Religion & Law

?Don?t bet on Prop. 8 outcome?

Posted on March 23, 2009
Nicole C. Brambila, reporting in The Desert News: ?It's very difficult to predict outcomes to Prop 8 on the basis of arguments,? said David B. Cruz, a University of Southern California law professor and constitutional law expert. ?I don't think we can be confident one way or the other...

Int?l pro-abortion group conspired with Brazilian hospital to abort twins

Posted on March 23, 2009
Matthew Cullinan Hoffman reporting at LifeSite: "According to Fr. Edson Rodrigues, a Catholic priest from the child's hometown of Alagoinha was present during much of the ordeal, the girl's parents both clearly stated their opposition to abortion in general and the abortion in particular proposed for their own child...

Texas school board set to vote on challenge to evolution

Posted on March 23, 2009
Stephanie Simon reporting in the Wall Street Journal: "The Texas Board of Education will vote this week on a new science curriculum designed to challenge the guiding principle of evolution, a step that could influence what is taught in biology classes across the nation...

Britain?s ?naked public square?

Posted on March 23, 2009
Peter C. Glover, First Things: "Jeremy Vine is a highly visible BBC broadcaster and a practicing Anglican. In a recent interview, Vine explained how difficult it had become to speak of his faith on air. It is, he claimed, now ?socially unacceptable? to mention one?s Christian faith in public...

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Federal court orders FDA to consider reversing policy preventing ?morning after? distribution to minors

Posted on March 23, 2009
"A federal court on Monday ordered the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its decision preventing minors from purchasing the morning after pill without a prescription."

Alaska and Florida consider bestiality bans

Posted on March 23, 2009
AP: "Alaska's House Judiciary Committee on Friday heard testimony on a measure that would expand the state's animal cruelty law to include sexual conduct. It would make the practice a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine...

City of Modesto Settles Suit By Evangelist

Posted on March 20, 2009
Religion Clause: "The city was also required to pay $35,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to Borden's lawyers, and $1 nominal damages to Borden. Alliance Defense Fund announced the settlement."

Texas Appeals Court Upholds Moment-of-Silence Law

Posted on March 20, 2009
Good News Daily (EP News): David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said no student is compelled to pray under the Texas law. ?A moment of silence is not a government endorsement of religion just because someone might use the time for prayer,? he said...

10th Street Plaza preacher gets $1 damages

Posted on March 20, 2009
Susan Herendeen, The Modesto Bee: A street preacher who sued Modesto after security guards from Brenden Theatres told him he may not shout about hellfire and damnation in front of their establishment will pocket $1 in damages . . . "He has every right to be in the public square, just like everyone else," said attorney Heather Hacker of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group best known for its opposition to gay marriage...

Ind. Allows References to God on License Plates

Posted on March 20, 2009
Karin Hamilton, Beliefnet (Religion News Service): Indiana officials have dropped a provision that bans references to religions or deities on personalized license plates after a woman sued when her "BE GODS" personalized license plate was not renewed...

Ninth Circuit shoots down CLS appeal in Hastings case

Posted on March 20, 2009
hunter of justice: The Alliance Defense Fund has filed a cert petition in the Truth case. (See summary of oral argument and link to cert petition.) CLS is also expected to seek Supreme Court review.

A threat to Christian books in prison

Posted on March 20, 2009
The Point: "Prison chapel libraries may soon become sparser if the Bureau of Prisons gets its way. In its zeal to prevent inmates from becoming violent religious radicals, the BOP has proposed a policy that would snatch from inmates' reach any materials that ?could? incite, promote, or suggest violence...

Oyster Bay Permit-For-Free-Speech Code Declared Unconstitutional, Twice

Posted on March 20, 2009
Aphiemi?s Weblog: The Alliance Defense Fund has won a case against the town of Oyster Bay, NY, when the town?s ordinance code requiring permits for free speech activities was declared unconstitutional for the second time. In 2006, the code was also declared unconstitutional; the town ?revised? the code, but it has, again, been found to prohibit First Amendment rights.

God-proofing schools?

Posted on March 20, 2009
C. D. Nesbitt: "The Alliance Defense Fund Attorneys filed a lawsuit on the behalf of the parents and students at Lakeview Elementary School there in Wilson County. The lawsuit states that the schools actions violates the 14th Amendment due process and the Establishment Clause...

?Israeli gay couple receives maternity leave?

