Religion & Law

The embryo as human being: A scientific case

Posted on July 21, 2009
At the American Principles Project, Robert P. George, Maureen Condic, and Patrick Lee write: "Modern human embryology and developmental biology have shown that fertilization produces a new and distinct organism: a living individual of the human species in the embryonic stage of his or her development...

YouTube bans video showing Planned Parenthood abuse cover up

Posted on July 21, 2009
Lila Rose of Live Action Films has issued this press release (via Christian Newswire): "In a censorship that appears politically motivated, the popular video-sharing site YouTube has blocked a video critical of Planned Parenthood made by the student-led nonprofit Live Action...

Montana Supreme Court will hold September hearing on assisted suicide suit

Posted on July 21, 2009
LifeNews reports: "So far, the court has received 19 amicus briefs, including one from attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, a pro-life group who filed their brief in April. 'Legalizing assisted suicide diminishes compassionate treatment of pain because...

?The day obscenity became art?

Posted on July 21, 2009
Fred Kaplan reports in the New York Times: "Today is the 50th anniversary of the court ruling that overturned America?s obscenity laws, setting off an explosion of free speech ? and also, in retrospect, splashing cold water on the idea, much discussed during Sonia Sotomayor?s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, that judges are 'umpires' rather than agents of social change...

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

Laotian village chief tells Christian families to renounce their beliefs

Posted on July 21, 2009
Sarah Page reports in the Christian Post: "The chief of Katin village, along with village security, social and religious affairs officials, warned all 53 Christian residents that they should revert to worshiping local spirits in accordance with Lao tradition or risk losing all village rights and privileges ? including their livestock and homes, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF)...

Obama concedes health plan needs work

Posted on July 21, 2009
Reuters: "President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the healthcare overhaul plan working its way through the U.S. Congress needs more work amid signs his top policy initiative, already rejected by Republicans, was running into deeper trouble with his own Democrats...

Russian pupils to have choice of religion, ethics

Posted on July 21, 2009
Associated Press: "Russia's president has announced a pilot project in which schoolchildren will have to take classes in religion or secular ethics."

Jimmy Carter parts ways with Southern Baptists, cites sexism

Posted on July 21, 2009
The Toronto Star reports: "Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has cut his 60-year ties to the Southern Baptist Convention, accusing the world's largest Baptist denomination of subjugating women and justifying it with 'a few carefully selected Bible verses...

WI Supreme Court: Religious schools have right to choose employees

Posted on July 21, 2009
"In a 4-3 decision, the court says religious schools have a constitutional right to choose their own employees to carry out their missions and that includes many teachers."

Congressman Mike Pence taking on Planned Parenthood

Posted on July 21, 2009
OneNewsNow reports: "Pro-life Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana) has drafted an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood. Pence's amendment is attached to a Department of Health and Human Services funding bill that, in part, throws federal tax dollars Planned Parenthood's way...

UK: ?Sex education must not be statutory?

Posted on July 21, 2009
Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, writes in The Telegraph: "First, it would limit the influence of parents. Making PSHE compulsory would inevitably reduce the influence of parents over what is taught. As one sex education and genito-urinary medicine consultant, Colm O?Mahony, puts it: 'To improve sex and relationship education, legislation is needed to make it a statutory duty for schools to teach it competently...

Sotomayor vote delayed until next Tuesday

Posted on July 21, 2009
Brian Montopoli reports at Political Hotsheet (CBS News): "The Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning delayed its vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor until next Tuesday, July 28th"

One-way free speech

Posted on July 21, 2009
Janet Levy writing at American Thinker: "It is remarkable enough that a conference of this nature by a group that advocates the overthrow of the U.S. government actually took place in an American city. Perhaps even more disturbing is the growing number of cancellations of events and conferences that feature the opposite point of view with material and speakers that seek to educate the public about the threat of radical Islam...

Federal judge tosses lawsuit against Prop 8

Posted on July 21, 2009
Chelsea Schilling reports at WorldNetDaily: "'The people of California want marriage to remain as the union between one man and one woman; they made their voice clear last November at the polls,' Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Brian Raum said."

NJ: City settles free-speech squabble

Posted on July 21, 2009
OneNewsNow: "The city of Wildwood had an ordinance that targeted religious speech at its public forums like sidewalks and boardwalks. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney Dale Schowengerdt tells OneNewsNow explains that under that ordinance, individuals who wished to distribute religious literature, tracts, or other printed material had to obtain a permit, go through a long process to get it, and pay a fee...

