Religion & Law

Stand for Marriage Maine Makes Two Key Hires

Posted on July 16, 2009
Christian Newswire: "Stand for Marriage Maine today announced the hiring of two campaign professionals with deep experience in Maine to oversee key components of the People's Veto referendum to overturn a recent law legalizing same sex marriages. Scott K...

Sotomayor testimony completed

Posted on July 16, 2009
Associated Press: "Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has completed three days of answering questions before the Senate Judiciary Committee."

Sotomayor has exposed the misguided world of academic legal theory

Posted on July 16, 2009
Heather Mac Donald writing at National Review Online: "Sonia Sotomayor?s shameless repudiation in the Senate of her past statements on gender, race, and judging is not just hypocritical, it is a lost opportunity. The airing of her many speeches on identity politics and the law had produced another Ward Churchill moment: An idea that is outright mundane within the academy escapes its hothouse environment and shakes the public temporarily out of its stupor regarding university culture...

?Christian groups eye hate crimes bill?

Posted on July 16, 2009
Paige Winfield reports in Christianity Today: "Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said that while churches and their ministers will probably not be directly prosecuted, pastors could still be called upon to testify in the prosecution of a hate crime just because they preached on homosexuality...

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MP wants Equality Bill to end Scouts ?God? pledge

Posted on July 16, 2009
The Christian Institute: "An MP has attempted to use the Equality Bill to force the Scout Association to scrap the age-old tradition of new entrants pledging allegiance to God."

Hindu extremists using death threats to force Christians out of Nepal

Posted on July 16, 2009
CNA: "Following the recent bomb attack on the Cathedral of the Assumption, which was attributed to the Hindu group Nepal Defense Army, extremists are now threatening priests and religious in Nepal with death if they do not leave the country 'within one month...

Americans United Commends Appellate Court Decision Against Bible Distribution In Mo. Public School

Posted on July 16, 2009
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "Americans United for Separation of Church and State today praised a federal appeals court decision barring Bible distribution in a Missouri public school district. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the South Iron R-1 School District may not allow distribution of Bibles to children in elementary school...

?Air Force Academy gets gay board member?

Posted on July 16, 2009
Washington Blade: "The U.S. Air Force Academy has a gay member on its Board of Visitors. Colorado Democratic Rep. Jared Polis was named to the board Wednesday."

Arizona: No Charges Filed in Flushing of Stillborn

Posted on July 16, 2009
CNSNews: "Prosecutors in Arizona won't file charges against five Mesa police officers for their role in flushing a stillborn fetus down a toilet."

Permit no longer required for handing out literature

Posted on July 16, 2009
Lauren Suit reports in the Cape May County City Herald: "'Christians shouldn?t be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,' said ADF Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt. 'ADF commends the city for its quick attention to resolve the matter and for their willingness to ensure that the First Amendment rights of Christians will be honored in Wildwood going forward...

Sotomayor Not Sure if She?ll Jump in Cert Pool

Posted on July 16, 2009
Tony Mauro writes at Law.com: "Under questioning from Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., on day four of her confirmation hearing, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor indicated she is likely to follow Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s approach to deciding whether to join the Court's 'cert pool...

Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a Question of Eugenics

Posted on July 16, 2009
Jonah Goldberg writes at Townhall: "Left unclear is whether Ginsburg endorses the eugenic motivation she ascribed to the passage of Roe v. Wade or whether she was merely objectively describing it. One senses that if Antonin Scalia had offered such a comment, a Times interviewer would have sought more clarity, particularly on the racial characteristics of these supposedly unwanted populations...

Controversial Homosexual ?Hate Crimes? Act Set for Senate Vote Thursday

Posted on July 16, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said Monday he would introduce S.909 as a bipartisan amendment to the defense authorization measure, thereby easing passage of the hotly debated bill."

Democrats to set first Sotomayor vote next week

Posted on July 16, 2009
AP: "The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman says he'll set a vote in his panel next week on confirming Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor."

Suit Charges Military Contractor With Refusing To Accommodate Wearing of Hijab

Posted on July 16, 2009
Religion Clause: "In Houston (TX), a federal lawsuit charging religious discrimination has been filed against K.B.R., Inc. (the former Kellogg Brown & Root). The company is particularly known for its extensive work in Iraq under contracts with the military...

