Religion & Law

ACLU of Iowa to represent same-sex couples if denied licenses

Posted on April 27, 2009
Iowa Independent: "The Alliance Defense Fund, an organization founded by evangelical activists to counterbalance the ACLU, has already offered to defend county recorders against same-sex couples should they choose to defy the court."

?Arizona ruling puts school tax credits in jeopardy?

Posted on April 27, 2009
East Valley Tribune: "Jeremy Tedesco of the Alliance Defense Fund, representing the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization, said there is no state coercion of any sort. He said individuals, not the state, decide to which tuition organization they want to donate, and parents decide from which group to seek scholarships...

Reading, Pennsylvania: Local Religion digest

Posted on April 27, 2009
Reading Eagle Press: "St. Thomas Church, 536 Main St., Bernville: Attorney David Dye of the Alliance Defense Fund will discuss constitutional rights and religious freedoms at 2 in a session sponsored by several Bernville area churches. He also will answer questions...

Iowa: ?Same-sex marriage Q&A?

Posted on April 27, 2009
The Quad-City Times: "Can county recorders refuse to issue a same-sex marriage license? Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has advised county recorders that they must comply with Iowa law, which makes same-sex marriage legal. The Iowa Family Policy Center announced it would provide free legal defense through the Alliance Defense Fund to county recorders? offices that create a policy protecting employees who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because it is against their beliefs...

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The New ?Conscience Clause??

Posted on April 27, 2009
Feministing.com: "Via Pam's House Blend, we find that many Iowa judges are opting out of performing marriages entirely to avoid having to marry same-sex couples. This has, not surprisingly, called on the Alliance Defense Fund to begin offering legal services to those who still wish to perform only hetero marriages based on their 'religious beliefs...

?Judge waives waiting period for gay Iowa couple?

Posted on April 27, 2009
AP: "A same-sex Iowa couple will be allowed to wed as soon as Monday after a judge allowed them to bypass the state's three-day waiting period."

?Sexting? prosecutions in limbo

Posted on April 27, 2009
One News Now: "Pat Trueman, special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), believes the judge was out of order. 'If the Pennsylvania prosecutor felt that these pictures violated Pennsylvania child pornography laws, why is a federal judge stepping in to say that the prosecutor can't even let the case go forward?' he wonders...

?GOP efforts to thwart gay marriage ruling appear to have fizzled?

Posted on April 27, 2009
Iowa Independent: "Then the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based legal advocacy group founded in 1994 by Focus on the Family?s James Dobson, and the Iowa Family Policy Center sent an e-mail to Iowa?s 99 county recorders informing them that they would receive free legal defense if they defied the law...

Right of conscience at issue in Iowa

Posted on April 27, 2009
One News Now: "The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is moving to protect the freedom-of-conscience rights of county officials in Iowa. By court edict, homosexual 'marriage' has been legalized in The Hawkeye State. Attorney Douglas Napier of ADF has helped develop a policy to protect county employees who will not provide marriage licenses on the basis of conscience...

?Iowa, Vt. could be trend setters in gay marriage movement?

Posted on April 27, 2009
The Daily Free Press: "The Alliance Defense Fund, a group that works to defend religious liberty, argues that not only will the legalization of same-sex marriage threaten marriage but, it will deny the children of same-sex couples their right to a mother and a father...

UK: Teacher suspended for Christian beliefs

Posted on April 27, 2009
Christian Legal Centre: "A CHRISTIAN teacher has been suspended from a senior post for complaining that a staff training day was used to promote homosexual rights."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Vatican Says No to Prestigious Notre Dame Award?and President Obama

Posted on April 27, 2009
CBN: "The speech by pro-choice President Obama at the Catholic Notre Dame has caused all sorts of trouble. It now turns out that Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, will NOT speak at the Notre dame Graduation because of the controversy...

Colo. House approves same-sex privileges

Posted on April 27, 2009
Washington Blade (AP): "The measure approved Friday would add domestic partners to the list of dependents eligible for coverage. Same-sex partners who have been in a committed relationship with a state employee for at least a year would qualify."

Geoffrey Stone: ?Whose liberty? A law that makes sense for altar-bound adults?

Posted on April 27, 2009
Law Professor Geoffrey Stone has this commentary in the Chicago Tribune arguing in favor of Illinois civil unions. He begins: "The Illinois legislature will soon act on the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, which would legally recognize civil unions in our state...

?Out lesbian will lead Iceland after historic victory?

Posted on April 27, 2009
GayPolitics.com: "Iceland?s openly lesbian caretaker prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, will keep her post after Saturday?s national elections that saw her center-left coalition capture 35 of 63 seats in parliament. Sigurdardottir becomes the world?s first elected openly gay head of government...

