Religion & Law

Judge in Case of Arrested Notre Dame Pro-Lifers is Married to Pro-Abortion ND Professor

Posted on September 30, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "The attorney representing the pro-lifers arrested while protesting Obama at Notre Dame today repeated his request that the judge in the case, who is married to a pro-abortion Notre Dame professor, be removed from the case."

Africa goes hardcore: The porn industry must take responsibility for the impact of its work on the developing world

Posted on September 30, 2009
Tim Samuels writes in The Guardian: "One of the unforeseen consequences of globalisation is the shocking effect that western porn is having in parts of the developing world."

Senate Panel Rejects Amdt to Cut Abortion Funding From Baucus Health Care Bill

Posted on September 30, 2009
LifeNews: "On a 13-10 vote, the Senate Finance Committee rejected amendments from Sen. Orrin Hatch that would have the bill conform to current federal law prohibiting direct abortion funding."

Letter From 183 House Members Urges Pelosi to Allow Vote to Cut Abortion Funding

Posted on September 30, 2009
LifeNews: "A bipartisan group of 183 members of Congress sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter on Monday urging her to allow a vote on an amendment to cut the massive abortion funding and subsidies from the main health care 'reform' bill in the chamber...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Arkansas AG: Does concealed handgun ban in church violate the First Amendment?

Posted on September 30, 2009
David Kopel writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: "An opinion released today by the Arkansas Attorney General says 'no.' Like most states, Arkansas allows adults to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun for lawful purposes, after passing a background check and safety class...

Planned Parenthood poll: ?NYC schools lack sex ed, but parents want it taught?

Posted on September 30, 2009
NBC New York: "More than 75 percent of New York voters mistakenly think sex ed is a part of the required school curriculum, while 85 percent want comprehensive sex education to be taught in school, according to a new study from Planned Parenthood of New York...

Judges to discuss church and state at University of Scranton

Posted on September 30, 2009
Media Newswire: "The University of Scranton's Schemel Forum will host a special session of its course on the separation of church and state. U.S. District Court Judges Thomas Vanaskie and John E. Jones III will join Morey M. Myers, Esq., for a class on Sept...

Gallup: Renewed desire for U.S. gov?t to promote traditional values

Posted on September 30, 2009
Gallup: "Americans now show a clear preference for the government's promoting of 'traditional values,' a change from recent years, when the public's views were more divided, but a return to the prevailing view from 1993 through 2004."

State judge blocks parts of new Arizona abortion law; federal judge refuses to enjoin

Posted on September 30, 2009
"A state judge on Tuesday blocked implementation of several key parts of a new Arizona law restricting abortions, while allowing a few provisions to take effect."

Background reading for Supreme Court?s new 14th/2d Amendment case

Posted on September 30, 2009
David Kopel reports at The Volokh Conspiracy: "The website for all the Chicago case filings is here. For 19th century history, Stephen Halbrook is by far the most important scholar. His articles include . . . " McDonald v. City of Chicago

New York Appellate Court Voids Church Election of New Pastor and Trustees

Posted on September 30, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "Trustees of Gallilee Pentecostal Church, Inc. v. Williams, (NY App. Div., Sept. 22, 2009), is a case in which plaintiffs sought a declaration as to who are the legal trustees and members of the Gallilee Pentecostal Church in Poughkeepsie, New York ...

German Court Says School Must Provide Prayer Space For Muslim Student

Posted on September 30, 2009
Religioun Clause Blog: "In the first ruling of its kind in Germany, the Berlin administrative court has ruled that Diesterweg High School in Berlin-Wedding must allow a Muslim student known in the litigation as Yunus M. to pray 10 minutes each day in a separate classroom...

Amicus Brief Raises Opposition To UN Convention on Rights of the Child

Posted on September 30, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, Graham v. Florida and Sulivan v. Florida, appear to have become vehicles for those filing amicus briefs to duel over the U.N.'s Convention on the Rights of the Child which conservative Christian groups fear the U...

Lodi mayor leans toward uncensored prayer

Posted on September 30, 2009
LA Church & State Examiner:"The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Hansen said, 'I'm leaning toward having an opportunity for any individual to offer a prayer prior to the council meeting, and the prayer would be uncensored.' Hansen said also he is leaning toward following a policy suggested by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which would specify that the prayer is not part of the council agenda...

Doctors settle case for denying lesbian insemination

Posted on September 30, 2009
One News Now: "A California woman has settled a lawsuit against her former doctors who denied her artificial insemination based on her sexual orientation, attorneys for both sides said Tuesday."

