Religion & Law

New ADF publication: Same Sex ?Marriage? Q&A

Posted on March 18, 2009
ADF has created a new web page covering the "Fight for Marriage" that also includes this Same Sex "Marriage" Q&A.

Kevin Theriot on Reality Check: Defending the National Day of Prayer

Posted on March 18, 2009
ADF attorney Kevin Theriot appeared on Reality Check with Mike and Clairie Monokian to discuss the attack on the National Day of Prayer. The mp3 runs just over 9 minutes.

Woman Asks Florida Court to Disregard Law and Grant Her Parental Rights Over Unrelated Child

Posted on March 18, 2009
Liberty Counsel: "Today Liberty Counsel argued before the Second District Court of Appeal in Florida against recognition of an out-of-state, same-sex adoption. The case involves a woman who wants to be recognized as a second parent of the biological child of her former same-sex partner...

Socialist protesters shut down Republican Club?s Don Feder speech at UMass

Posted on March 18, 2009
MassLive.com Blog: A speech by conservative columnist Don Feder at the University of Massachusetts entitled, "Hate Crimes Laws and Other Forms of Censorship" was canceled after Feder left the event mid-speech, citing unruly behavior from protesters.

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Texas Moment of Silence Constitutional

Posted on March 17, 2009
CBNNews: A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring students to observe one minute of silence following the Pledge of Allegiance . . . "A moment of silence is not a government endorsement of religion just because someone might use the time for prayer," said David Cortman, Senior Legal Counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund...

ACLU says Bureau of Prisons is attempting to band religious material

Posted on March 17, 2009
ACLU: The proposed rule, which would allow material to be banned based on a mere determination that it "could...suggest" violence or criminal behavior, directly contradicts the Second Chance Act which places strict limits on what material BOP officials may outlaw.

Ark. judge rules that ACLU suit challenging adoption law can proceed

Posted on March 17, 2009
Seattle Times reports: Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled from the bench against a motion by the state to dismiss the lawsuit. Piazza said issues raised in the lawsuit need to be argued in court.

?West Point grads declare gay pride?

Posted on March 17, 2009
Army Times: The group, Knights Out, wants to serve as a connection between gay troops and Army administrators . . . to provide an open forum for communication between gay West Point graduates and their fellow alumni and to serve in an advisory role for West Point leaders if the ?don?t ask, don?t tell? laws are repealed by Congress.

Couple sues Canadian hospital for putting child back on life support

Posted on March 17, 2009
LifeSite: A Quebec couple have launched a $3.5-million lawsuit against Montreal Children's Hospital for allegedly putting their infant daughter back on artificial food and hydration without their approval . . . After withdrawing respiratory support, however, it was found that Phebe could breathe on her own, and the hospital's ethics committee reversed the parents' decision to withhold fluids and food from their baby.

Obama to announce 7th Circuit nominee

Posted on March 17, 2009
NYT: President Obama is expected to name his first candidate to an appeals court seat this week, officials said, choosing David F. Hamilton, a highly regarded federal trial court judge from Indiana, for the appeals court in Chicago . . . He did receive attention for two rulings striking down actions of conservatives in the Indiana legislature...

South Carolina porn investigation nets arrest

Posted on March 17, 2009
Sun Sentinel: A South Carolina man surrendered to authorities Monday after Boynton Beach police said he sent child pornography to undercover detectives.

?Alleged Calif. child porn peddler arrested?

Posted on March 17, 2009
The Appeal-Democrat reports: An East Linda man was arrested early Monday on suspicion of distributing child pornography, Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor said.

NY: Cobleskill man charged with child porn

Posted on March 17, 2009
The Daily Star: Daniel LaSpaluto, 25, was the subject of a joint investigation by the Cobleskill Police Department and the United States Secret Service that yielded multiple images of young children on LaSpaluto's home computer, according to a media release from Cobleskill police.

White House: Obama still supports DOMA repeal

Posted on March 17, 2009
CNSNews: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs confirmed on Friday that, as promised on the campaign trail, President Obama ?would? work to repeal a Clinton-era law called the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which protects states from being forced to recognize same-sex marriages contracted in other states.

Calif. Christian coalition working to ?save children from state curriculum?

Posted on March 17, 2009
E.L. Moon, writing in The Californian: The curriculum is now being printed and distributed to all public schools. Since the values of most parents are being threatened, a coalition of Christian grass-roots organizations is calling for all families to rescue their children from the public education system...

NH Rep: ?Changing marriage is detrimental to kids and society?

