Religion & Law

Penn State freshman ask, ?Is God homophobic??

Posted on October 20, 2008
Penn State students tackled a centuries-old controversial question Thursday night -- is God homophobic?

Texas Supreme Court races tap lots of cash: Democrats make biggest effort in years to unseat GOP justices

Posted on October 20, 2008
Houston Chronicle reports: The philosophical battle lines for this fall’s Texas Supreme Court races are clearly drawn. On one side are three Republican incumbent justices heavily funded by lawyers and litigants ? mostly from the corporate, insurance and medical communities ? who regularly have business before the panel and often win...

Democracy on trial in Turkey as 86 face coup attempt charge

Posted on October 20, 2008
The Independent reports: . . . The 86 defendants, prominent secularists and right-wingers united only by their authoritarian ultra-nationalism, stand accused of attempting to remove the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan by force. The indictment against them, a 2,455-page door-stopper, reads like a Dan Brown novel ...

ADF attorneys ready to defend students participating in pro-life event

Posted on October 20, 2008
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are ready to offer free legal help to students at schools across the nation who participate in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, should the students? First Amendment rights be violated.

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Dale Carpenter: ?A pre-mortem for gay marriage in California?

Posted on October 17, 2008
Dale Carpenter has this post on the Volokh Conspiracy that begins: “Ann Rostow, one of the most gifted writers and trenchant analysts of gay politics anywhere, offers some thoughts on what now appears to be the losing campaign to save gay marriage in California ...

U.S. Taxpayers Shouldn?t Subsidize Programs That Support Forced Abortions

Posted on October 17, 2008
Concerned Women for America reports: “Recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a directive to prohibit six African countries (Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) who receive contraceptives purchased by the United States from collaborating with Marie Stopes International (MSI), an international Planned Parenthood-like organization, because MSI is a major player [...

Another Australia Bill Granting Same-Sex Rights Passes Senate as Systematic Overhaul of Marriage Continues

Posted on October 17, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports: “The Australian Senate has passed a bill that grants unmarried long-term couples, including homosexual couples, the same legal process provided to divorcing married couples.” Visit Site » Share This

A Catholic bishop?s interview confuses the already confused

Posted on October 17, 2008
Barbara Kralis has this commentary on Renew America.  She writes: . . . In his interview, Bishop Kicanas [of Tucson, AZ] speaks of the importance of voters considering the “vast array of issues” in voting. This is not correct. The right to life is the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other [...

?Proposition 8 no civil rights issue?

Posted on October 17, 2008
Marylee Shrider has this commentary on Bakersfield.com. It begins: . . . I agreed to participate in the Proposition 8 debate last week at Cal State Bakersfield. I am, after all, an ardent supporter of the California Marriage Protection Act and the debate was co-sponsored by the school?s Gay Lesbian Straight Student Alliance...

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: McCain, Obama on ?gay rights?

Posted on October 17, 2008
Baptist Press has this report that begins: This is the sixth in a series of stories focusing on one specific national issue and detailing where the two major presidential candidates stand. Called “In Their Own Words,” the stories avoid commentary and instead present the candidates’ views as they have stated them in the past — either [...

?Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate Arkansas Church For Political Endorsement?

Posted on October 17, 2008
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has issued this press release that indicates: “Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate an Arkansas church whose pastor endorsed John McCain from the pulpit Oct...

?Progressive Voter Guide to Sex and Relationship Issues?

Posted on October 17, 2008
AlterNet has posted this: “A guide to how Obama and McCain compare on gay marriage, LGBT adoption and sex education.” Visit Site » Share This

Stem Cell Delusions - The government juggernaut rolls on

Posted on October 17, 2008
Christian Today reports: “In order for a belief to be considered delusional, argued the psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers, it must be held with absolute conviction and not be changed by compelling counterargument to the contrary. The determination with which the British government has pursued embryonic stem cell research, despite its failure to deliver new [...

India: Sangh Parivar wants to remove every Christian trace in Orissa

Posted on October 17, 2008
AsiaNews.it reports: “Christians are not allowed to pray even in government-run refugee camps. The ground on which homes and churches once stood are taken over and ‘cleansed’ of every trace of violence. Hindus tell raped nun to marry her rapist...

Hollywood and Cal. Teacher?s union pour in millions to defeat Prop. 8

Posted on October 17, 2008
"The contribution recorded Tuesday makes the California Teachers Association the largest institutional donor to the No on 8 campaign."

