Religion & Law

Abortion foes aren?t buying Obama?s assurances

Posted on September 11, 2009
Los Angeles Times: "The logic goes like this: Most of the proposals for expanding coverage include a provision for people who can't afford private health insurance. They could receive federal subsidies to help them buy insurance. Abortion foes say that if a private plan offers abortion coverage and a federal subsidy is used to purchase it, this would mean taxpayers are subsidizing abortion...

CA: Graphic nature of anti-abortion banners upset Montclair resident

Posted on September 11, 2009
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: "City Council members are unsure if they can limit when three anti-abortion banners are displayed. The banners protest the Family Planning Associate Medical Group on the northwest corner of San Bernardino Street and Fremont Avenue...

FL: ?Brandon church claims Pepsi promotes gay lifestyle?

Posted on September 11, 2009
ABC News: "A local church switched from Pepsi products to Coca-Cola, but it's not because they don't like the taste of the product. The Bell Shoals Baptist church in Brandon got rid of the products as part of the American Family Association's boycott...

Study: Parenthood makes moms more liberal, dads more conservative

Posted on September 11, 2009
Science Daily: "Parenthood is pushing mothers and fathers in opposite directions on political issues associated with social welfare, from health care to education, according to new research from North Carolina State University."

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Obama sets stage for using budget maneuver to pass health reform

Posted on September 11, 2009
The Hill: "But the more likely scenario is that Republicans will continue to oppose Obama?s plan, and the president later this fall will be able to note he tried to strike a deal with the GOP but could not. That will set up a Democratic argument that Senate leaders have been forced to use a partisan budget tool known as reconciliation to pass a health bill through the Senate by a simple majority, instead of 60 votes...

ADF-allied attorney available to media after trial involving ministry zoned out of Texas town

Posted on September 11, 2009
"The House Where Jesus Shines was forced to stop operating its church ministry to parolees after the city of Bellmead learned about it and immediately passed a zoning ordinance that prevents the ministry from operating anywhere within the city."

Bill to repeal Federal DOMA to be introduced Tuesday

Posted on September 11, 2009
"The Advocate has learned that Democratic representatives Jerrold Nadler of New York, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jared Polis of Colorado will be introducing legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next Tuesday."

Wash. to appeal signature ruling on ?Protect Marriage? Referendum

Posted on September 11, 2009
"The Washington state attorney general's office says it is appealing a federal judge's decision to keep secret the names of people who signed petitions calling for a public vote on expanded domestic partnership benefits."

California Legislature Passes Senate Bill 54 ? Promotes Same-sex Marriage in California

Posted on September 10, 2009
"SB 54 would require California to validate and recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state prior to November 5, 2008, when California voters approved Proposition 8 . . . "

Switzerland: Leaders Oppose Ban on Minarets

Posted on September 10, 2009
Becket Fund International Religious Freedom News: "The Swiss Council of Religions, which includes Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, has issued a statement opposing a bill calling for a nationwide ban on the construction of minarets at mosques, RNS reported on September 9...

Sexual orientation/gender identity discrimination bill ?building momentum in Ohio?

Posted on September 10, 2009
Dayton Daily News (AP): "The legislation will get a floor vote in the Democratic-controlled House when lawmakers return next week. But the GOP-controlled Senate remains skeptical, saying it amounts to a mandate on businesses."

NY Times: Examining Obama?s health care assertions

Posted on September 10, 2009
David M. Herszenhorn writing in the New York Times: "Existing restrictions on the use of federal money for abortion would remain in place, as Mr. Obama stated. But in practice, the public and private money would all go into the same pot, and the source of money for any single procedure is largely a technicality...

ACORN conspiring to cover-up child prostitution

Posted on September 10, 2009
Joe Carter writing at First Things: "Andrew Breitbart launched his new site today, BigGovernment, with an undercover invesigation of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Officials with the controversial community organizing group were videotaped telling two journalists?who were passing themselves off as a pimp and a prostitute?how to commit welfare fraud, evade federal taxes, and cover up a conspiracy to traffic in underage prostitutes...

?Irish Catholics confused over Lisbon Treaty?

Posted on September 10, 2009
EurActiv: "Accusations that a Catholic charity is distorting the contents of the Lisbon Treaty highlight serious confusion among Irish voters about the text and the absence of a fact-based debate in Ireland."

Opponents of same-sex ?marriage? to rally in Augusta Sunday

Posted on September 10, 2009
Morning Sentinel: "More than 1,000 gay-marriage opponents are expected to rally in Augusta for an evening event Sunday featuring religious and conservative leaders from across Maine and the country."

Belmont Abbey: Bureaucrats at the gate

Posted on September 10, 2009
Jay Schalin writing at the John William Pope Center: "One incident that threatens some very basic beliefs of a long-established religion is occurring at Belmont Abbey College near Charlotte, North Carolina. It is also one of the latest instances of what David French, a senior legal counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, says is an emerging battle of 'freedom of conscience issues in health care...

