Religion & Law

Washington Times: Muslims seek special treatment to elude TSA groping

Posted on November 19, 2010
Washington Times: "Note to terrorists: Next time, wear a hijab. The Department of Homeland Security reportedly is giving special exemptions to their "enhanced pat-down" policy to Muslim women wearing the hijab or other form-concealing garments. Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a 'travel advisory' noting that women who are patted down 'should remind the TSA officer that they are only supposed to pat down the area in question, in this scenario, your head and neck...

Boehner will discuss debt ceiling with freshmen lawmakers

Posted on November 19, 2010
The Hill: "The vote on whether to raise the debt ceiling could put Republican freshmen into the uncomfortable position of going against their campaign messages to tackle the federal government's debt by reduce spending."

Reid, Senate Dems go hardball on taxes

Posted on November 19, 2010
The Hill: "Reid will force a vote on extending tax cuts for families earning below $250,000 and individuals below $200,000 that would allow tax rates on the wealthy to expire. But it?s not clear whether that vote will be on a permanent or temporary extension because of a split in the Democratic caucus, a notable change since the election...

Religious celebrations on public property approved by Virginia AG

Posted on November 19, 2010
Liberty Counsel: "As communities plan for the Christmas season, Liberty Counsel reminds citizens of the opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that Christmas displays and Nativity scenes can be legally exhibited on public property...

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Philadelphia plan to sell building to Boy Scouts hits a snag; ACLU objects

Posted on November 19, 2010
The Inquirer: "On Wednesday night, the Nutter administration said it expected City Council to introduce legislation Thursday required for Philadelphia to sell the property to the scouts. That surprised Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, who would have introduced the bill because the building is in his district...

2,000 fetuses found at Thai Buddhist temple

Posted on November 19, 2010
Associated Press: "Thai police investigating a strong smell emanating from a Buddhist temple have found more than 2,000 fetuses hidden in the complex's morgue that appear to have come from illegal abortion clinics."

Stocks dip as China forces banks to raise reserves

Posted on November 19, 2010
Associated Press: "Stocks dipped Friday after China moved to curb inflation after days of speculation."

Bernanke takes aim at China

Posted on November 19, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke fired back amid criticism at home and abroad of the Fed's easy-money policies, arguing that China and others are causing global problems by preventing their currencies from strengthening as their economies boom...

Pat Buchanan: Who fed the tiger?

Posted on November 19, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "Napoleon said of the Middle Kingdom, 'Let (China) sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.' The shaking has begun. So the question arises: Who put us in this predicament? Who awakened, fed and nurtured this tiger to where she is growling at all Asia and baring her teeth at the United States? Answer: the free trade uber alles Republicans...

50 Church of England priests may convert to Roman Catholicism

Posted on November 19, 2010
Associated Press: "About 50 Church of England priests have expressed interest in joining five of their bishops in converting to Roman Catholicism, a senior Catholic leader said Friday."

Cardinals talk religious freedom amid China flap

Posted on November 19, 2010
Associated Press: "The world's cardinals met Friday in a rare Vatican summit to discuss the most pressing issues facing the church, including the sex abuse scandal, religious freedom and the conversion of Anglicans to Catholicism."

Web censorship bill sails through Senate Judiciary Committee

Posted on November 19, 2010
Wired: "On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill that would give the Attorney General the right to shut down websites with a court order if copyright infringement is deemed 'central to the activity' of the site ? regardless if the website has actually committed a crime...

Prop. 8 case on TV

Posted on November 19, 2010
SCOTUSblog: "The Ninth Circuit Court agreed on Wednesday to allow live and delayed broadcasting of the Dec. 6 oral argument on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 ? California?s ban on same-sex marriage. In a brief order, the Court cleared live broadcasting by C-SPAN, the cable network...

Int?l sports officials to issue guidelines on gender cases

Posted on November 19, 2010
Associated Press: "International sports officials are completing guidelines on how to deal with athletes with ambiguous sexual characteristics."

?Justices are long on words but short on guidance?

Posted on November 19, 2010
Adam Liptak writing in the New York Times: "The Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is often criticized for issuing sweeping and politically polarized decisions. But there is an emerging parallel critique as well, this one concerned with the quality of the court?s judicial craftsmanship...

AU: ?Bogus bias battle: Federal court rules against Christian Legal Society ? again?

