Religion & Law

This Sunday Is Second ?Pulpit Freedom Sunday?

Posted on September 25, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "Alliance Defense Fund announced yesterday that its second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday will be held on September 27 . . . ADF complains that 'the IRS has issued increasingly vague guidance on the law, which limits the First Amendment rights of pastors speaking from the pulpit, but has continued to launch investigations while avoiding court review of the constitutionality of its actions...

UK: The steady rise of Islamic finance

Posted on September 25, 2009
BBC: "London has become one of the biggest centres for Islamic finance in the world, with five Islamic banks, and many others in the high street offering Islamic financial products, or 'windows' as they are known."

Capitol Visitor Center Hosts Premiere of Film On Religion In America

Posted on September 25, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "According to Politcio, despite the lawsuit, work on the engraving began this week and tonight at the Visitor Center former Speaker Gingrich hosts the premiere of his documentary ? Rediscovering God in America II: Our Heritage."

Michigan: ACLU steps in to help church

Posted on September 25, 2009
Daily Tribune: "Civil liberties group argues that preventing First Baptist of Ferndale from serving homeless people is against the law."

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Muslims to Conduct National Prayer Rally Outside Capitol

Posted on September 25, 2009
Fox News: "As many as 50,000 American Muslims are expected to gather on Capitol Hill Friday for the religion's first-ever national prayer rally, organizers of the event say."

US May Face ?Armageddon? If China, Japan Don?t Buy Debt

Posted on September 25, 2009
CNBC: "The US is too dependent on Japan and China buying up the country's debt and could face severe economic problems if that stops, Tiger Management founder and chairman Julian Robertson told CNBC."

GOP to block health nominees in Medicare spat

Posted on September 25, 2009
AP: "The Senate's top Republicans said Thursday they wouldn't allow President Barack Obama to fill health posts until his administration stops barring insurers from telling the elderly how Democrats' health overhaul could affect their benefits." Related: GOP raps Dems for hushing insurers on Medicare

Mass. judge considers delaying Kennedy successor

Posted on September 25, 2009
AP: "The Massachusetts Republican Party on Friday asked a judge to delay the swearing in of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's replacment, arguing Gov. Deval Patrick did an end-run on the constitution by appointing Paul G. Kirk Jr. before a traditional 90-day legislative waiting period had expired...

Supreme Court?s Ginsburg Released From Hospital

Posted on September 25, 2009
NY Times: "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released Friday from a Washington hospital, a day after she experienced lightheadedness and fatigue, and plans to be back at work in the afternoon, a spokeswoman said."

Republican lawmakers, allies call for referendum on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on September 25, 2009
New Jersey News Room: "Six Republican legislators and their conservative allies want a constitutional referendum on allowing gay marriage in New Jersey and oppose any effort to move measures approving it in the lame duck Legislature in November and December...

US company offers celebrity ?look-a-like? sperm

Posted on September 25, 2009
BioNews: "A California-based fertility company is offering prospective parents a range of celebrity 'look-a-like' sperm donors. Cryobank, which is also planning to offer services in New York, allows customers to search through a database according to characteristics such as ethinicity and eye colour without revealing donors' photographs...

Marriage issue in Wash. tight in polls

Posted on September 25, 2009
Baptist Press: "Referendum 71, which if passed would keep the state's same-sex domestic partnership law on the books, leads by a margin of 51-44 percent among likely voters, according to a poll commissioned by a group trying to pass the initiative. "

Kelly Shackelford on the Hannity Show: Liberty Legal Institute to defend against ACORN suit

Posted on September 25, 2009
Fox News carries this transcript from the Hannity Show: "And joining us now with reaction to all of this is Hannah Giles. She posed as the prostitute in the ACORN offices, and her lawyer, Kelly Shackelford, is with us. He is the chief counsel of the Liberty Legal Institute...

Virginia Abortion Advocates Attack Choose Life License Plates, Pregnancy Centers

Posted on September 25, 2009
LifeNews: "But, Planned Parenthood and NARAL-Virginia have set up an online petition to ask the state legislature to cut off the funding stream from the license plates to centers helping women."

Top UN official opposes decriminalizing homosexuality

Posted on September 25, 2009
GayPolitics: "The 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly began this week with the newly-elected president of the General Assembly, Ali Treki, dampening hopes for action on LGBT issues."