?Gay party leader could be Germany?s next foreign minister?

Posted on April 27, 2009
GayPolitics.com: "Guido Westerwelle, who is openly gay, is well-positioned to become Germany?s next foreign minister, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal."

Germans resist efforts by advocates of homosexual behavior seeking to suppress Christian participation at conference

Posted on April 27, 2009
Christian Telegraph: "Preparations for a conference on psychotherapy set for May in Marburg, Germany are being disrupted by an 'action alliance of queer, feminist, and anti-fascist and anti-sexist' groups that want two Christian therapists removed from the roster of speakers, reports Hilary White, LifeSiteNews...

Southern Baptist churches planted in New England where liberal churches failed

Posted on April 27, 2009
Baptist Press: "Since 2001, Southern Baptists have planted 20 new churches in Vermont, where the denomination's count now stands at 37 congregations. Half of the new church plants have taken root in buildings once operated by other Protestant denominations...

Legal Experts to Debate Pastors? Right to Address Political Issues

Posted on April 27, 2009
CitizenLink: "The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and The Federalist Society are co-sponsoring a luncheon and debate May 20 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Legal experts will debate an important question: Does the 1954 Johnson Amendment violate the U...

Planned Parenthood: The profitable nonprofit

Posted on April 27, 2009
The American Spectator: "The abortion giant took home $85 million in 'excess of revenue over expenses' (a nifty way of saying profits) and had an operating budget of over $1 billion for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, according to its latest annual report...

Rebecca Hagelin: Porn targets kids

Posted on April 27, 2009
Washington Times: "America is raising a generation of children on porn - and your child just might be one of them. According to the London School of Economics, nine out of 10 teens who go online will view pornography. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 70 percent of those who viewed porn stumbled across it - many while innocently doing their homework - and had not been looking for it...

Conservative Columnist Talks Free Speech

Posted on April 27, 2009
The Spartan Review: "Adams said that Sheeran has decided to sue the school and the Alliance Defense Fund, a first amendment legal alliance group, has taken the case. Adams has complete confidence they?ll win."

Proposed ?Christian? License Plates In Florida May Spark Lawsuit

Posted on April 27, 2009
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has issued this press release that begins: "Americans United for Separation of Church and State has urged the Florida Senate to reject a bill creating two 'Christian' license plates for state motorists and warned that a lawsuit may result if the measure becomes law...

Discrimination case appealed, CSULB bypasses court return

Posted on April 27, 2009
Daily49er.com: "Jeremy Tedesco, Alliance Defense Fund attorney and litigation-staff councilman, argued, 'University officials would never require that the student vegetarian club allow meat-eaters or hunters to lead their organization. The ultimate impact of this [non-discrimination] policy will be either to eliminate Christian clubs from campus or dilute them to the point to where they are no longer Christian,' as attributed by the Alliance Defense Fund website ...

?Notre Dame Loses $8.2 Million in Withheld Donations over Obama Scandal?

Posted on April 27, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "Organizers of ReplaceJenkins.com, an online effort urging alumni and donors to the University of Notre Dame to withhold donations, announced Monday that they have personally confirmed over $8.2 million in withheld donations."

?Rhode Island, Most Catholic State, Welcomes Gay Marriage?

Posted on April 27, 2009
The Church is losing its influence,? you say, ?and there?s nothing we can do.? ?Bull feathers,? . . . if even ten percent of our Catholic population got actively involved in this issue ? even five percent ? we could . . . help Rhode Island maintain its moral sanity ...

Groups urge Obama to proclaim ?inclusive? day of prayer

Posted on April 24, 2009
Associated Baptist Press: "Two religious-liberty organizations are calling on President Obama to proclaim an 'inclusive' national day of prayer May 7 instead of endorsing a National Day of Prayer Task Force headed by the wife of a prominent Religious Right leader...

Chinese Muslims in Gitmo to be released in U.S.?

Posted on April 24, 2009
LA Times: "The Obama administration is preparing to admit into the United States as many as seven Chinese Muslims who have been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay in the first release of any of the detainees into this country, according to current and former U...

NY proponents of marriage redefinition hope to pack Assembly hearing

Posted on April 24, 2009
NY Daily News The Daily Politics Blog: "The Assembly's Judiciary Committee will take up Gov. David Paterson's same-sex marriage program bill on Tuesday - the same day the Empire State Pride Agenda is holding its Equality & Justice Lobby Day in Albany...

US targets population growth, urges women?s power

Posted on April 24, 2009
AP: "The new U.S. ambassador for global women's issues pledged Thursday the Obama administration's 'deep commitment' to a U.N. blueprint aimed at slowing the world's population explosion and empowering women."

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