Religion & Law

Repudiating Everson: On Buses, Books, and Teaching Articles of Faith

Posted on April 24, 2009
Mississippi Law Journal: "This article traces the evolution of Establishment Clause jurisprudence with respect to state funding of primary and secondary religious schools. What was initially a concern that the state not support religious teaching evolved into an analysis of whether non-sectarian benefits were being accorded to religious and non-religious schools alike...

ADF Offers Help to Iowa Employees Who Stand for Marriage

Posted on April 24, 2009
Citizen Link: "Government employees who believe in marriage as the union of one man and one woman should not be penalized for abiding by their beliefs," said Doug Napier, ADF senior legal counsel. "Forcing them to participate in offensive acts contrary to their deeply held beliefs in order to remain employed is unconstitutional...

SSM and Religious Liberty: Response to Dale Carpenter

Posted on April 24, 2009
Thomas Berg writes at the Mirror of Justice Blog: "In response to the proposal of four of us for a broad religious-liberty exception in same-sex marriage bills in Connecticut and elsewhere, Dale Carpenter at the Volokh Conspiracy welcomed but also raised some questions about our proposal...

David French on the Michael Medved Show: Why are the ?helping professions? adopting ideological litmus tests?

Posted on April 24, 2009
David French, Director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, appeared on the Michael Medved radio show to discuss the several cases including the case of a counseling student dismissed for refusing to endorse homosexual behavior, the Julia Ward case...

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Virginia Public School: Public prayer raises concern

Posted on April 24, 2009
Fredericksburg.com: "School Board members usually keep the invocations simple and pray to make the right decisions. They often invoke Jesus Christ. For the past two meetings, however, the School Board has observed moments of silence instead of prayers...

?Group says it will defend recorders who refuse marriage licenses to gays?

Posted on April 24, 2009
Radio Iowa: "Bryan English is a spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center which is partnering with the group. English says the Alliance Defense Fund has offered to help county recorders who because of their conscience are refusing to issue same-sex marriage license...

Sen. Inhofe to filibuster 7th Circuit Nominee Hamilton?

Posted on April 24, 2009
Think Progress reports: "Yesterday on the Senate floor, Sen. James Inhofe announced that he intended to filibuster Obama's nomination of U.S. District Judge David Hamilton to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. "

Wife of Chinese dissident appeals to US Congress

Posted on April 24, 2009
Boston Globe (AP): "The wife of prominent Chinese lawyer and activist Gao Zhisheng has appealed to the U.S. Congress to pressure China to disclose her husband's whereabouts since his disappearance in February."

Democrat Wins Special Election for New York Congressional Seat - 399 votes

Posted on April 24, 2009
Fox News: "Republican Jim Tedisco called Murphy to concede Friday afternoon, FOX News has learned. Murphy won by just 399 votes, according to the New York Board of Elections."

UK: Doctors criticise ?gay treatment?

Posted on April 24, 2009
BBC: "Plans to promote medical treatment for homosexuality at a religious conference have been criticised by doctors."

Congress to debate role of recruiters in schools

Posted on April 24, 2009
The AP reports that congress is considering a bill to change how military recruiters handle student contact information. Congressman (D-Cal.) Mike Honda says "parents in his district are frustrated that recruiters are contacting their children at home...

Alabama House resolution honors Miss California for opposing ?gay marriage?

Posted on April 24, 2009
The Birmingham News: "The Alabama House has approved a resolution that praises Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean for speaking out against gay marriage. "

Churches that staged protest wait for IRS response

Posted on April 24, 2009
Stanley, the ADF's attorney, said the organization will continue its protests as long as necessary . . . If the IRS does not take action against future protests, he said, pastors will learn the regulation can be safely ignored.

More porn shops, strip clubs for Orlando?

Posted on April 24, 2009
Orlando Sentinel: "Under threat of a federal lawsuit, city planners are rewriting zoning rules to make it easier for adult-entertainment businesses ? including strip clubs, adult bookstores and adult theaters ? to open in Orlando. With only one exception ? Fairvilla Megastore, which sells sex toy and adult videos on North Orange Blossom Trail ? all of the area's strip clubs are outside city limits...