Charles J. Chaput to Douglas Kmiec: Little Murders

Posted on October 17, 2008
"The abortion conflict has never simply been about repealing Roe . . . every other human right depends on the right to life . . . . . Senator Obama . . . is the most committed ''abortion-rights'' presidential candidate . . . since . . . 1973."

Miamia Herald: ?Religious leaders rally to shoot down amendment banning gay marriage??

Posted on October 17, 2008
The Miami Herald reports: Florida Clergy for Fairness, a group of interfaith clergy, say that Amendment 2 is mean-spirited and an infringement upon the religious freedoms of all Floridians. ”Hatred and bigotry are the motivations behind this,” said Father Frank Corbishley, an Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Miami, during a conference call with reporters Thursday morning...

Spanish-Language Ad Campaign to Vote ?Yes? on Proposition 8 Launched Statewide

Posted on October 17, 2008
The PR Newswire carries this report: Mexican movie star Eduardo Verastegui is featured in a Spanish-language ad campaign launched statewide today in support of Proposition 8, the California Marriage Protection Amendment, which will appear on the November ballot...

Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms

Posted on October 17, 2008
. . . only 8% of journalists in a recent survey reported attending church or synagogue on a weekly basis . . .

Zoning Victory for Church in Florida

Posted on October 17, 2008
ACLJ reports: “In this particular case, churches were required to have five acres of property before they could operate as a church. The same provisions did not apply to retail establishments or businesses . . .”  ACLJ intervened and the City of Alta Monte apparently agreed that this illegally discriminated against churches...

Battle in the Home Stretch: New Poll Shows California Marriage Amendment Edging Ahead

Posted on October 17, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports: In a shocking turnaround, a recent poll has shown Proposition 8’s fierce battle for acceptance has resulted in a 10-point swing, giving the natural marriage amendment a slim edge among voters in the final countdown to election day...

What Reduces Abortions? Why Opponents of Pro-Life Laws are Wrong

Posted on October 17, 2008
Richard Doerflinger has this report on LifeNews.com. He writes: . . . The reality is this: In 1980 the Supreme Court upheld the Hyde amendment, and federally funded abortions went from 300,000 a year to nearly zero. With its decisions in Webster (1989) and Casey (1992), the Court began to uphold other abortion laws previously invalidated under [...

NEA discrimination against PFOX

Posted on October 17, 2008
Eugene Volokh has this post on the Volokh Conspiracy that begins: As I mentioned below, the National Education Association — basically an advocacy group and a labor union — refused to lease Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) exhibit space at its 2002 convention, because the NEA disapproved of PFOX’s position that gays and lesbians can [...

Washington: Out of State Money Pushing Assisted-Suicide Initiative I-1000

Posted on October 17, 2008
As of 10/10/08, the "Yes on 1000" committee reported receipts of $3,274,877. This is the fourth highest all time record for money raised in support of any initiative campaign in Washington State.

Virginia Break-Away Anglican Congregations Score Another Victory

Posted on October 17, 2008
The Religion Clause Blog reports: “The Washington Times reports that on Tuesday, a Fairfax County, Virginia, trial court judge issued yet another ruling in favor of one of the local congregations that has broken away from the Episcopal Church in order to affiliate with the newly-created more conservative Anglican District of Virginia ...

?Policy Change On Gay Pride Parade Results In Injunction Denial For Firefighters?

Posted on October 17, 2008
The Religion Clause Blog reports: “Last week, a San Diego (CA) Superior Court judge refused to grant an injunction sought by four Catholic firefighters who objected to being required to participate in the local Gay Pride Parade.” The post provides more information about the status of this litigation...

Michael J. New: Parental-involvement laws can reduce abortions

Posted on October 17, 2008
My recent study for the Family Research Council provides evidence that well designed parental-involvement laws have been surprisingly effective at reducing abortion rates among minors.

Stem cell debate resurfaces

Posted on October 17, 2008
The issue of stem cell research, while not at the forefront of this year's presidential campaign, has surfaced in political advertisements and again during Wednesday's presidential debate - casting a potentially revolutionary field of scientific research into the political spotlight once again.

UK: Link between child porn and Muslim terrorists discovered

Posted on October 17, 2008
A link between terrorism plots and hardcore child pornography is becoming clear after a string of police raids in Britain and across the Continent, an investigation by The Times has discovered.

11th Circuit: ?Next president to name new circuit court judge?

Posted on October 17, 2008
How Appealing reports that a Senior Judge on the 11th Circuit has announced his retirement effective in January 09. Visit Site » Share This

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