Posted on March 17, 2009
New Hampshire Representative Will Smith, writing in the Union Leader: The institution of marriage is created in societies for the purpose of preservation of the society into the future. It is designed to achieve the best possible environment for future generations to develop their skills and moral character so as to contribute successfully to the society as they attain adulthood.

Ark. AG to defend state in case that questions adoption ban

Posted on March 17, 2009
Associated Press: The Arkansas attorney general's office is preparing to defend the state against a civil liberties lawsuit that challenges a new state ban on unmarried couples adopting or fostering children.

Peter Robinson interviews Justice Scalia

Posted on March 17, 2009
Peter Robinson, interviewing Justice Scalia for Forbes Magazine: "I am trying," Scalia argues, "to put us back where we ought to be--where a democratic republic ought to be--which is with our laws not being made by judges but through the democratic process...

Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: A Brookings Institute Panel Discussion

Posted on March 17, 2009
Via the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy: On March 13, Rauch and Blankenhorn discussed their proposal at a forum moderated by Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston. Robin Wilson, editor of Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts, discussed the church-state conflicts that same-sex unions may engender...

HSLDA: Obama?s Zero to Five Plan doesn?t add up

Posted on March 17, 2009
HSLDA President Michael Smith: In a 2005 Stanford University/University of California study that focused on children attending preschool, it was confirmed that attendance in preschool centers, even for short periods of time each week, hindered the rate at which young children developed social skills...

EU: Anti-discrimination bill approved by civil liberties committee

Posted on March 17, 2009
EUobserver: A bill banning discrimination against people on the basis of age, disability, sexual orientation, belief or religion in the areas of education, social security, health care and goods and services including housing has been approved by the European Parliament's civil liberties committee.

?Gay rights groups? protest resignation of Oklahoma high school teacher over ?gay-themed film?

Posted on March 17, 2009
USA Today: Gay rights groups are complaining about the firing of a rural Oklahoma high school teacher who lost her job last week after assigning a play about the 1998 death of a gay college student. But the tiny school district says the move came after the teacher held a mock "funeral" for a canceled film production of the play.

Egyptian court rules that Bahais don?t have to list religion

Posted on March 17, 2009
Gulfnews: The Supreme Administrative Court upheld an earlier ruling, which gives this minority the right to get their identification cards without having to mention Islam, Christianity and Judaism - the only three faiths recognised in Egypt.

?Recent tax law changes significantly affect churches?

Posted on March 17, 2009
ChristianNewsWire: Many tax laws that impact churches and church staff were changed by The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act that was enacted by Congress in October 2008. Some of the changes that most interest churches and church staff are outlined below, more details on each of these issues and other tax changes can be found in the 2009 Church & Clergy Tax Guide by Richard Hammar.

New Jersey appellate court overturns anti-SOB decision

Posted on March 17, 2009
MSNBC: An appellate court panel last week overturned a ruling that closed the [sexually oriented business] in the Pep Boys Plaza on Route 130 nearly two years ago.

Why didn?t they call on the Alliance Defense Fund?

Posted on March 17, 2009
Santa Rosa's Press Gazette Letter to the Editor: From the news, the capitulation of our school officials and their lawyers is complete. One has to wonder why they didn?t call on the Alliance Defense Fund, or the American Center for Law and Justice, or any number of organizations skilled in school prayer cases.

Oklahoma House votes to outlaw embryonic stem cell research

Posted on March 17, 2009
Kathleen Gilbert, LifeSite: The House also voted to invest in adult stem cell research . . . "For me personally, this is the single-most important issue we deal with as legislators: protecting the right to life," said Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, the bill's sponsor.

5th Circuit Upholds Texas Moment-of-Silence

Posted on March 17, 2009
Christian Web News: The 5th Circuit decided Monday to uphold a Texas law allowing students to observe one minute of silence following the Pledge of Allegiance. The Alliance Defense Fund filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case last year. ?A moment of silence is not a government endorsement of religion just because someone might use the time for prayer,? said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman...

Court upholds Texas moment of silence law as constitutional

Posted on March 17, 2009
Christian Post: After the ruling, David Cortman, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case last year, stated, "A moment of silence is not a government endorsement of religion just because someone might use the time for prayer.

ADF v. ACLU at George Mason University

Posted on March 17, 2009
Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Jeff Shafer will debate Jeremy Gunn, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Program on Religious Freedom . . . the subject of the debate . . . will be the U.S. Supreme Court?s interpretation of the Establishment Clause.

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