Religion & Law

?Better-Faster-Cheaper? Work Model for Lawyers Has Led to Burnout, NY Bar Report Says

Posted on February 04, 2011
ABA: "Lawyers facing increasing pressure to ?value engineer? their services have adopted a ?better-faster-cheaper ethic,? leading to burnout and increased economic burdens for law firms.  That?s one of the conclusions of a report (PDF) on the future of the legal profession prepared by a special committee of the New York State Bar Association, the New York Law Journal reports...

Wyoming marriage bill advances in Senate Committee

Posted on February 04, 2011
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: "A bill that would prevent Wyoming from recognizing same-sex marriages and civil unions from outside the state moved ahead Thursday in a Senate committee."

New anti-government protests in Albania

Posted on February 04, 2011
AP: "Thousands of Albanians converged on central Tirana on Friday to demand the government step down over corruption allegations, two weeks after a similar anti-government demonstration turned violent and left three people dead."

ACLU threatens to sue Georgia over immigration bills; first hearing on bill to get under way

Posted on February 04, 2011
Atlanta J. Constitution: "The first committee hearing for major legislation targeting illegal immigration in Georgia had not even gotten under way Friday morning before the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to challenge the measure in court." [HB 87]

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Three More Videos Show Planned Parenthood Helping Sex Traffickers

Posted on February 04, 2011
LifeNews: "Live Action released today three more videos from the undercover investigations it conducted earlier this month of Planned Parenthood abortion centers helping alleged sex traffickers obtain abortions for underage girls."

More Bishops speak out against Saskatchewan marriage commissioner ruling

Posted on February 04, 2011
LifeSiteNews: Two more Canadian bishops have joined their voices with that of Calgary Bishop Fred Henry in condemning a Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruling that denied marriage commissioners the right to refuse to perform same-sex ?marriages.?

South Dakota bill mandates pregnancy help center counselling before abortion decisio

Posted on February 04, 2011
LifeSiteNews: "A new South Dakota measure would require women to seek counselling from a pregnancy help center before procuring an abortion." (HB 1217)

WA: Pro-lifers pack hearings on bill targeting crisis pregnancy centers

Posted on February 04, 2011
LifeSiteNews: "The Washington state Senate heard testimony yesterday regarding a bill that targets pro-life crisis pregnancy centers (CPC). The bill, which CPC supporters say would enact onerous regulations and expose the centers to harassing lawsuits, was introduced in January into the Washington State House of Representatives and is now making its way through the Senate...

Battle to De-Fund Abortion, Obamacare Starts Next Week

Posted on February 04, 2011
LifeNews: "The battle to stop all federal taxpayer funding of abortions, and to ensure the Obamacare health care reform law does not allow abortion funding, starts in hearings in the House next week."

Obama Officials Consider Requiring Insurers to Offer Free Contraceptives

Posted on February 04, 2011
NYT: "The Obama administration is examining whether the new health care law can be used to require insurance plans to offer contraceptives and other family planning services to women free of charge."

Rasmussen: Most Adults Think Movies Hurt Society, Lead To More Violence

Posted on February 04, 2011
Rasmussen: "A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that (51%) of American Adults think movies and the motion picture industry impact U.S. society in a negative way. Just 21% think their influence is a positive one."

Rasmussen: 32% of Voters Are Both Fiscal and Social Conservatives

Posted on February 04, 2011
Rasmussen: "A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters describe themselves as conservative on fiscal issues, while 42% say the same on social issues."

Antonin Scalia: European Union and European Court of Human Rights are undemocratic

Posted on February 04, 2011
The Australian: "At the University of Adelaide on Wednesday night, he let fly at the "undemocratic" European Union and the European Court of Human Rights and defended his decision to provide a dissenting opinion to a ruling that abolished sodomy laws in Texas...

Gallup: Americans Split on Desired Influence of Organized Religion

Posted on February 04, 2011
Gallup: "Americans have mixed views on the influence of organized religion in the U.S. today, with 29% saying religion should have more influence and an identical percentage saying it should have less influence. A slightly larger 39% believe organized religion's influence should be kept as it is now...

