Religion & Law

Bill O?Reilly: The Culture War at the Movies

Posted on October 06, 2008
Bill O’Reilly has this commentary on Townhall that begins: This week marks the opening of two highly charged movie comedies. The first, “Religulous,” is a Borat-style journey starring Bill Maher that is designed to demonstrate that anyone who believes in God is a total moron...

Federal Lawsuit Challenges National Day of Prayer

Posted on October 06, 2008
The Religion Clause Blog reports: “The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed suit on Friday in a Wisconsin federal district court challenging the federal law that creates a national Day of Prayer.” Visit Site » Share This

Family Life, the Politics of the Family, and Social Transformation

Posted on October 06, 2008
Is an egalitarian vision of family life, in which promoting sex equality within marriage a proper governmental task, consonant with basic liberal principles, or is it a transformative project that ignores human nature and basic sex difference, corrupts family life, and infringes on women's - and men's - religious freedom?

Comparative Constitutional Law in the Courts: Reflections on the Originalists? Objections

Posted on October 06, 2008
The controversy surrounding the judicial use of comparative constitutional law is not new. However, the debate has recently been reignited by a number of US Supreme Court justices who have spoken out on the use of non-US law in the Court. Scalia opposes, and Breyer favours, references to 'foreign law'.

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Religion and American Politics: Three Views of the Cathedral

Posted on October 06, 2008
I argue here for a model of genuine inclusion and engagement, in which religion and openly religious arguments are welcome in the public square but also subject to critical inquiry and disagreement.

Americans United for Life Responds to Supreme Court?s Denial of Review in Life Cases: A Huge Victory for Choose Life Plates in Arizona, Disappointment in Missouri and New Jersey Cases

Posted on October 06, 2008
Americans United for Life has issued this press release discussing today's actions by the U.S. Supreme Court in several sanctity of life cases.

Judiciary Gathers for Red Mass

Posted on October 06, 2008
Tony Mauro has this article in the Legal Times that reports: Five Supreme Court justices, dozens of lower federal court judges, law school deans and lawyers — along with foreign ambassadors and at least one Cabinet secretary — were in attendance Sunday morning for the pomp-filled Red Mass at the Cathedral of St...

Preachers should have their say

Posted on October 06, 2008
Patrick McIlheran has this post in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussing ADF’s Pulpit Initiative.  He writes: In terms of self-interest, I don?t want to be told who to vote for in church . . . and since when is it OK in this country for the government to rule there are certain political things certain people [...

California: Parental notification measure might be bulletproof in the courts

Posted on October 06, 2008
Mercury News reports: For more than a decade, abortion foes have been trying to erase a bitterly divided California Supreme Court decision that struck down a law requiring minors to get parental consent for abortions. Now, if voters approve Proposition 4 in next month’s election, that 1997 ruling will become nothing more than a footnote in the [...

NY Law School: ?Gay and Lesbian Law Notes?

Posted on October 06, 2008
The latest edition of “Gay and Lesbian Law Notes” from the Justice Action Center at NY Law School is available here.  It discusses several recent cases. Visit Site » Share This

Supreme Court rejects Bible jury case

Posted on October 06, 2008
The AP reports: “The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a murder case in which a jury foreman read passages of the Bible to hold-out jurors who subsequently voted to impose the death penalty . . . The case is Lucero v. Texas, 07-1429.” The lower court found harmless error in the foreman’s conduct...

Utah: ADF attorney available to media following trial of arrested pro-life advocates

Posted on October 03, 2008
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND MEDIA ADVISORY October 3, 2008 ? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 ADF attorney available to media following trial of arrested pro-life advocates Two women, including young mom with baby, arrested, criminally charged after exercising First Amendment rights WHO: ADF-allied attorney Frank Mylar WHAT: Available for media interviews following bench trial in City of Salt Lake [...

Virginia governor endorses ban on ?Jesus? prayer

Posted on October 03, 2008
WorldNetDaily reports: Gov. Timothy Kaine of Virginia has affirmed his support for a new statewide policy under which state troopers serving as chaplains will not be allowed to pray “in Jesus name,” explaining that he can pray “without mentioning Jesus...

Legal Writing Competitions offer substantial money awards: NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund

Posted on October 03, 2008
The Legal Writings Competition Blog reports here and here on substantial money awards available through law student writing competitions that are being offered by the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund. Share This

Iowa Supreme Court sets date for oral arguments in effort to redefine marriage

Posted on October 03, 2008
Lambda Legal has issued this press release that reports: “Today the Iowa Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, December 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Lambda Legal’s lawsuit seeking marriage equality for same-sex couples in Iowa...