Bishops lament attack on Pope by Spanish parliament

Posted on September 25, 2009
CNA: "In a statement issued Thursday, the Executive Committee of the Spanish Bishops? Conference lamented a Congressional committee?s decision to debate and put to vote a censure of Pope Benedict XVI for his statements against AIDS during his trip to Africa...

Second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday this week

Posted on September 25, 2009
Dakota Voice: "The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is announcing the second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday coming up on September 27."

Arizona judge prevents pro-life groups from intervening in abortion lawsuit

Posted on September 25, 2009
LifeNews: "An Arizona judge has prevented pro-life groups from intervening in a lawsuit the Planned Parenthood abortion business has filed against a new omnibus abortion law that protects medical workers and women considering abortions. Two Arizona legislators together with pro-life physicians and organizations filed motions Tuesday through their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund to support an Arizona abortion law...

Sikh Children in US allowed to carry ?Kirpan? in schools

Posted on September 25, 2009
Press Trust of India: "The National Heritage Academies (NHA), which runs its schools in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina and New York, has allowed Sikh children to carry 'Kirpan' in the institutions, a statement issued by the United Sikhs, a Sikh advocacy group, said...

Clinton speaks out on decision to support same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on September 25, 2009
CNN (report includes video): "Former President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his decision to change his personal stance on same-sex marriage."

Study: ?Gay couples as fit to adopt as heterosexuals?

Posted on September 25, 2009
Reuters: "Gay or straight, the sexual orientation of adoptive parents does not have an impact on the emotional development of their children, according to a new study [East Carolina University]."

Arizona Court of Appeals: ?Dead human body? does not include stillborn human fetus

Posted on September 25, 2009
"We recognize fetal remains are indisputably of human origin and not alive . . . However, such an interpretation could lead to absurd and potentially unconstitutional results."

FRC to Release First-Ever In-Depth Report On Pregnancy Resource Movement

Posted on September 25, 2009
Family Research Council: "Wednesday, September 30th, at 1:00 pm, at a National Press Club luncheon, Family Research Council will release a groundbreaking report, A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life, which shares the tremendous contributions of pregnancy resource centers since the inception of the movement over forty years ago...

In 1991, 49 public officials said they were ?gay?, now its more than 440

Posted on September 25, 2009
Chicago Tribune: "In 1991, just 49 public officials in the United States said they were gay, said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, a Washington D.C.-based group that works to get such candidates elected. Now, more than 440 out-of-the-closet gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals hold public office, according to the group, which also names 17 openly gay elected officials in Illinois...

Washington: Bikini-clad baristas charged with prostitution

Posted on September 25, 2009
FOX News: "Five bikini-clad baristas in Everett, Wash., face prostitution charges after police said that they served up more than just hot coffee at an espresso stand, Q13FOX.com reported. The five women, employed by Everett's 'Grab-N-Go' espresso stand, have been charged with prostitution and violating the city's Adult Entertainment ordinance, Sergeant Robert Goetz told Q13 FOX News...

Polygamy advocates host conference on legal issues

Posted on September 25, 2009
Associated Press: "A polygamy advocacy group is sponsoring its first-ever conference for attorneys on the legal issues associated with lifestyle."

Court backs Wisconsin town in strip club dispute

Posted on September 24, 2009
WBAY.com: "The District 4 Court of Appeals sided with the town Thursday. The court said because the owners knew the ordinance was imminent when they started the club, the business was not grandfathered." This post may be updated.

Complaints against Alberta newspapers dismissed by human-rights commission after 7 years

Posted on September 24, 2009
Calgary Herald: "Alberta's Human Rights and Citizenship Commission has dismissed nine complaints filed against the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald in connection with a controversial editorial published seven years ago. The complaints were lodged by Muslim and Palestinian organizations and their supporters, who argued the editorial was likely to incite hatred or contempt toward Palestinian Arabs and Muslims, contrary to Alberta's Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act...

Halifax school board approves daily singing of ?O Canada?

Posted on September 24, 2009
CBC News: "The Halifax Regional School Board gave its blessing Wednesday to the province's new national anthem policy to make sure students either hear or sing O Canada every day . . . Board staff explained that it might be a violation of religious freedom, as guaranteed under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to force everyone to sing O Canada...

Kennedy?s Senate replacement is also will executor

Posted on September 24, 2009
Boston Globe (AP): "The man who was appointed to temporarily replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy has also been named the executor of his will."

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