Groups Condemn Congressman?s Criticism of Muslim Colleague

Posted on February 04, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: "Leaders of three national religious groups on Wednesday wrote Florida U.S. House of Representatives member Allen West calling on him to apologize for saying, on a television interview show, that Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives member Kieth Ellison, a Muslim, is the "antithesis of the principles on which this country was established...

House Republicans Drop ?Forcible Rape? Language from Bill on Abortion

Posted on February 03, 2011
CBS: "House Republicans have opted to drop the word "forcible" from a section of House bill about abortion that addresses rape, Politico reports, following widespread condemnation from Democrats and abortion rights activists."

Obama Admin. In Contempt Over Gulf Drilling Moratorium, Judge Rules

Posted on February 03, 2011
AP: The Obama Administration acted in contempt by continuing its deepwater drilling moratorium after the policy was struck down, a New Orleans judge ruled.

Mexico kidnaps apparently leave 25 kids on streets near border

Posted on February 03, 2011
AP: "An official says that there is evidence that the parents of 25 children found abandoned in a northern Mexican border city were kidnapped."

House Republicans move to slash domestic programs, White House vows fight

Posted on February 03, 2011
AP: "Republicans controlling the House promised Thursday to slash domestic agencies' spending by almost 20 percent in their drive to bring it back to levels in place before President Barack Obama took office."

Pastor booted from Christian TV station after homosexuality remarks

Posted on February 03, 2011
LifeSiteNews: "A major Christian television station in Canada has permanently canceled the show Word TV, hosted by prominent evangelical minister Charles McVety, after an industry watchdog announced in December their judgment that the show discriminated against homosexuals...

CA: Compton parents sue on school reform

Posted on February 03, 2011
San Diego Union Tribune: "Six parents and their children are suing the Compton Unified School District, claiming district officials are violating their right to a quality education by allegedly trying to obstruct an effort to convert a failing elementary school to a charter school...

Portugal re-elects pro-abortion and pro-gay ?marriage? president

Posted on February 03, 2011
LifeSiteNews: "Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, the Catholic politician who approved a law that led to the liberalization of abortion and another that instituted gay 'marriage' in Portugal, has been reelected as the country?s president in general elections on Sunday, January 23...

Kansas Landlord Sues to Stop New Abortion Practitioner

Posted on February 03, 2011
LifeNews: "A landlord has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a new abortion practitioner from setting up shop in Wichita, Kansas to replace late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller."

New! Witherspoon Institute website: Natural Law, Natural Rights, & American Constitutionalism

Posted on February 03, 2011
The Witherspoon Institute has launched this new resource website.

Gaming the System: At the Supreme Court, could legal precedent be less important than popular opinion?

Posted on February 03, 2011
Dahlia Lithwick writes at Slate: "Articles of faith, as a rule, don't change every few months. And yet, just nine months ago, it was an article of faith among court watchers that President Obama's health care reform plan would be upheld at the Supreme Court by a margin of 7-2 or 8-1...

Obama?s D.C. Circuit Pick Meets Skeptical Republicans

Posted on February 03, 2011
Blog of the Legal Times: "Caitlin Halligan followed an often-used script today during her confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, telling a Senate committee that if confirmed, she would defer to Supreme Court precedent and to the Framers' intent...

Catholic League: Christian and Sikh Students? Rights

Posted on February 03, 2011
Catholic League: "Tomorrow, a fifth-grader in a Los Angeles public school will be allowed to sing a song at a talent show that mentions Jesus, but only because his mother acquired the services of the Alliance Defense Fund threatening a lawsuit: he was initially denied the right to sing the song, "We Shine," because it mentions Jesus too many times (it was not disclosed how many times it would take to violate the unwritten quota)...

LAUSD says boy can use religious song at show

Posted on February 03, 2011
San Diego Union Tribune (AP): "A fifth-grader will be allowed to perform to a Christian-themed song at his school talent show after a lawsuit accused the Los Angeles Unified School District of violating his free-speech rights, it was announced Wednesday ...

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas visiting Ave Maria University

Posted on February 03, 2011
Naples News: "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will make a brief appearance at Ave Maria University on Friday."

?Obama names nominee for Tulsa federal court post; Arvo Mikkanen?s nomination immediately drew negative reactions from key members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation?

Posted on February 03, 2011
How Appealing links to reports on the nomination and opposition to it.

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