who churches and other faith-based groups can employ. Peers voted 216 to 178 in favour of Lady O'Cathain?s amendment to keep the current law unchanged...

Iowa: Legislator, religious group team up for ?Christian education? series at Capitol

Posted on January 25, 2010
Iowa Independent: "In an e-mail to supporters allegedly on behalf of Republican state Sen. Nancy Boettger of Harlan, Iowa Family Policy Center?s action arm announced that Senate Room 24 in the Iowa Capitol was reserved at 10 a.m. Monday, and at that same time for the remainder of the legislative session, for a showing of 'The Truth Project...

Moscow mayor calls ?gay pride? march ?Satanic?

Posted on January 25, 2010
AFP: "'A gay parade... cannot be called anything but a Satanic act,' Yury Luzhkov told an education conference, quoted by Interfax news agency. 'We haven't permitted such a parade and we won't permit it in the future.'"

Out-of-state lawyers needn?t take AZ bar exam

Posted on January 24, 2010
AZ  Daily Star: "It took more than three years, but the state Supreme Court has approved new rules that will make it much easier for attorneys from other states to ply their trade in Arizona . . . On paper, the regulations will allow lawyers who have been in business elsewhere to be admitted to practice law here without first taking and passing the bar exam in Arizona...

Hawaii Senate approves civil unions by 18-7 vote

Posted on January 24, 2010
"House Bill 444 cleared the state Senate yesterday on an 18-7 vote. It now goes to the House, which supported the bill last year but is now not promising passage."

Marriage IS what matters most to family stability as only 3% of unmarried couples stay together until their child is 16

Posted on January 22, 2010
'Based on data of 15,000 new mothers, marriage is the single biggest predictor, above and beyond the effects of income, education, age, ethnic group, benefit receipt and birth order. 'In a new analysis using census data, I found that 60 per cent of families remain intact until their children are 15...

Department of Communities appoints Muslim activist as faith adviser

Posted on January 22, 2010
Telegraph: "A Muslim activist advising the Government on religion is the former president of an Islamic student society, which has been linked to extremists."

Church of England to debate BBC?s marginalisation of Religion

Posted on January 22, 2010
Christian Concern for Our Nation: "The General Synod of the Church of England is preparing to debate the ?lack of sympathy? and sensationalist and unduly critical nature of religious programming on British television amid growing discontent about a decline in output...

Equality Bill ?dangerously? trying to force religious belief behind closed doors, bishops warn

Posted on January 22, 2010
Telegraph: "Bishops have accused the Government of 'dangerously? trying to force religion behind closed doors while defending the beliefs of minority groups such as homosexuals."

Lesbian wins election in Iowa

Posted on January 22, 2010
GayPolitics.com: "Democratic candidate Janelle Rettig, an open lesbian, won election to the Johnson County, Iowa Board of Supervisors in a special election last night."

?Prop 8 trial witness: Being gay not a choice?

Posted on January 22, 2010
The Atlanta J. Constitution (AP) carries this report on the examination of one Proposition 8 supporter . . . "Hak-Shing William Tam of San Francisco spent five hours testifying Thursday as a hostile plaintiffs' witness to prove that bias toward gays fueled the 2008 campaign to pass the voter-approved measure, known as Proposition 8 ...

Group That Alerted Media to Biblical Markings on Rifle Sights Wants Congress to Investigate ?Military Religious Extremism?

Posted on January 22, 2010
CNSNews: Trijicon?s ?outrageous practice? of stamping Christian references on rifle scopes used by the U.S. military 'was an unconstitutional disgrace of the highest magnitude to our military and an action that clearly gave additional incentive and emboldenment to recruiters for our nation?s enemies,' Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) head Mikey Weinstein said, after Trijicon Inc...

SD: Sexual orientation added to district?s discrimination policy

Posted on January 22, 2010
"The wording was added Thursday night by a 4-2 vote after the policy change sparked controversy and drew hundreds of people to school board meetings during the past month and a half . . ."

