Religion & Law

If Roe Goes, Our State Will Be Worse Than You Think

Posted on September 30, 2008
The Washington Post carries this article by Linda Hirshman that begins: In the 1980s, when abortion was severely limited in then-West Germany, border guards sometimes required German women returning from foreign trips to undergo vaginal examinations to make sure that they hadn’t illegally terminated a pregnancy while they were abroad...

New York?s 15-Foot No Speech Abortion Bubble Zone Bill Denounced as ?Unconstitutional?

Posted on September 30, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports:  The Speaker of the New York City Council announced last week a bill that would remove legal protections for those engaged in peaceful protests outside New York abortion facilities. Speaker Christine Quinn, head of the New York City Council told gathered news media that the timing of the Clinic Access Bill, to coincide with [...

Calif. laws crack down on sex-offender teachers

Posted on September 30, 2008
The AP reports: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed two bills making it tougher for teachers who commit sex crimes to remain in California’s public schools. The new laws close loopholes in California’s teacher licensing system that had allowed some teachers accused or even convicted of serious crimes to remain in the classroom...

Parsing the Pulpit Freedom stories: Testing the Meaning of ?Intervene?

Posted on September 30, 2008
GetReligion.org has this discussion of the Pulpit Initiative in a post by Terry Mattingly. It includes a series of links to various articles and several reader comments along with this observation:  Now, it is true that the 1954 amendment to the tax code, as the Post notes, states that nonprofit, tax-exempt entities may not ?participate in, or intervene in ...

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EU worried about freedom of religion in Iran

Posted on September 30, 2008
The AP reports: “The European Union said Friday it is ‘very worried’ about what it sees as a deterioration of religious freedom in Iran.” The report details various events in Iran that trigger this fear.  Visit Site » Share This

Archbishop: Democratic party ?risks transforming itself definitively into a ?party of death.??

Posted on September 30, 2008
St. Louis Today reports:  In comments published over the weekend in a daily Catholic newspaper sponsored by the Italian bishops? conference, former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke said the Democratic Party ?risks transforming itself definitively into a ?party of death...

Dennis Prager Discusses Homosexuality at Focus Chapel Service

Posted on September 29, 2008
Citizen Link reports:  Talk-show host Dennis Prager recently spoke at the monthly Focus on the Family all-staff chapel. Dr. James Dobson asked him to talk about homosexuality in the Old Testament as it relates to today?s culture. Dr. Dobson called it “one of the best chapel programs of the year” and is offering Prager’s presentation to his [...

Orrick?s Internal Battle Over Proposition 8

Posted on September 29, 2008
Apparently, the partnership of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe also holds strong opinions about Prop. 8. Political divisions at the firm came to a head when one Orrick partner made a $5,000 contribution to the "Yes On 8" campaign. "

American Airlines endorses ENDA

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Washington Blade reports: “American Airlines, one of the world’s largest airlines, has written Congress a letter endorsing the Employee Nondiscrimination Act, according to a press release.” American Airlines press releases are archived...

Diocese Announces Settlement with Potomac Falls Church and Christ the Redeemer Church

Posted on September 29, 2008
Virtue Online reports: “The Diocese of Virginia today announced that it has reached a legal settlement with Potomac Falls Church in Potomac Falls and Christ the Redeemer Church in Chantilly. The mission churches, which do not hold any real property, will make a payment to the Diocese as part of the settlement ending the litigation [...

Lynn v. Sekulow: IRS regulation of church speech

Posted on September 29, 2008
Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State has this article on BeliefNet: Bullies in the Pulpit Challenge Law.  He writes: “It seems to me that all this posturing is just one more effort by the so-called “Religious Right” to gain more clout...

Tennessee: Bredesen appointment gives women majority on state high court

Posted on September 29, 2008
KnoxNews.com reports: “Gov. Phil Bredesen has appointed East Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Sharon Lee to a seat on the state Supreme Court. The appointment means that women will hold three of the five seats on the Tennessee Supreme Court - the first women have held a majority on the state’s highest court...

European Catholic doctors encourage defense of life from conception to natural death

Posted on September 29, 2008
CNA reports: “The European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations issued a statement at the conclusion of its 11th annual congress expressing its firm commitment to the defense of life in response to the threats of abortion, euthanasia, genetic manipulation, the creation of human embryos, and others...

Washington: ?State bar association supports same-sex marriages?

Posted on September 29, 2008
"The resolution was adopted unanimously by the group's 14-member Board of Governors despite considerable opposition from association members, board president Mark Johnson of Seattle said."