Public-prayer battle lines drawn in Lodi

Posted on September 30, 2009
Sacramento Bee: "The question is: Should the City Council allow invocations that call on Jesus at its public meetings? . . . '[The Freedom From Religion Foundation] is on a search-and-destroy mission for all things religious,' Johnson said. 'They don't hide that fact...

Judge blocks key parts of new abortion law

Posted on September 30, 2009
East Valley Tribune: "Sen. Linda Gray, R-Glendale, a supporter of the law, said part of the reason for Planned Parenthood's victory was the refusal of Daughton to let two anti-abortion groups and their allies to actively participate in the case and defend the laws...

Judge blocks key parts of new Arizona abortion law

Posted on September 30, 2009
Associated Press: "A state judge has blocked implementation of key parts of a new Arizona law restricting abortion . . . There is no word if the state will appeal the decision, but the reason they don't agree with it is 'it's a battle against bad medical practice,' according to Steven Aden, Alliance Defense Fund...

Pulpit Project draws dozens of pastors

Posted on September 30, 2009
CitizenLink: "On Sunday, more than 80 pastors across the nation openly defied a 1954 amendment by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson, that restricts political speech from the pulpit. The Pulpit Initiative is sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF)."

Plans made by ICANN to introduce new and specific domain names for websites

Posted on September 30, 2009
SC Magazine: "According to a report on BBC News, members of ICANN, which oversees the net's naming system, will vote on a plan to relax the strict rules on so-called top-level domain names. If approved, it is likely to mean that X-rated adult sites could soon start to use the name ...

Liberals count Dem votes for public option

Posted on September 30, 2009
The Hill: "House liberals, challenged by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to prove they can pass their preferred public option, are surveying the rest of the Democratic caucus Wednesday."

Reid cancels October recess to focus lawmakers on healthcare

Posted on September 30, 2009
The Hill: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has cancelled the Senate?s Columbus Day recess so that lawmakers can focus on passing healthcare reform legislation during the week of Oct. 12."

Today?s Supreme Court Order List and Cert. grants

Posted on September 30, 2009
SCOTUS Blog links to the court order and highlights the cases granted review.

E.D. Kentucky: $3,000 sexually oriented business annual licensing fee survives First Amendment scrutiny

Posted on September 30, 2009
Click here to view the Community Defense Counsel abstract for 729, Inc., et. al. v. Kenton County Fiscal Court, No. 04-212-DOB (E.D. Ky., Sept. 24, 2009)

U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether to incorporate 2nd Amendment right to bear arms

Posted on September 30, 2009
SCOTUS Blog: "Taking on a major new constitutional dispute over gun rights, the Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to decide whether to apply the Second Amendment to state, county and city government laws." McDonald v. Chicago (08-1521)

Cheerleaders? religious signs draw fire

Posted on September 30, 2009
Chattanooga Times Free Press: "Community members are rallying around Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School cheerleaders after they were banned from displaying signs with Bible verses urging fans and players to 'commit to the Lord' and 'take courage and do it...

Testing the Margin of Appreciation: Therapeutic Abortion, Reproductive Rights and the Intriguing Case of Tysi?c v. Poland

Posted on September 30, 2009
Nicolette M. Priaulx, Testing the Margin of Appreciation: Therapeutic Abortion, Reproductive Rights and the Intriguing Case of Tysi?c v. Poland (September 7, 2009). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1469456 "In Tysiac v. Poland (2007) the Strasbourg Court ruled in favour of the applicant (who had been denied access to a lawful therapeutic abortion), finding that Poland had failed to comply with its positive obligations to safeguard the applicant's right to effective respect for her private life under Article 8...

Federal gov?t bans religious ornaments for 2009 Capitol Christmas tree

Posted on September 30, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) called on Arizona state and federal officials on Monday to stop enforcing a requirement prohibiting the state's schoolchildren from expressing religious viewpoints through Christmas themes while decorating ornaments for the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree ...

State of Maine Sued for Censoring Fundraising Letter Officials Claim is ?Anti-Muslim?

Posted on September 30, 2009
Liberty Counsel: "Today the Christian Action Network (CAN) filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Maine for censoring a fundraising letter state officials claimed contained 'an inflammatory anti-Muslim message.' Maine officials fined and banned CAN from mailing any future letters under the threat of criminal prosecution...

?Dust-Up: Salazar vs. Buono? Part 2 ? Infranco v. Chermerinsky

Posted on September 30, 2009
"Salazar vs. Buono . . . Erwin Chemerinsky and Joseph Infranco debate the case and its possible implications, including whether any religious symbol should be permitted on government land and who should have the standing to sue over such displays."

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.