Kentucky: ?Tolerance? replaces history class in Jefferson County

Posted on April 24, 2009
Family Matters, the blog of The Family Foundation of Kentucky reports on a curriculum development in Jefferson County Schools, and links to a Courier-Journal article discussing its goal: "The course -- Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves -- is a new offering this year for freshmen in Jefferson County Public Schools that has teachers and students raving about the hands-on lessons and discussions about tolerance, social justice and civic participation...

Arizona bill would allow bars near schools and churches

Posted on April 24, 2009
Arizona Republic: "Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, is trying to update the Prohibition-era measure with HB 2302, which would allow cities to designate areas where businesses with liquor licenses can be located within 100 feet of churches, schools and fenced playgrounds...

The Case for a Federalism Amendment

Posted on April 23, 2009
Randy E. Barnett writes at the Wall Street Journal: "An amendments convention is feared because its scope cannot be limited in advance. The convention convened by Congress to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation produced instead the entirely different Constitution under which we now live...

?Religious conscience? protections in Connecticut

Posted on April 23, 2009
Dale Carpenter writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: "The Connecticut same-sex marriage bill passed overwhelmingly by the state legislature last night includes several provisions addressing concerns of religious-liberty advocates."

Symbolic Expression and the Original Meaning of the First Amendment

Posted on April 23, 2009
Eugene Volokh writes about and links to his latest law review article at the Volok Conspiracy.

Extending the President?s Influence: The Importance of Federal Judicial Nominations

Posted on April 23, 2009
Culture of Life Foundation: "Looking at President Obama?s public statements and record thus far, it is evident that he will most likely appoint activist Justices who interpret the Constitution broadly and read their own views into the law rather than simply applying the law...

UK: Christian suspended for airing views on homosexuality

Posted on April 23, 2009
Personnel Today reports: "Charity worker David Booker faces an internal investigation today after he was suspended from his job at a Christian hostel for the homeless for discussing his views on homosexuality . . . barrister Paul Diamond, who specialises in religious liberty, will represent Booker if the case proceeds beyond an internal disciplinary hearing...

Malaysia bans child conversions

Posted on April 23, 2009
IslamOnline: "The Malaysian government decided on Thursday, April 23, that children should keep the religion of their parents at the time of marriage, even if one of the spouses converted to another religion after tying the knot."

What happened to the liberty of conscience?

Posted on April 23, 2009
Family Institute of Connecticut blog: "I?ve been wondering lately, why is it that people are tending to view religious freedom as something evermore narrow? Is that freedom only for the clergy? Is it only applicable when practiced in a certain building, or upon a certain day and time? Yet as I read the text of the First Amendment, I can find no such limitations...

Craigslist CEO has denied the website offers sex-related advertising

Posted on April 23, 2009
NY Daily News: In the wake of the murder of Julissa Brisman, a 26-year-old masseuse who met her alleged killer after posting an ad on the site, Jim Buckmaster said offers to exchange sexual favors for money are 'strictly prohibited' and removed.

Radical Senior Justice Dept. nominee faces GOP roadblock in Senate

Posted on April 23, 2009
"'I think she's in real trouble,' said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio. "From what I'm picking up from consensus, she's got a problem.'"

Texas: New strip club raises concern in El Paso

Posted on April 23, 2009
KFOX 14: "For the last couple of months people have noticed an adult entertainment business being constructed on Gateway West near Joe Battle. For some residents the location of the business is a concern."

Iraq: Brother shoots sister for being a rape victim

Posted on April 23, 2009
LA Times: "A young woman imprisoned in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, sent a letter to her brother last summer, appealing for help. The woman, named Dalal, wrote that she was pregnant after being raped by prison guards. The brother asked to visit her. Guards obliged...

Amended Complaint Protests Second Song Given To 3rd Graders In Florida School

Posted on April 23, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: According to yesterday's St. Augustine Record, the amended complaint charges that directing students to perform "Chatter" constitutes retaliation against plaintiffs for having brought the suit challenging "In God We Still Trust."

?Let Gays Have Marriage; We?re Not Using It?

Posted on April 23, 2009
Hot Air: "One trend that has undermined marriage has been the rise of the Contraceptive Culture, which celebrates sterility as the norm and views fertility as a pathology requiring medical prevention."

?Defamation of Religion? and the Durban Review Conference Final Draft

Posted on April 23, 2009
Religion Clause Blog provides this update on the latest efforts at the UN to pass a "Defamation of Religion" measure: "However, another issue of concern leading up to the conference has been efforts by Islamic states to get language into the final document barring 'defamation of religion...

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