Religion & Law

Jeff Shafer on KFUO AM with Paul Clayton: ?Choose Life? license plate litigation

Posted on April 23, 2009
ADF attorney Jeff Shafer appeared on KFUO AM with Paul Clayton to discuss pending "choose life" license plate litigation. The mp3 runs just over 10 minutes. Links to ADF press releases on "Choose Life" litigation.

?Protecting religious liberty from gay marriage and protecting gay marriage from religious liberty?

Posted on April 23, 2009
The Volokh Conspiracy: "Do we want courts deciding when a person's religious beliefs have been 'violated' rather than been made less comfortable? But while these are good questions, for the most part they do not seem particular to this proposal. They're endemic in religious liberty law and protection...

Parents: Required sex ed violates daughter?s rights

Posted on April 23, 2009
WorldNetDaily: "'Parents, not the government, are the ones ultimately responsible for making educational choices for their children,' Kiska said. 'These parents were well within their rights under the European Convention of Human Rights to opt to teach their children a view of sexuality that is in accordance with their own religious beliefs instead of sending them to a class and stageplay they found objectionable...

Praying resumes for Dodge County Board of Supervisors

Posted on April 23, 2009
Watertown Daily Times: "The board members debated two separate resolutions on the same issue before approving a 10-page document outlining the prayer procedures, including how to prepare a list of available clergy. The resolution approved is based on documents provided by the Alliance Defense Fund ...

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Conn. legislature bows to the court on marriage redefinition

Posted on April 23, 2009
AP: "A decade-long battle for marriage equality in Connecticut ended when the General Assembly voted to update the state's marriage laws to conform with a landmark court ruling allowing gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot."

Hate crimes vote postponed, Dems caught in ?lie?

Posted on April 23, 2009
One News Now: "We exposed the fact that they claimed, they have fraudulent claims that there was an epidemic of hate against homosexuals and drag queens, transgenders -- and that claim was the foundation of the bill," she notes . . . "We nailed them on the fact that that's a lie...

Iowa judge to stop performing marriages

Posted on April 23, 2009
"At least one Iowa magistrate has decided that he will no longer perform marriages, a response due in part to the Iowa Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex couples to marry."

AP Poll: Americans high on Obama, direction of US

Posted on April 23, 2009
AP: 'And yet, the percentage of Americans saying the country is headed in the right direction rose to 48 percent, up from 40 percent in February. Forty-four percent say the nation is on the wrong track."

Ninth Circuit Revives Constitutional Challenge to School Tuition Law

Posted on April 23, 2009
Metropolitan News-Enterprise: "The intervenors are represented by two national conservative advocacy groups, the Institute for Justice and the Alliance Defense Fund. The defendants and intervenors moved to dismiss based on lack of standing, failure to state a claim under the Establishment Clause, and res judicata...

Liberty Counsel Launches Annual ?Friend or Foe? Graduation Prayer Campaign

Posted on April 23, 2009
Liberty Counsel: "Liberty Counsel is launching its annual 'Friend or Foe' Graduation Prayer Campaign, seeking to educate and, if necessary, litigate to ensure that prayer and religious viewpoints are not suppressed during public school graduation ceremonies...

Christian students censored at Nashville-area school

Posted on April 23, 2009
One News Now: "Nate Kellum is with the Alliance Defense Fund. 'Well, Christian students shouldn't be censored just for expressing their beliefs. They do not check their constitutional rights upon stepping [through] the schoolhouse gate,' he points out...

Recession linked to more abortions, vasectomies

Posted on April 23, 2009
Reuters: "The pregnancy was unexpected, and for one 32-year-old single mother in Syracuse, New York, the ailing economy became a factor in her decision to have an abortion."

Pro-life doctors face ?consequences?

Posted on April 23, 2009
Julia Duin writes at the Washington Times: "A poll by Kellyanne Conway's The Polling Co. Inc./WomanTrend found that 82 percent of 2,865 Christian medical personnel said they were 'very' or 'somewhat' likely to limit the scope of their medical practice if they had to perform actions against their pro-life beliefs.

Calif lesbian mom gets 2-year deportation reprieve after Congressional intervention

Posted on April 23, 2009
"Feinstein introduced an emergency immigration bill late Wednesday on behalf of Shirley Tan who lives in Pacifica with her 12-year-old twin sons and partner of 19 years. "

Groups offer legal help to county recorders

Posted on April 23, 2009
The Gazette: "Such a policy would protect objecting employees from being forced to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if doing so would violate the employee's conscience, said Alliance Senior Legal Counsel Doug Napier."

