Religion & Law

Michigan: ?Ordinance designed to advance gay ?rights? overturned by voters?

Posted on November 07, 2008
Voters in the town of Hamtramck, Michigan have overturned an ordinance which would have given legal protections to homosexual behavior, expression and attire. The regulations could also have forced businesses to permit men who perceive themselves as women to use women?s restrooms.

UK: One in three teachers says teach creationism alongside evolution

Posted on November 07, 2008
The Telegraph reports: . . . The poll found that 31 per cent of teachers agree that creationism or intelligent design ? the theory that the universe shows signs of having been designed rather than evolving ? should be given the same status as evolution in the classroom, including 18 per cent of science teachers...

8 year old Indiana boy latest Neb. safe-haven case

Posted on November 07, 2008
AP: “An 8-year-old Indiana boy has been left at an Omaha hospital, bringing to 28 the number of children left under Nebraska’s unique safe-haven law.” Visit Site » Share This

America?s Problem: Our President or Our Pulpits?

Posted on November 07, 2008
Bob Burney has this commentary on Townhall that concludes: . . . Pulpits that once held high the banner of the gospel, standing strong for life and the family, started preaching equality and ?common good?. The Kool-Aid of ?Social-Justice? was dispensed freely from fountains installed in Evangelical churches across America...

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Birmingham Mayor seeks dismissal of ?gay pride? suit

Posted on November 07, 2008
The Birmingham News reports: Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is asking a judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed against him by Central Alabama Pride Inc . . . The group, which sponsored the 20th Gay Pride Parade in June, filed suit against Langford, saying he discriminated against the group when he refused to allow city workers to [...

Julie Marie Baworowsky of Notre Dame wins William Pew Religious Freedom Scholarship, new rules announced

Posted on November 06, 2008
The Legal Writing Competition Blog contains this post on the 2008-2009 William Pew Religious Freedom Scholarship administered by ADF. More information about the scholarship: ADF web site. The winner of the 2007-2008 is Julie Marie Baworowsky of Notre Dame Law School...

Cal. AG to defend marriage from redefinition while defending its redefinition

Posted on November 06, 2008
After attempting to kill Prop. 8 by rewriting the ballot description, Cal. AG Jerry Brown has announced he will defend Proposition 8 against legal challenges while defending the legal validity of 18,000 same-sex "marriages" . . .

MI: Wyandotte family of girl who died of drug overdose sues strip club

Posted on November 06, 2008
The Detroit News reports: The family of a Wyandotte teen who died of a drug overdose after her first shift as an exotic dancer at a city strip club, filed a wrongful death lawsuit this week against the club and its owner. Visit Site » Share This

FCC OKs use of white spaces to deliver broadband

Posted on November 06, 2008
The AP reports: The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to open up unused, unlicensed portions of the television airwaves known as “white spaces” to deliver wireless broadband service. The vote is a big victory for public interest groups and technology companies such as Google Inc...

Muslim converts to Christianity ask religious experts at Vatican meeting for religious freedom

Posted on November 06, 2008
AsiaNews.it reports: A group of 144 Christians, including 77 Muslims who converted to Christianity, have launched an appeal to Muslim and Catholics scholars who are currently meeting in the Vatican not to forget Christian minorities and new Christian converts living in Islamic countries...

Statement by Andrew Pugno, General Counsel of ProtectMarriage.com - Yes on 8

Posted on November 06, 2008
It should also be noted that the ACLU recently made this same "constitutional revision" claim in a nearly identical matter in Oregon and it was unanimously rejected . . .

?Lawsuit Against Gay Marriage Ban Irks Christians?

Posted on November 06, 2008
The Christian Post reports: But traditional marriage supporters are decrying the court petitions, arguing that such legal actions are “a brazen attempt to gut the democratic process,” said Glen Lavy, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal firm...

Dems retain control of NH state Senate, House

Posted on November 06, 2008
The AP reports: “In a historic first, Democrats retained control of the state House and Senate in New Hampshire for a second consecutive election cycle.” Visit Site » Share This

ACLU hails passage of Washington death measure

Posted on November 06, 2008
The ACLU of Washington has issued this press release that begins: “The ACLU of Washington hails passage of a statewide ballot initiative that would give terminally ill patients the ability to end their lives without unbearable suffering or indignity...

Better Question: Who Isn?t a Lawyer on Obama?s Transition Team?

Posted on November 06, 2008
The ABA Journal reports: ‘President-elect Barack Obama and his VP-elect Joe Biden wasted no time assembling their transition team, which features a number of attorneys. (Graduates of Harvard Law School, Obama’s alma mater, also proliferate...