Posted on March 20, 2009
JTA reports: "Israel's National Insurance Institute authorized its first maternity leave for a homosexual couple."

Pittsburgh: Massive Anti-Abortion Demonstration Scheduled

Posted on March 20, 2009
MSNBC: "The Bishop's Apostles For Life, a anti-abortion group, is set use parking spaces in front of the Planned Parenthood in Plattsburgh on Good Friday. Massive Anti-Abortion Demonstration Scheduled . . . "

Ill. House wants school reflection voluntary again

Posted on March 20, 2009
Chicago Sun Times (AP): "The House voted 79-33 Thursday to change a law that a federal judge ruled unconstitutional in January. The legislation now moves to the Senate, where a similar bill died last year."

Alabama: No more single sex classes in Mobile county

Posted on March 20, 2009
NBC13.com reports (AP): "The Mobile County school system will stop offering single-sex classes in order to settle a dispute with the American Civil Liberties Union."

Taking a stride toward synthetic life: Harvard scientists create cell protein machinery

Posted on March 20, 2009
Harvard reports: "Harvard scientists have cleared a key hurdle in the creation of synthetic life, assembling a cell?s critical protein-making machinery in an advance with both practical, industrial applications and that advances the basic understanding of life?s workings...

One Thousand Scientists, Physicians, and Intellectuals Sign Manifesto against the Further Legalization of Abortion in Spain

Posted on March 20, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "Approximately one thousand scientists, physicians, academicians, and intellectuals have signed a statement rejecting the further legalization of abortion in Spain, and signatures continue to be added to the document."

Mont. Church at Center of 9th Circuit Decision to Host Celebration on Sunday

Posted on March 20, 2009
Two attorneys involved in defending Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church in a recent victory at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit will make brief comments at a worship service at the church Sunday. ADF-allied attorney Tim Fox--a partner with the Helena law firm Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP--and ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb will be available for media interviews before and after a celebratory luncheon following the church service.

Florida: ?Woman Forces Daughter to Have an Abortion, Dumps Body of Baby in the Trash?

Posted on March 20, 2009
LifeNews: "A Florida woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a case involving her forcing her teenager daughter to have an abortion. Tonuya Rainey, 38, allegedly obtained drugs from an abortion center to make her daughter have an abortion and then threw the body of the unborn child in the trash...

Feingold introduces bill to ban federal death penalty

Posted on March 20, 2009
The Hill: "Building off the announcement that New Mexico would now forbid capital punishment, Feingold introduced the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009, which would effectively commute all federal death penalty sentences to life sentences, and forbid the use of capital punishment in later convictions...

Kagan confirmed as Solicitor General

Posted on March 20, 2009
ScotusBlog: "The Senate has voted 61-31 to confirm former Dean of Harvard Law School Elena Kagan as the first female solicitor general. She will become the 45th person to hold the office. The roll call of the vote is available here."

Study: Children of same-sex parents twice as likely to live in poverty

Posted on March 20, 2009
"Lesbian couples are more likely to be poor than married heterosexuals, and children of same-sex parents are twice as likely to live in poverty as those of traditional married couples, a new report shows."

On Obama?s Plan to End ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell,? Air Force Leader Says ?We Follow the Law?

Posted on March 20, 2009
CNSNews: "Whether President Barack Obama?s plan to repeal the 'Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell' policy and allow homosexuals to serve openly in the armed forces is a good idea, two Air Force leaders declined to say anything more than they will follow the law, when asked by CNSNews...

Politics and Science

Posted on March 20, 2009
James Stoner writes at Public Discourse: The ?rightful place? of science is not as obvious as the President thinks.

Senate Judiciary Cmte approves Dawn Johnsen as Assistant AG

Posted on March 20, 2009
IndyStar.com: "The nomination of Hoosier lawyer Dawn Johnsen to be assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's office of legal counsel was approved today by the Senate Judiciary Committee over the objection of Republicans."

Senate confirms Elena Kagan as Solicitor General

Posted on March 20, 2009
Harvard Law School reports: "The United States Senate voted today to confirm Dean Elena Kagan ?86 as the 44th solicitor general of the United States. By a 61 to 31 vote, Kagan became the first woman solicitor general in U.S. history."

NY court finds town?s permit-for-free-speech rule unconstitutional, again

Posted on March 20, 2009
An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured a settlement on behalf of members of a Christian group barred from expressing their faith in a public park.

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