Durbin: DC tops in abortion because its residents are black

Posted on July 16, 2009
Washington Examiner: "In a committee markup last week, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said that residents of the District of Columbia have a disproportionately large number of abortions because D.C. is disproportionately African-American. "

Article Profiles Activities of Child Evangelism Fellowship

Posted on July 16, 2009
Religion Clause: "The August issue of Harper's magazine carries a long article by by Rachel Aviv titled Like I Was Jesus: How To Bring a Nine Year Old To Christ. It explores the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship, the group that won an important Supreme Court victory in 2001 in Good News Club v...

Nations reject UN abortion language at Geneva meeting

Posted on July 16, 2009
C-FAM reports: "Late night negotiations carried on in Geneva as delegations continued to battle it out over the 'reproductive rights' language in the draft text. While the US delegation remained quiet on the reproductive health provisions, the EU remained divided as Poland, Malta and Ireland continued opposing the controversial language despite pressure from their colleagues...

Sotomayor Hearings Transcripts

Posted on July 16, 2009
Via the Los Angeles Times “Top of the Ticket” blog: Senators’ opening statements Judge Sonya Sotomayor opening statement. Day Two: Part 1 | Part 2 Day Three: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Day Four: Part 1 | Part 2 |Live-blog from Kate Phillips at the New York Times.

Dem Health RX a Poi$on Pill in NY: Terrifying 57% Tax Looms for Biggest Earners

Posted on July 16, 2009
The NY Post carries this report and this incredible graphic discussing ramifications of the proposed health plan.

Federal Court Rules for School Policy Allowing Distribution of Secular and Religious Material

Posted on July 16, 2009
Liberty Counsel: "Today the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the South Iron School District and upheld the right of the district to establish an open forum for distribution of materials on school property. The Court of Appeals reversed the District Court and held that the District?s new policy should not have been declared unconstitutional by the lower court judge...

NYC Comptroller: We need to redefine marriage to save our finances

Posted on July 16, 2009
William C. Thompson, Jr. writes at USA Today: "At a time when many cities, including New York, are facing nearly unprecedented fiscal straits, we are ignoring the economic benefits that same-sex marriage creates."

BBC host: Britain needs marriage

Posted on July 16, 2009
Christian Institute: "The presenter of a new BBC documentary on ?broken Britain? says the decline of marriage is to blame ? but that social liberals will find that hard to accept."

Sen. Grassley asks Sotomayor about Federal marriage precedent

Posted on July 16, 2009
"Finally, same-sex marriage. The subject was raised indirectly by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) . . . when he asked Sonia Sotomayor about a court ruling that said Minnesota could deny a marriage license to two men."

?Episcopal Bishops Give Ground on Gay Marriage?

Posted on July 16, 2009
NY Times: "The bishops of the Episcopal Church agreed Wednesday to a compromise measure that stops short of developing an official rite for same-sex unions, but gives latitude to bishops who wish to go ahead and bless such unions, particularly in states that have legalized such marriages...

Kenyan clergy, activists, clash over abortion

Posted on July 16, 2009
Laban Wanambisi reports at Capital News: ?The Constitution we are proposing should include that life begins at conception because that is contentious and it?s not even the belief of all the religious groups,? said Professor Karanja amid objections that took the intervention of the session chair to allow him to resume with his submission...

GOP envisions August Senate vote on Sotomayor

Posted on July 16, 2009
AP: "Republicans cleared the way Thursday for a Senate vote next month to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, placing her firmly in line to become the first Hispanic justice."

East Coast ? West Coast: Free speech rights restored

Posted on July 16, 2009
Jake Jones reports in the Evangelical Examiner: "Under the terms of a Consent Order, the 'Alliance Defense Fund' attorneys have obtained a settlement from city of Wildwood officials that will allow citizens to distribute religious literature on public sidewalks, in parks, and in all other public forums without obtaining a permit ...

Mass. lawmakers debate transgender rights bill

Posted on July 16, 2009
Bethany C. Farnham reports at EDGE: "'[This bill has] a fundamental conflict with the First Amendment,' Timothy Tracey said. 'No one should be required to affirm a man is a woman, or a woman is a man, against their sincerely held religious beliefs.'"

NJ: Wildwood settles lawsuit over religious pamphlets

Posted on July 16, 2009
Associated Press: "The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal-rights advocacy group, announced yesterday that the settlement had been reached. Under the July 8 agreement with Eric Wollod, the city will no longer require individuals handing out pamphlets to have permits...

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