Pro-life Civil Disobedience Planned at Obama DC Headquarters and in Colorado Springs on 9/29

Posted on September 29, 2008
Randall Terry of Operation Rescue has issued this statement in response to Douglas Kmiec’s endorsement of Barak Obama relative to the pro-life issue.  An excerpt: “…it violates no aspect of Catholic teaching for a Catholic Voter to endorse, support, or vote for Barack Obama…”? Doug Kmiec, Catholic Attorney and author, Can a Catholic Support Him? (Page [...

Fr. Pavone: Pulpit Under God?s Authority, Not Government?s

Posted on September 29, 2008
"It should be Church authority, not government authority that determines the criteria for how pastors should address politics."

Christian Legal Society Celebrates the Life and Mourns the Passing of its Friend and Former President, Author and Attorney Richard B. Couser of New Hampshire

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Christian Newswire carries this report: “One of CLS’ most respected leaders and authors, Richard B. Couser, 67, of Concord, New Hampshire, died at home last week after a long battle with cancer.” Visit Site » Share This

Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage Will Increase Prevalence of Homosexuality: Voters Unaware of Research

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Christian Newswire carries this report: “Voters in several U.S. states soon will decide whether same-sex marriage will be permitted in their state. However, most voters are unaware of scientific research which reveals that social endorsement of homosexuality, as would be the case with the legalization of same-sex marriage, will lead more individuals into a [...

The DOJ IG/OPR Report on the U.S. Attorney Firings

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Balkinization Blog links to the report and provides excerpts. Visit Site » Share This

Neb. lawmakers consider revising ?safe-haven? law

Posted on September 29, 2008
The AP reports: “When Nebraska lawmakers passed a unique “safe-haven” law that allowed parents to abandon children as old as 19, they never seriously thought such dropoffs would become common. But their worst fears have come true: At least 16 children, some of them teenagers, have been abandoned since the law took effect in July...

?On Faith? ? On Overturning ?Roe v. Wade?

Posted on September 29, 2008
Albert Mohler has this post on his blog: “The question posed at ‘On Faith,’ the project of Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post, had to do with whether the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion should be reversed. The responses from columnists were very revealing, if tragic ...

ECLJ Convinces UK Court to Recognize Threat to Life Posed to Muslim Converts to Christianity - Syrian Christian Couple Granted Asylum

Posted on September 29, 2008
The ACLJ reports: “An immigration court of appeals in the United Kingdom has for the first time recognized the plight of Syrian Evangelical Christians with Muslim backgrounds seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. In the precedent setting victory, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) assisted the young couple (whose identity is being [...

Americans United for Separation of Church and State files IRS complaints against Pastors

Posted on September 29, 2008
The AP reports: “But Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State didn’t wait for that: The group filed complaints Monday with the IRS about six pastors whose sermons were detailed in media reports.” Visit Site » Share This

Planned Parenthood guilty of fraud?

Posted on September 29, 2008
OneNewsNow.com reports: “In 2004, state auditors in California began reviewing Planned Parenthood affiliates; however, the audit was stopped after only one review was completed. That review found that Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside counties overbilled the government more than $5...

Lawsuit accuses district of promoting ?caring? climate

Posted on September 29, 2008
WorldNetDaily reports:  The Freedom from Religion Foundation is bringing a lawsuit against the Cherry Creek schools in Denver because some of the principles taught in the district’s “40 Developmental Assets” program allegedly are drawn from biblical teachings...

A united front on natural law

Posted on September 29, 2008
Ana Marta Gonzalez has this article on Mercatornet.com:  Brilliant modern scholars have breathed new life into an ancient approach to morality . . . A recent book on the topic of natural law, which is a compilation of papers from an international conference held in Spain in 2006, makes this point clear...

India: Renewed attack on Christians in Orissa

Posted on September 29, 2008
ICNS reports: “In renewed attacks against Christians, mobs of Hindus have vandalized a church and attacked over 20 houses Orissa?s Tikabali and Daringbadi areas, police said on Thursday.” Visit Site » Share This

ADF releases names of pastors who participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday

Posted on September 29, 2008
Pastors have a right to speak about Biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment. No one should be able to use the government to intimidate pastors into giving up their constitutional rights,? said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley.

Domestic partner benefits move forward in Milwaukee school district

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Journal-Sentinel reports: “An effort that began more than a year ago to give domestic partners of Milwaukee Public Schools employees the same standing for fringe benefits as employees? wives or husbands took a major step forward Tuesday night when the School Board?s finance committee voted 3-2 to support the idea...

Tension Mounts as Australian Doctors Now Threaten Exodus if Mandatory Abortion Law is Passed

Posted on September 29, 2008
LifeSiteNews.com reports:  A coalition of medical practitioners have warned that the Abortion Law Reform Bill may force conscientious Victoria doctors to relocate or abandon their practice rather than facilitate abortions against their will. The “Doctors in Conscience Against Abortion Bill” coalition, representing more than 100 Victoria doctors, has petitioned Parliament members to reject the current form of [...

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