Religion & Law

Chaplain Lacks Standing In Establishment Clause Challenge To ?Five Faiths Policy?

Posted on February 20, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: “In McCollum v. State of California, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11154 (ND CA, Feb. 13, 2009), a California federal district court held that a volunteer Wiccan prison chaplain lacks both traditional standing and taxpayer standing to bring an Establishment Clause challenge to the California prison system’s policy of providing paid chaplains for [...

Rasmussen Reports: Supreme Court Ratings - January 23-24, 2009

Posted on February 20, 2009
Rasmussen has issued a survey of public opinion on the Supreme Court and its effect on the Presidential election. Does Barack Obama believe Supreme Court justices should decide cases based on what?s written in the Constitution and legal precedents or does he believe they should decide cases by a sense of fairness and justice? 35% What?s written [...

Recktenwald nominated to Hawaii high court

Posted on February 20, 2009
Honolulu Advertiser: “Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday nominated Mark Recktenwald, chief judge on the state Intermediate Court of Appeals, to fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court . . .” Visit Site » Share This

What Role Will ABA Have in Judicial Nominations?

Posted on February 20, 2009
The Blog of Legal Times: “The American Bar Association wants back inside the process for vetting nominees to the federal judiciary, and it says the White House is at least listening . . . Republicans had criticized the ABA as simply another interest group because of the liberal positions taken by its House of Delegates [...

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Gary McCaleb on the Don Kroah Show: DOJ and judicial nominations

Posted on February 20, 2009
ADF attorney Gary McCaleb appeared on the Don Kroah Show to discuss judicial and Department of Justice nominations. The mp3 file runs just over 11 minutes. Visit Site » Share This

Lutherans weigh making ?gay clergy? a local decision

Posted on February 20, 2009
AP: “The nation’s largest Lutheran denomination will consider allowing individual congregations to choose whether to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy, an attempt to avoid the sort of infighting that has threatened to tear other churches apart ...

Hawaii won?t consider physician-assisted suicide

Posted on February 20, 2009
The Hawaii Legislature will not take up a proposal to allow assisted suicides in the state.

Clinton queries utility of China rights debate

Posted on February 20, 2009
AP: “U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that the debate with China over human rights, Taiwan and Tibet cannot be allowed to interfere with attempts to reach consensus on other broader issues.” Visit Site » Share This

Pornography undermines the political order

Posted on February 20, 2009
The Founders forbade pornography not only because it subverts virtue, but because it attacks the political foundations of society . . . Chastity is not only a moral virtue; it is also indispensable to political order. [...]

Georgia: ?Voucher plan would help sponsor, not students?

Posted on February 20, 2009
Maureen Dowry writes at the Atlanta Journal Constitution: Despite his influence in the state Senate, Republican Eric Johnson of Savannah lacks the statewide name recognition to clinch the lieutenant governorship next year. So, rather than resort to billboards or ads to expand his political profile, Johnson is using the controversial issue of vouchers...

ADF Alliance Alert Subscriptions: Now on Twitter!

Posted on February 20, 2009
Kelly D. Calcott writes at Law.com: Tools and Tactics to Tweet Well on Twitter: In an earlier “Technology Today” column I wrote about the benefits of using newsreaders to stay abreast of multiple blogs. I pointed out that newsreaders — my current favorite of which is Google Reader — allow you to build “channels” of information [...

Rush Limbaugh: Mr. President, Keep the Airwaves Free

Posted on February 20, 2009
Rush Limbaugh writes at the Wall Street Journal: Dear President Obama: I have a straightforward question, which I hope you will answer in a straightforward way: Is it your intention to censor talk radio through a variety of contrivances, such as “local content,” “diversity of ownership,” and “public interest” rules — all of which are designed to [...

UK: Some Muslim schools ?make children despise the West?

Posted on February 20, 2009
Daily Mail: “Some Islamic schools are promoting fundamentalist views and encouraging children to despise Western society, a report warns. An investigation by the Civitas social policy think-tank found websites of some of the UK?s 166 Muslim schools are spreading extreme teachings, while a handful had links to sites promoting jihad, or holy war ...

Spain set to loosen abortion law

Posted on February 20, 2009
AP: “Spain is on course to ease its restrictive law on abortion, setting the stage for another clash between a Socialist government that has already introduced sweeping social changes and conservatives and Catholic clergy bent on preserving traditional family values...

?Why Transhumanism is the Best Bet to Prevent the Extinction of Civilization?

Posted on February 20, 2009
"Transhumanism does not say that we will create posthumans, rather, it makes a moral claim: we ought to create posthumans."

Senator to Force Vote on Bill Banning Fairness Doctrine

Posted on February 20, 2009
Business & Media Institute: Although a spokesman for President Barack Obama said the administration wouldn?t pursue the revival of the Fairness Doctrine, Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, S.C., wants Senate Democrats to go on the record one way or another on the issue...

