Religion & Law

Mapping political persecution in the aftermath of Prop. 8

Posted on March 23, 2009
Chuck Colson writing in The Christian Post: "ProtectMarriage.com and the Alliance Defense Fund have gone to court to protect the privacy and free speech of those who contribute to future campaigns?and to protect them from harassment. They are challenging state campaign finance laws that force disclosure of personal information of those who donate even small amounts of money to political campaigns...

?Choose life? license plate issue coming up again in federal suit

Posted on March 23, 2009
Hudson Valley Journal News: "In a couple of weeks, lawyers will begin taking depositions in the federal lawsuit filed by The Children First Foundation, based in Eastchester, to get New York state to issue license plates that say "choose life," according to Jeff Shafer, a lawyer for the organization...

Virginia Congressman misleading constituents on Freedom of Choice Act

Posted on March 23, 2009
LifeNews: "At least one member of Congress is misleading his constituents on the so-called Freedom of Choice Act -- the radical pro-abortion bill. The congressman is telling his constituents that they have nothing to fear because the bill will not be introduced ...

Calif. pro-lifer Walter Hoye receives 30-day sentence

Posted on March 23, 2009
Catholics For a Common Good: "This afternoon, appearing slight and gaunt from his 40-Days-for-Life fasting, Rev. Walter Hoye was calmly led from the Alameda County courtroom to begin a thirty day jail sentence. The judge denied the defense's motion to stay the sentence pending appeal and remanded Walter into custody...

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Vermont Senate panel approves bill to redefine marriage

Posted on March 23, 2009
"A Vermont state Senate committee unanimously approved a gay marriage bill, moving the state one step closer to allowing same-sex couples to legally wed."

Why Embryo Adoption is an Inapposite Model for Application to Third-Party Assisted Reproduction

Posted on March 23, 2009
This article will analyze the legal and statutory models for the disposition of cryopreserved embryos to a third party for purposes of family building. Part I will present an overview of the debate and its importance in the current legal, bioethical, and political climate...

What Happens to Embryos When a Marriage Dissolves? Embryo Disposition and Divorce

Posted on March 23, 2009
Law Review: "One of the principal legal issues of ART, at the moment, regards the disposition of embryos and whether a couple that uses assisted reproductive technologies should be governed by the laws of contract or by the right to procreate. More specifically, when the couple decides to divorce and cannot agree on the disposition of the embryos that they created through ART, the following questions must be asked: who should have the right to procreate and who should not? Should the couple's informed consent contract, which was signed before the creation of the embryos, trump the rights of the parties individually after the embryos are already in existence?"

Access Denied: Assisted Reproductive Technology Services and the Resurrection of Hill-Burton

Posted on March 23, 2009
This article explores the question of whether or not the Hill-Burton Act may be used by those persons, like Ms. Benitez, who are denied access to assisted reproductive technologies for non-medical reasons, such as marital status or sexual orientation...

Marriage and Practical Knowledge

Posted on March 23, 2009
The ubiquity of heterosexual marriage means that virtually all of those who have been in married relationships and those who have been close to married relationships--in widely different times and circumstances--have understood heterosexuality to be an important, perhaps a necessary, component of marriage.

Feticide Laws: Contemporary Legal Applications and Constitutional Inquiries

Posted on March 23, 2009
This article will examine: (1) the development of feticide legislation; (2) the divergent approaches currently utilized throughout the country in addressing feticide; (3) the specific applications of feticide legislation that have led to calls for reform; and (4) some of the constitutional challenges surrounding this legislation...

Religious Freedoms Protected by Lawyers?

Posted on March 23, 2009
Chuck Missler at Worldview Times: "The Alliance Defense Fund has reached a settlement with the New York Department of Transportation over a tractor trailer with a Christian message on private property in Binghamton, NY. Business owner Daniel Burritt had been told by NYDOT that his tractor trailer would be removed for him if he did not take it out of view of the highway...

Faith in the news

Posted on March 23, 2009
Hagerstown Church of the Nazarene: "The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) announced that it has reached an agreement with the New York Department of Transportation to allow a tractor-trailer owned by Daniel Burritt to remain on his private property that sits beside a public highway...

Chuck Colson Does it Again: Certified Hypocrite Award #2

Posted on March 23, 2009
The Gaytheist Agenda: "The finance disclosure law was a voter approved measure. The people spoke! How dare ProtectMarriage.com and the Alliance Defense Fund try to get Activist Judges to overrule the Will of the People?!?!"