U. of I. debate arises over campaigning on campus

Posted on October 03, 2008
The Chicago Tribune reports: Should students and professors at the University of Illinois face discipline for attending a political rally on campus? That question was hurled at the university and state ethics offices Friday morning–adding fuel to a growing controversy over political activity at the state’s public universities...

Franciscan U Responds to Nicholas Cafardi Backing Pro-Abortion Obama

Posted on October 03, 2008
LifeNews.com reports: “Officials at the Franciscan University of Steubenville are responding to criticism over Catholic law professor Nicholas Cafardi endorsing pro-abortion candidate Barack Obama. The [...]

How Successful was Pulpit Freedom Sunday?

Posted on October 03, 2008
ADF Attorney Erik Stanley appeared on the Bob Dutko Show to address the question: How Successful was Pulpit Freedom Sunday? The mp3 file is here and runs just over five minutes. One News Now also carries this report that quotes ADF attorneys Gary McCaleb and Erik Stanley: Pulpit initiative regarded as successful...

Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate Oklahoma Church That Endorsed McCain

Posted on October 03, 2008
"This is the seventh church that Americans United has reported to the IRS for endorsing candidates as part of the ADF scheme . . . "

Older Children Abandoned Under Law for Babies

Posted on October 03, 2008
The NY Times reports: . . . In total last month, 15 older children in Nebraska were dropped off by a beleaguered parent or custodial aunt or grandmother who said the children were unmanageable. Officials have called the abandonments a misuse of a new law that was mainly intended to prevent so-called Dumpster babie ...

?Do the veeps agree on homosexual marriage??

Posted on October 03, 2008
OneNewsNow.com reports: “Vice presidential nominees Joe Biden and Sarah Palin agreed in their only head-to-head debate that marriage should be limited to one man and one woman, and that special benefits should be extended to homosexual couples.” Visit Site » Share This

Florida: Judge Sentences Porn Producer To 46 Months In Prison

Posted on October 03, 2008
The AP reports:  “Paul F. Little, also known as Max Hardcore, and his company, Max World Entertainment, were convicted in June of five counts each of distributing obscene materials over the Internet and through the mail. The jury ruled the films, which include scenes of vomiting, violence and urination, were criminally obscene...

The Community Defense Reporter Online: Protecting Children and Their Neighborhoods

Posted on October 03, 2008
The September 2008 edition of the Community Defense Reporter is now available online via the Community Defense Counsel.

Richard John Neuhaus: ?The deepest deformation is the subordinating of free exercise to no-establishment.?

Posted on October 03, 2008
Once we forget that no-establishment is a means and instrument in support of free exercise, it is a short step to talking about the supposed conflict or tension between the two provisions.

Ron Johnson Jr. Video on PBS: Speaking Freely from the Pulpit

Posted on October 03, 2008
The PBS blog has posted video of Pastor Ron Johnson who was involved in ADF's Pulpit Initiative. The video shows him speaking from the pulpit and follows up with responses from him addressing some key issues.

Grassley?s ?Left Wing Pit Bull? Investigating Evangelicals

Posted on October 03, 2008
Matt Lewis has this post on Townhall. He writes: Last November, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced an investigation of six major evangelical ministries. Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, wanted to probe the finances of several churches to see if they were misusing donations to pay for their leaders? opulent lifestyles ...

9th Circuit: No standing to challenge U. of Cal. discussion of religious views on evolution

Posted on October 03, 2008
The Ninth Circuit has issued a ruling in Caldwell v. Caldwell, No. 06-15771 (9th Cir. Oct. 3, 2008) We must decide whether Jeanne E. Caldwell, who asserts an interest in being informed about how teachers teach the theory of evolution in biology classes, has standing to pursue an Establishment Clause claim arising out of her offense [...

Swedish Man Awarded $24,170 Compensation after Filming Himself Having Sex with 14 Year-Old

Posted on October 03, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports: “A 34 year-old man in southern Sweden, who had been convicted of rape and child pornography charges after he filmed himself having sex with a 14 year-old girl, has been awarded 157,000 kronor, the equivalent of Cn $24,170, in compensation for wrongful conviction...

Washington Blade Q&A with John McCain

Posted on October 03, 2008
The Washington Blade has published the Q&A here. A couple of sample questions: Blade: Important gay rights legislation unrelated to marriage has been stalled in Congress for some time. You have a reputation for having challenged your party in the past...

Franciscan University Students Attend a Catholics for Obama Event

Posted on October 03, 2008
Deal W. Hudson reports on the InsideCatholic.com Blog: Last evening at Carlow University in Pittsburg, the Sisters of Mercy hosted a Catholics for Obama event. I received a call from someone who attended the event who told me the “high point was when a Catholic priest urged everyone in the crowd to report any priest to [...

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