Study finds strong relationship between campaign contributions and decisions by state Supreme Court judges

Posted on February 20, 2009
National Law Journal: Is justice for sale? There is a strong relationship between campaign contributions and decisions by state Supreme Court judges in states that elect those judges, a recent study finds. Although they caution that their sample is small, political scientists Chris Bonneau of the University of Pittsburgh and Damon Cann of Utah State University concluded [...

La Crosse, Wisconsin: Group Offers Free Legal Help to City

Posted on February 20, 2009
NewsTalk 1410 AM: “There’s help out there, if the La Crosse city council wants it. The Alliance Defense Fund is offering legal assistance to the council if it needs it to fight the Freedom from Religion Foundation over prayers before meetings ...

Author of recordkeeping law for pornographers applauds 6th Circuit decision

Posted on February 20, 2009
ADF President Alan Sears authored law recommended by pornography commission under U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III

Harris Poll: ?Obama beats out Jesus as America?s hero?

Posted on February 20, 2009
Chicago Sun-Times: Americans named President Obama as their No. 1 hero, followed by Jesus Christ and Martin Luther King, in a new Harris poll. Others in the top 10, in descending order, were Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln, John McCain, John F...

Sen. Specter Jeered For Voting For Stimulus Plan

Posted on February 20, 2009
KDKA.com: “U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was greeted with jeers at a press conference in Cranberry Township. Conservatives are fuming after Specter cast the deciding vote that led to the passage of President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan . . . “ Visit Site » Share This

?Michigan Appeals Court Says Trial Court Cannot Refuse to Hear Lesbian Mother?s Custody Case?

Posted on February 20, 2009
Lambda Legal: “The Michigan State Court of Appeals yesterday held that a Michigan family court cannot refuse to hear a child custody case simply because it involves children whose parents are lesbians, ruling that there is no gay exception to Michigan’s child custody laws ...

Ranking says Pa. most pro-life state

Posted on February 20, 2009
Baptist Press: “Pennsylvania is the most pro-life state in the country, while California is the least, according to the 2009 rankings by Americans United for Life (AUL). . . . ” AUL press release: Pennsylvania Most Pro-Life State in America, California Least, According to AUL State Rankings Visit Site » Share This

George Mason U. picks drag queen as homecoming queen

Posted on February 20, 2009
AP: “George Mason University senior Ryan Allen dresses in drag and doesn’t mind being called a queen - homecoming queen, to be exact. Allen, who is gay and performs in drag at nightclubs in the region, said he entered the homecoming contest as a joke, competing as Reann Ballslee, his drag queen persona ...

Florida: Latest chess move in strip club case

Posted on February 20, 2009
TheDestinLog.com: Less than a month after Destin amended its adult-entertainment ordinances, the city is preparing for a do-over, City Manager Greg Kisela says. Not because there?s a problem with the new rules, Kisela said, but because Terry Stephenson, who?s suing the city to open a Mountain Drive strip club, says the city didn?t meet legal requirements when it [...

Topeka Library Board Restricts Access to Four Books on Sex

Posted on February 20, 2009
LibraryJounal.com: Vote, 5-3,  goes against director?s recommendation Lawsuit possible Mixed public reaction In a 5-3 vote that contradicted the recommendation of the library director, Gina Millsap, and has drawn warnings of a lawsuit, the board of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library agreed yesterday to restrict minors? access to four books: Sex for Busy People (LJ review); The Lesbian Kama Sutra; The [...

Original Meaning and Judicial Restraint: An Interview with M. Edward Whelan, III

Posted on February 20, 2009
The University Bookman: The University Bookman is pleased to present this exclusive online interview with M. Edward Whelan III, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Mr. Whelan, a lawyer and a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has served in positions of responsibility in all three branches of the [...

Lambda Legal joins suit against Birmingham mayor for refusing ?Pride? banners

Posted on February 20, 2009
Lambda Legal: “Lambda Legal and local attorney David Gespass represent CAP in their lawsuit against Mayor Langford for refusing to allow city workers to attach Pride banners on city poles. CAP has held a gay pride parade through the streets of Birmingham every year since 1987, and had its Pride banners displayed in accordance with city [...

AP: Most fertility clinics break the rules

Posted on February 20, 2009
AP: “The California fertility doctor who implanted the octuplet mom with lots of embryos was no lone wolf: Fewer than 20 percent of U.S. clinics follow professional guidelines on how many embryos should be used for younger women . . . “ Visit Site » Share This

In vitro industry out of control: Christian ethicists have work to do

Posted on February 20, 2009
David Gushee has this commentary at the Associated Baptist Press discussing recent news reports that raise serious questions about in vitro fertilization. He concludes: Meanwhile, Christian ethics has work to do. While Roman Catholic ethics officially has rejected any technological intervention in the procreative process, Protestant ethics has tended to offer an uncritical blessing, to try [...

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