Miss California?s public stand for traditional marriage could lead to discrimination claim

Posted on April 23, 2009
World Magazine: "McCaleb said California has fought litigation over this definition of 'business establishment,' but he believes that a court would find that the pageant is not an actual business establishment but an organization with the right to free speech: 'We?re not dealing with the government here...

Religious objectors in Iowa should be protected, groups say

Posted on April 23, 2009
Baptist Press: "It is a matter of religious freedom, and no one should be compelled to do anything that is offensive to their basic fundamental beliefs," Alliance Defense Fund attorney Doug Napier told Baptist Press. "To force county recorders to issue same-sex marriage licenses against their religious beliefs would be contrary to the constitution...

National group pushes county recorders to defy same-sex marriage ruling

Posted on April 23, 2009
Iowa Independent: "The Alliance Defense Fund . . . sent an e-mail to each of Iowa?s county recorders asking them to tell their staff that they 'shall not be required to issue or process a marriage license, or to perform, assist or participate in such procedures, against that individual?s religious beliefs or moral convictions...

UNICEF calls for legal abortion in Dominican Republic

Posted on April 23, 2009
C-FAMM: "While Dominican lawmakers were debating the merits of such a provision and the nation?s penal prohibition of abortion, Nils Kastberg, UNICEF?s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, interjected himself, calling on Dominican legislators to consider liberalizing abortion so women would not be forced into 'unsafe procedures...

Religious Freedom Breakthrough: Massive Christian Celebration Allowed in Vietnam

Posted on April 23, 2009
Compass Direct News: "In what religious freedom advocates regarded as a breakthrough in Vietnam, authorities granted rare permission to unregistered house church groups to hold a large, public Easter-related service here last night."

GOP chief raps Sebelius on abortion stance

Posted on April 23, 2009
AP: "The head of the Republican Party called on President Barack Obama to withdraw Kathleen Sebelius's nomination as health secretary unless she answers more questions on abortion."

Manufacturing consent for the homosexual agenda

Posted on April 23, 2009
American Thinker: Facts can get in the way of marketing geared to amp up emotional rage to influence legislation benefiting the gay agenda. Advancing liberation for a homosexual lifestyle is only legitimate if truth is not sacrificed. The majority of gays in America are not homeless, unemployed or living at a poverty level...

Call for Papers: The Nature and Future of International Legal Theory

Posted on April 23, 2009
International Law Reporter: "The Interest Groups on International Legal Theory of the European Society of International Law and the American Society of International Law have issued a call for papers for a joint workshop on "The Nature and Future of International Legal Theory...

Judiciary Committee greenlights ?hate crimes?: Members refuse to protect Christian pastors

Posted on April 23, 2009
WorldNetDaily: "Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee today rejected an opportunity to protect Christian pastors who preach the biblical condemnation of homosexuality and approved on a 15-12 vote a 'hate crimes' bill that supporters admit could be used to bring charges against religious leaders...

Swastikas painted on Joseph?s Tomb

Posted on April 23, 2009
WorldNetDaily: "Jews who arrived last night to pray at Joseph's Tomb ? Judaism's third holiest site ? were stunned to learn the structure had been vandalized, with the headstone smashed in and swastikas painted on the walls."

New Assembly passes ?Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act? (GENDA)

Posted on April 23, 2009
HRC Back Story Blog: "The New York State Assembly on Tuesday voted 97-38 to pass the Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act (GENDA A.5710), which would add gender identity and expression as protected categories under the state?s human rights law."

Planned Parenthood: 62 abortions for every adoption referral

Posted on April 23, 2009
NC Family Policy Council: "America?s largest abortion provider performed 62 abortions for every adoption referral it made in 2007, according to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America?s 2007?2008 annual report released earlier this month."

House Committee Approves Hate-Crimes Legislation

Posted on April 23, 2009
Citizen Link: "The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted 15-12 today in favor of legislation that would create a new class of crimes based on the victim's 'actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.' Under "hate-crimes" laws like H.R. 1913 ...

Oregon: Tualatin seeks constitutional amendment on strip clubs

Posted on April 23, 2009
Oregonian: "Now Tualatin's mayor and two Oregon legislators have proposed amending the Oregon Constitution and are targeting nude dancing. It's an issue Oregon voters have repeatedly rejected in a state with greater protections for speech and expression than are guaranteed by the U...

Americans United for Life Disappointed by Oklahoma Governor?s Veto of Bill Banning Destructive Embryo Research

Posted on April 23, 2009
Americans United for Life: "Last night, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry vetoed Oklahoma House Bill 1326, a bill making it illegal for any Oklahoma business to conduct research that would kill a human embryo or subject an unborn child to a substantial risk of death or injury...

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