China Says U.S. Criticism of Its Internet Policy Harms Ties

Posted on January 22, 2010
NY Times: "The Chinese Foreign Ministry lashed out Friday against criticism of China in a speech on Internet censorship made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, calling on the United States government 'to respect the truth and to stop using the so-called Internet freedom question to level baseless accusations...

Wesley J. Smith: Proposition 71 a ?Failure?

Posted on January 22, 2010
Wesley J. Smith writes at First Things: "California?s Proposition 71 was intended to create a $3 billion West Coast counterpart to the National Institutes of Health, empowered to go where the NIH could not ? either because of federal policy or funding restraints on biomedical research centered on human embryonic stem cells?Five years later, ESCR has failed to deliver and backers of Prop 71 are admitting failure...

Calgary Church Loses Charity Status: Opposition to Abortion, Homosexuality Cited as Reasons

Posted on January 22, 2010
"The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has revoked the charitable status of Kings Glory Fellowship (KGF), a Christian church in Calgary."

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks: Prop. 8 Trial Update for Thurs. Jan 21, 2009

Posted on January 22, 2010
"This entire trial has been little more than an attempt by activists advancing the homosexual legal agenda to use emotion and sympathy in order to convince the court that marriage is unconstitutional . . . Before leaving the witness stand, Dr. Segura made an astounding statement...

Egypt court: Ban on full veils violated women?s rights

Posted on January 22, 2010
WorldBulletin: "Egypt's High Administrative Court overturned on Wednesday a ban on female students wearing the niqab, or full face veil, in university examinations, saying it violated women's constitutional rights."

Ireland: ?Public offices cannot deny gay couples?

Posted on January 22, 2010
Irish Times: "Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh warned that public facilities should not be closed to gay couples seeking to obtain a civil partnership. Some proposals, he said, had been made for what would, in effect, amount to discrimination, namely, that offices of the State should be allowed to withhold, or not participate in, civil partnership ceremonies...

Court Holds Church Can Tear Down Historic Rectory

Posted on January 22, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Stamford, Connecticut, a state trial court judge on Wednesday refused to enjoin St. Andrew's Episcopal Church from tearing down its its 136-year old rectory building . . . "

Michael J. New: The pro-life comeback of 2009

Posted on January 22, 2010
Michael J. New writing at National Review Online: "It?s no secret that the pro-life movement lost significant ground during the 2008 elections. However, the events of 2009 have clearly demonstrated the movement?s resiliency and heft. Indeed, it is safe to say that pro-lifers have been the most effective opponents of Obamacare...

Massachusetts: Diocese Challenges Designation of Church As Historic District

Posted on January 22, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "Yesterday's Springfield (MA) Republican reported that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has filed suit in state court seeking to enjoin enforcement of a city ordinance enacted last December that creates an historic district out of Our Lady of Hope Church...

Austin R. Nimocks on the Hugh Hewitt Show: Prop. 8 trial ?expert? says ?gay and lesbian? community in California has no reliable political allies

Posted on January 22, 2010
ADF attorney Austin R. Nimocks appeared on the Hugh Hewitt Show to discuss Thursday's proceedings in the Proposition 8 trial. The MP3 runs just under 5 minutes.

Alaska Appellate Court Says Religious Belief in Marijuana Was Not Sincere

Posted on January 22, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Lineker v. State, (AK Ct. App., Jan 20, 2010), the Alaska Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision upheld a trial court's finding that defendants had not established that their possession of marijuana was supported by a sincere religious belief...

Obama is bribing states to accept national curriculum

Posted on January 22, 2010
Robert Holland writes at EducationNews.org: "Alongside the attempted federalization of health care in Washington, with details being hashed out behind closed doors, a parallel bid to nationalize K-12 education is going forward more subtly but just as surely...

?The right man is getting harder to find?

Posted on January 22, 2010
Richard Whitmire writing in the Wall Street Journal: "There's no single answer to the 'why' question, but social scientists agree that the education mismatch Ms. Downtain experiences with men is a significant player behind the increase in college-educated women choosing single motherhood ...

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