National group still plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting

Posted on July 21, 2009
Maggie Creamer reports in the Lodi News-Sentinel: "Klingenschmitt is happy to have the extra time to continue raising money to help pay for the city's legal expenses if the council decides to fight the [Freedom From Religion Foundation] in court. He plans to raise $10,000, even though the Alliance Defense Fund has offered to have its lawyers work for the city pro bono...

NARAL endorses Sotomayor for court

Posted on July 21, 2009
Associated Press: "The abortion rights group NARAL ProChoice America says it's endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor."

Fewer Irish women opt for abortion

Posted on July 21, 2009
BBC: "Figures released by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency show that last year 4,600 women attending abortion clinics in Britain gave an Irish address. That was 86 fewer than in 2007, and 2,000 fewer than when the agency was established in 2001."

India: Supreme Court orders stay on ?mentally challenged? abortion

Posted on July 21, 2009
Press Trust of India: "The Supreme Court today stayed the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing termination of the pregnancy of a mentally challenged orphan who was raped at a Nari Niketan in Chandigarh."

NJ: Christie picks ?abortion rights? supporter for running mate

Posted on July 21, 2009
David L. Halbfinger reports in the New York Times: "The Christie campaign may be gambling that Ms. Guadagno will help him with women and others who support abortion rights. While Mr. Christie declared in the Republican primary that he opposed abortion, Ms...

Maryland appeals court says it has no slots jurisdiction

Posted on July 21, 2009
Liam Farrell reports in The Capital: "The state's highest court has turned back a challenge to Maryland's slot machine law, deciding Laurel Park officials have to first take their defunct slots bid to the state Board of Contract Appeals."

Family advocates seek support from new AG

Posted on July 21, 2009
OneNewsNow: "'Adult pornography primarily, which floods the market, floods hotels, motels, the cable industry, Internet -- these things are illegal under federal law,' says ADF special counsel Pat Trueman. 'But the Justice Department, for years even through the Bush administration, has had a lax attitude...

KS: Hays City planning commission resubmits SOB regulations

Posted on July 21, 2009
Kaley Conner reports in the Hays Daily News: "The possibility of new zoning restrictions to regulate the placement of sexually oriented businesses was discussed at Monday's Hays Area Planning Commission meeting."

CT: Sexually oriented business may open in Berlin

Posted on July 21, 2009
Hartford Courant: "The owners of a building on the Berlin Turnpike have given the current tenants, Phantom Fireworks, until the end of the month to get out following a temporary court ruling that paves the way for VIP to open."

Center for Arizona Policy lobbies to keep abortion out of insurance bill

Posted on July 21, 2009
Mike Sunnucks reports in the Phoenix Business Journal: "Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, is lobbying in Washington to keep such coverage out of a taxpayer-funded health system. Herrod is meeting with Arizona lawmakers and others...

MN: Woodbury Walmart rehires fired Muslim worker

Posted on July 21, 2009
Paul Walsh reports in the Minnesota Star Tribune: "A major retail chain has rehired a fired Muslim employee in the Twin Cities and is now accommodating his right to pray in the workplace, an Islamic civil rights organization in Minnesota and the retailer said today...

Maryland pro-lifers upset with county decision to fund embryonic stem cell research

Posted on July 21, 2009
LifeNews reports: "Maryland Right to Life officials are unhappy with the Frederick County Commissioners and their recent decision to give $25,000 to a company that destroys unborn human life in research. MDRTL says Life Technologies, Inc is a poor choice to receive the grant from the county...

Luxembourg: Same-sex ?marriage? on agenda of new gov?t

Posted on July 21, 2009
Streff: "New discussions on gay marriage as part of the agenda of the coalition delighted associations. It remains to be seen when it becomes reality."

?The state of the same-sex union,? part 2

Posted on July 21, 2009
Joanna L. Grossman and Edward Stein, writing at Findlaw: "Here, in Part Two, we describe in detail the states in which same-sex couples can obtain formal recognition from the state ? whether in the name of 'marriage' or some alternative status ? and the states in which recognition is banned...

Kenya: Moslems win right to hijab

Posted on July 21, 2009
Spero News reports: "The government has acted quickly to prevent a potentially explosive row with the country's Muslim minority by directing that Muslim girls are free to wear the Muslim headdress, hijab, to school."

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