Swedish Prime Minister: marriage may be redefined by May 2009

Posted on November 06, 2008
AFP reports: “Sweden may allow homosexuals to wed in the Lutheran Church as of May 2009 if parliament adopts legislation due to be presented shortly, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said on Wednesday. ‘Sweden could have a gender neutral marriage law by May 1, 2009,’ Reinfeldt told Swedish Radio...

Freedom From Religion Upset Over City Council?s Change of Plan

Posted on November 06, 2008
WBAY.com reports: “The Freedom From Religion Foundation is upset after Green Bay’s City Council voted down a strict ban on all religious displays on city property, and is going to move forward with its lawsuit against the city.” Visit Site » Share This

Rural Arkansas championed foster, adoption ban

Posted on November 06, 2008
Rural and evangelical voters propelled Arkansas to adopt one of the nation's few bans against unmarried couples becoming foster or adoptive parents.

?Psychoanalysts Censure California?s Vote to Ban Same-Sex Marriage?

Posted on November 06, 2008
From the PR Newswire: . . . We want people to think about the broad impact the denial of same-sex marriage has on Americans today,” says psychoanalyst Ethan Grumbach, Ph.D., a Los Angeles resident and chair of APsaA’s Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues...

Jennifer Morse Roback: What does passage of Prop. 8 mean?

Posted on November 06, 2008
Jennifer Morse Roback has this commentary on National Review. She poses the following: What does this victory mean? It doesn?t mean: Why does the victory of Proposition 8 matter? Visit Site » Share This

Oregon Democrat unseats incumbent in U.S. Senate Race

Posted on November 06, 2008
The AP reports: “Jeff Merkley, a little-known policy wonk who likes to regale voters with his legislative accomplishments, was far from the first choice of national Democrats looking for a challenger to Oregon’s Sen. Gordon Smith.” Visit Site » Share This

?The Killing Must End?: Christian Defense Coalition to Launch Major Post-Inaugural Pro-Life Campaign

Posted on November 06, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports: The Christian Defense Coalition has today announced ‘The Birmingham Letter Project,’ a major pro-life wake-up call to the country scheduled to take place in the nation’s capital upon the inauguration of Barack Obama...

Spanish Parliament Urged not to Loosen Abortion Law

Posted on November 06, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports: Representatives of various pro-life and pro-family organizations are urging Spanish lawmakers not to loosen Spain’s already liberal abortion law. Family Forum President Benigno Blanco is denouncing the socialists’ plans to loosen restrictions on abortion in the country, stating that “it is an enormous injustice to abandon the child and the mother, and this is what [...

Michael J. Fox Hopeful Obama Will Soon Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Posted on November 06, 2008
LifeNews.com reports: “With economics taking center stage during the presidential election and abortion coming in a distant second, stem cell research wasn’t on the radar screen. But, now that Barack Obama is the incoming president, actor Michael J...

Planned Parenthood?s Christmas Wish List for Obama Includes Forced Abortions

Posted on November 06, 2008
LifeNews reports: In its first email to supporters following pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday night, Planned Parenthood announced its Christmas wish list for an [...]

Back to court ? again: Californians voted for traditional marriage Tuesday, but opponents file lawsuits

Posted on November 06, 2008
WorldMag reports: Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel Glenn Lavy, who has defended traditional marriage in the state, said the suits underscore homosexual activists? disrespect for the will of the people. ?Before the election, the opposition tried everything to keep Prop 8 off the ballot,? Lavy said...

Justices question doctrines at heart of union-fees case

Posted on November 06, 2008
Tony Mauro has this report on the First Amendment Center that begins: Is the Supreme Court ready for change too? Yesterday, the eve of an election in which both major presidential candidates have pledged to bring significant change, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a First Amendment case in which several justices indicated they might [...

Will the Supreme Court be transformed in the next four years? An HLS panel looks ahead

Posted on November 06, 2008
Harvard law school has published this article that links video: On Oct. 24, a panel of four HLS professors and a lawyer/journalist examined that potential scenario as well as other possible future developments for the Supreme Court. The panel, moderated by Dean Elena Kagan ?86, included professors David Barron ?94, Charles Fried, Cass Sunstein ?78, Laurence [...

?San Francisco Court Puts Kozinski Complaint on Hold?

Posted on November 06, 2008
How Appealing reports that an ethics committee of the Ninth Circuit has put an ethics complaint against Judge Kozinski on hold. Visit Site » Share This

School Board, Frederick reach settlement in ?Bong Hits? case: Agreement includes a $45,000 payment to former student

Posted on November 06, 2008
The Juneau Empire reports: Officials say the final chapter of the “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” saga has been written with a settlement being reached between the Juneau Board of Education and former Juneau-Douglas High School student Joseph Frederick...

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