In Jews for Jesus Challenge, Revised Oyster Bay Permit Rules Held Invalid

Posted on March 23, 2009
Religion Clause: In People v. Mendelson, (NY Nassau Co. Dist. Ct., March 19, 2009), a New York state trial court dismissed criminal charges brought against a "Jews for Jesus" missionary for distributing literature at a concert in an Oyster Bay (NY) park without obtaining a permit ...

Between the Lines: State retreats and pays legal expenses in gospel-message trailer case

Posted on March 23, 2009
Ronald L. Caravan writing in The Valley News: "Last week, the ADF announced that its attorneys ?reached a favorable settlement with the New York State Department of Transportation, which agreed to allow Daniel Burritt?s trailer donning a gospel message to remain on his private business property along a public highway...

There he goes again: A response to ?National Day of Prayer under attack?

Posted on March 23, 2009
Atheism Examiner: "I pointed this out in a previous article in response to what the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) (which seems to be responsible for the "Save the National Day of Prayer" Web site) said of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)...

Same-sex ?marriage? vote worries Vt. politicians

Posted on March 23, 2009
"While the battle's not as pitched as it was in 2000, the specter of having to face voters is on the minds of lawmakers."

Vermont Senate votes to legalize same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on March 23, 2009
"The bill, which passed the 30-member chamber by a 26-4 margin, moves to the Vermont House, where it is also expected to be approved. Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, however, has said he doesn't support the bill . . ."

Columbia Law Students for Life: How Law Students (and Lawyers) Can Help the Pro-Life Movement

Posted on March 23, 2009
Law students, lawyers, and all other pro-lifers are invited to learn about the role of the legal profession in turning back the culture of death. Presenting will be Mr. Mark Rienzi, an attorney in private practice with WilmerHale in DC who has built several pro-life pro bono cases into his legal career...

More women needing cash go from jobless to topless

Posted on March 23, 2009
AP: "Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they're seeing an influx of applications from women who, like Brown, are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured...

Federal judge bans bible trailers from Indiana school district

Posted on March 23, 2009
Rebecca S. Green reports in The Journal Gazette: "A federal judge banned Bible trailers from an area school district, granting a request by a woman who claimed the religious education program violated her child?s civil rights . . ."

Circuit Nominee Mixed Corporate, Civil Liberties Work

Posted on March 23, 2009
The Blog of the Legal Times: "President Barack Obama?s first nominee for the federal bench, Judge David Hamilton for a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, has been alternately described as a 'moderate' and as an 'ACLU liberal.' Likewise, those who follow judicial nominations have different ideas about what the choice means for future vacancies ...

Petition opposing Obama as Notre Dame Commencement speaker

Posted on March 23, 2009
The Cardinal Newman Society and CatholicVote.org have sponsored a petition opposing "Notre Dame's decision to host and honor President Barack Obama at commencement."

?Can the Government Prohibit Gay Marriage??

Posted on March 23, 2009
Everyone involved in the debate over same-sex marriage understands that the Constitution is centrally involved. We believe that under current doctrine, the Constitution affords some protection to gay marriage, but not in the manner that most would imagine.

?Defamation of religion? dropped from U.N. resolution

Posted on March 23, 2009
The Associated Press reports: "United Nations officials said Tuesday that Muslim-backed references to 'defamation of religion' and criticism of Israel have been dropped from a draft being prepared for next month's world racism meeting."

NY: Seven, including five minors, arrested for ?sexting?

Posted on March 23, 2009
Sharon Osorio reports at WKBW: "The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office has arrested Matthew Lahnen, 20, from the Town of Sheridan, and Wade Vosburgh, Jr., 20. from Silver Creek, plus five minors, in connection with "sexting" nude photos via their cell phones...

Internet crimes against children in Wisconsin outpace investigations

Posted on March 23, 2009
redOrbit reports: "Agents and computer experts over the past decade have gone after hundreds of predators who solicit sex from kids or trade child pornography online. However, experts say the number of cases involving online sexual predators has quietly multiplied across the nation, with arrests more than quadrupling in 10 years...

SC deputy fired over child porn allegations

Posted on March 23, 2009
Fort Mill Times reports: "Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says he has fired one of his deputies who admitted he looked at child pornography."

Ohio superintendent resigns after child porn allegations

Posted on March 23, 2009
Associated Press: "A central Ohio schools superintendent has resigned after records surfaced showing he used his office computer to view pornographic Web sites."

Barney Frank calls Justice Scalia ?homophobe,? promises progress for homosexual agenda

Posted on March 23, 2009
Penny Starr, reporting at CNSNews: "Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said . . . that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a 'homophobe.' . . . Frank also predicted that Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress will pass three pro-homosexual laws in the coming months and years ...

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