Congressional Report Questions Legality of GM and Chrysler Bailouts

Posted on September 10, 2009
CNSNews: "A report issued by the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) questions whether the Bush and Obama administrations had the legal authority to use TARP funds to bail out General Motors and Chrysler...

Washington domestic partnership backers try to block public vote through appeal

Posted on September 10, 2009
"Supporters . . . of domestic partnership rights announced Wednesday they won't appeal to the Washington Supreme Court to try and block a public vote on the new law."

UK Employment Tribunal addresses whether Christian faith presents a bar to governmental and private sector employments

Posted on September 10, 2009
Christian Legal Centre: "A crucial case for Christian liberties is being argued in the Employment Appeal Tribunal today. Gary McFarlane, a relationship counsellor, was sacked because his Christian beliefs prevented him giving sex therapy to homosexual couples ...

Albert Mohler : Should judges have this much authority? NH homeschool case should send chills down every parent?s spine

Posted on September 10, 2009
AlbertMohler.com: "Amanda Kurowski has been denied the right to receive homeschooling from her mother in the state of New Hampshire. Why? According to the District Court in New Hampshire, Amanda has received too much religious education from her mother...

?Porn industry in northern Los Angeles is among the worst hit by the recession?

Posted on September 10, 2009
Economist: "The adult-film industry is concentrated in the San Fernando Valley??the Valley? to Angelenos?on the northern edge of Los Angeles, so the slump in porn is yet another factor depressing the local economy. Pornography had been immune to previous recessions, so the current downturn has come as a shock ...

Porn to be downloadable from PlayStation Network?

Posted on September 10, 2009
T3: "Porn will soon become available on the PlayStation Network if the world's largest adult entertainment company gets approval from Sony, claims Vivid CEO Steve Hirsch."

Is Microsoft?s Bing buying sponsored ads in pornography searches?

Posted on September 10, 2009
TechCrunch: "In private conversations Microsoft employees always said that the porn search feature was an unintended byproduct of good video search. But we always wondered if that was true. Anyway, in May we noticed Bing ads on Google, which seemed a little ironic to us given how seriously the two companies compete with each other...

8th Circuit: Rules on prisoner?s RLUIPA claims for a succah and other items

Posted on September 10, 2009
Van Wyhe v. Reisch, No. 08-1413 (8th Cir. Sept. 10, 2009) . . . "Sisney, a SDSP inmate who practices the Jewish faith, brought suit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and RLUIPA for the violation of his free exercise of religion rights . . . Sisney claimed that the prison officials violated his right to the free exercise of religion under RLUIPA and the First Amendment by denying (among other things not relevant to this appeal) his request to possess and use a succah, his request to have a tape player in his cell to study the Hebrew language, and his request for additional group religious and language study time ...

Tehachapi City Council Substitutes Pledge of Allegiance For Prayer

Posted on September 10, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: "The Freedom from Religion Foundation continues to write to city councils around the country objecting to their opening their sessions with sectarian prayers, and the cities continue to respond in various ways. In Tehachapi, California on Tuesday, City Council opened its meeting with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance instead of the usual prayer...

John Anthony Simmons and Mike Donelly of HSLDA on NHPR: When courts choose a child?s faith ? the NH Homeschool Case

Posted on September 10, 2009
ADF allied attorney John Anthony Simmons appeared on NHPR radio with Shannon Mullen to discuss the NH Homeschooling case. Michael Donnelly of the Home School Legal Defense Association also appears in the broadcast along with a Harvard law professor. The MP3 runs just under 4 minutes...

Federal Appellate Court Will Hear TMLC?s Challenge to School District?s Ban on Christmas Music

Posted on September 10, 2009
Thomas More Law Center: "On Monday, September 14th at 10:00 a.m., Robert Muise, an attorney with the Thomas More Law Center, will urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia to reverse a lower court ruling that upheld a New Jersey school district?s policy that banned the performance of religious music in the district?s public schools ...

The Big Con: Catholics, Democrats, and abortion

Posted on September 10, 2009
Anne Hendershott writing at Catholic World Report: "The alliance between the progressive Catholic organizations and the Obama administration has been successful in driving a wedge into the Catholic community by promoting pro-abortion policies and actively seeking out representatives of progressive Catholic organizations like Catholics in Alliance to fill important posts ...

VA Hospital sees the light: Chaplain may once again visit patients

Posted on September 10, 2009
Evangelical Examiner: "Colburn, a retired veteran who serves as a chaplain for the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans organizations and had been volunteering his time for over four years, was informed by the hospital?s chief of voluntary services that he would no longer have access to the hospital due to the 'religious content' of his activities ...

Paul Weber and David French on Moody Prime Time America: $9.2 Grant for the Center for Academic Freedom

Posted on September 10, 2009
Paul Weber, ADF Excutive Vice President of Communications and Development, and David French, Director of the ADF Center for Academice Freedom, appeared on Moody Prime Time America to discuss the $9.2 million grant that enables ADF to ramp up defense of free speech at universities...

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