Posted on November 19, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State / The Wall of Separation: "ADF lawyers, however, just couldn?t let the matter go. They insisted that university officials had been guilty of selective enforcement ? in other words, that the school had imposed the 'no-discrimination' policy on the CLS chapter while letting other groups get away with it ...

?Anti-gay groups spent $948,000 in Iowa to oust judges?

Posted on November 19, 2010
Iowa Independent: "Five out-of-state organizations spent $948,355 . . . Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund and one of its affiliates, the Texas-based Liberty Institute, offered free legal representation to any church who openly violated federal tax law by advocating for the removal of the judges from the pulpit...

Montana Supreme Court: Ban on religious speech at graduation is unconstitutional

Posted on November 19, 2010
"The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a former Butte High School valedictorian who was banned from speaking at her graduation because her speech contained religious references."

Spain to pass law to allow death ?with dignity?

Posted on November 19, 2010
AFP: "Spain's socialist government will approve a draft law in March 2011 on end-of-life care that will allow people with incurable diseases to "die with dignity", the deputy prime minister said Friday."

Sen. Barbara Boxer Likens U.S. to Iran, North Korea and Pakistan Because U.S. Bans Homosexuals From Military

Posted on November 19, 2010
CNSNews: "Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) today likened the United States of America to Iran, North Korea and Pakistan because those nations also do not allow homosexuals in their militaries."

Pro-life groups lobby on chairmanship

Posted on November 19, 2010
Politico: "Anti-abortion activists have launched a full-blown lobbying campaign to give Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) ? a key lawmaker in the movement ? the powerful gavel of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which sets policy on abortion...

House hearing on religious hiring rights

Posted on November 19, 2010
CitizenLink has audio.

Abortion and the 2010 elections

Posted on November 19, 2010
Red State: "I think it is necessary to point out, however, that the suggestion that social issues did not play a role in the GOP?s victories this year is also completely untrue . . . What libertarians conveniently forget is that abortion - particularly taxpayer funding of abortion - was a huge issue in the fight over Obamacare ...

Video/Live Blog: Jordan Lorence at Federalist Society panel on CLS v. Martinez

Posted on November 19, 2010
Eugene Volokh writing at The Volokh Conspiracy: "Josh Blackman has video, liveblogging, and my PowerPoint presentation. The panelists were Notre Dame Prof. Rick Garnett, the Alliance Defense Fund?s [Jordan Lorence], Paul Smith (the lawyer in this case for the Hastings gay student group), and me; Judge Bill Pryor of the Eleventh Circuit moderated...

Archbishop of Canterbury says defections will cause challenges for the Church

Posted on November 19, 2010
Christian Today: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of his regret over the departure of five bishops to the Catholic Church but says he respects their decision . . . 'I think the challenge is going to come in sorting out what is really going to be possible for shared use of churches, working out perhaps some of the challenges on how we as Anglicans 'recommend' people, and of course there will be at least some parishes that will now be without priests so we have a practical challenge here and there to supply,' he said...

Third challenge to Louisiana abortion law

Posted on November 19, 2010
Courthouse News Service: "A third challenge has been filed to Louisiana's new abortion law. Five outpatient clincis and a doctor say Louisiana's 'zero tolerance policy' allows state officials to suspend or revoke their licenses 'based on any violation of any state or federal law or regulation' without warning, in violation of due process...

Ghana: Government will not tax churches, says Minister for Information

Posted on November 19, 2010
Ghana News Agency: "A statement issued in Accra by the Minister for Information, John Akologu Tia, described as 'mischievous and untrue' claims by an Accra-based newspaper that the government's budget for next year would impose taxes on religious bodies...

MI: Holland considers religious exemption to discrimination ordinance

Posted on November 19, 2010
Grand Rapids Press: "A Holland city commission may consider excluding religious organizations from a proposed ordinance change that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

Sharia decision lets baby boy into New Zealand

Posted on November 19, 2010
The Dominion Post: "In a landmark ruling the High Court has formally recognised Pakistan's Islamic law, and allowed an 18-month-old boy to come to New Zealand. The judgment by Justice Christopher Allan in the case of 'MH' ? as the child is now known ? is the first by a New Zealand court to formally recognise the legal status of Pakistani guardianship...

IL: School officials mull change in religious conflicts policy

Posted on November 19, 2010
Suburban Life Publications: "Following an uproar over a canceled sporting event, District 181 officials may revise the school?s policy regarding scheduling activities to avoid religious holiday conflicts. The changes are being proposed by Consolidated Community School District 181?s Performance Monitoring Committee...

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