Religion & Law

Bhutanese Christian serving three years for showing film about Jesus

Posted on November 16, 2010
Christian Today: "International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that Prem Singh Gurung has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for showing the film. He has been jailed in the town of Gelephu."

NJ: Assembly Committee to take up anti-bullying bill

Posted on November 15, 2010
NJtoday.net: "An Assembly committee will consider anti-bullying legislation today. The hearing will be streamed live at: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp."

Does religion shape our attitudes toward divorce?

Posted on November 15, 2010
Robert Hughes writing at The Huffington Post: "They found that those with any religious affiliation, especially those who identify themselves as conservative Protestants were more likely to think that divorce laws needed to be stricter."

Priests charge that Brooklyn Dem boss Vito Lopez influenced closing or merger of churches

Posted on November 15, 2010
New York Daily News: "Pastors for two Catholic churches at the center of a sweeping remake of the Brooklyn Diocese say they're being targeted for tangling with borough Democratic boss Vito Lopez."

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Evanston debates special use permits for churches

Posted on November 15, 2010
Chicago Tribune: "In the growing debate over proposed permits for new and expanded houses of worship, an Evanston alderman says too much religion in a small area can be bad for business . . . The change would require existing religious institutions to apply for a special use permit if they expand, or rebuild in the case of destruction...

IL: DuPage proposal would ban new neighborhood churches

Posted on November 15, 2010
Naperville Sun: "Neighbors of a house on Army Trail Road where people come to pray together several times daily want to know why that?s being allowed . . . The county also is taking steps to fend off future struggles between religious organizations and homeowners who don?t want them practicing their faith next door...

Book Review: Patrick Deneen on Damon Linker?s ?Religious Test?

Posted on November 15, 2010
Patrick J. Deneen writing at The Washington Post / On Faith: "Linker concludes his book with a criticism of such 'new atheist' authors as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, differentiating himself inasmuch as he does not seek the wholesale elimination of religious belief, but rather to ensure that where it persists, that it be quarantined to largely private expressions ...

Endangered Species: Religious minorities in Turkey

Posted on November 15, 2010
Renate Sommer writing at New Europe: "Having suffered genocide, displacement and discrimination, the number of religious minorities from Christian and Jewish decent has diminished significantly. Today, only 1% of the Turkish population is Christian or Jewish constituting only 92...

Kline to push for school vouchers

Posted on November 15, 2010
Twin Cities Daily Planet: "Republican Rep. John Kline is likely to chair the powerful House Education and Labor Committee in the new Congress and already he's drawing fire from both sides of the aisle. Kline caught praise from religious conservatives when he expressed his support for educational vouchers for Washington, DC, parents that will allow them to spend taxpayer money on religious schooling...

Discrimination case against woman seeking ?Christian roommate? dropped

Posted on November 15, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "ADF Senior Legal Counsel [Joel Oster] commented that, 'Christians shouldn?t live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians. It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church - an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity...

Jordan Lorence: WARNING: Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby; so can abortion

Posted on November 15, 2010
ADF Attorney Jordan Lorence writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "By requiring cigarette manufacturers to place more graphic, hardhitting warning labels on cigarette packages, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tacitly agreeing with prolife groups that people will change their minds and their behavior if they can see graphic representations or pictures of how their actions to smoke (or have an abortion) harm others...

ACLJ: Appeals court decision upholding constitutionality of Pledge of Allegiance in NH schools ?significant and sound?

Posted on November 15, 2010
ACLJ: "The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said today a federal appeals court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance - including the phrase 'under God' - in New Hampshire schools, represents a significant and sound decision that sends a message: patriotic, time-honored traditions should be embraced - not targeted for extinction - in our public schools...

Cindy McCain retreats on DADT; John McCain digs in

Posted on November 15, 2010
Washington Post / PostPartisan: "Less than 24 hours after Cindy McCain threatened to topple Collins from it with her gutsy comments that contradicted her husband's stance on don't ask don't tell, the wife of the senior senator from Arizona backpedaled...

India: Muslim appeal over Ayodhya holy site ruling

Posted on November 15, 2010
BBC: "One of India's leading Muslim groups has appealed against a ruling over the Ayodhya holy site, where a Hindu mob destroyed a mosque 18 years ago. Two months ago, Lucknow High Court said the land should be divided, and that the razed 16th century mosque should not be rebuilt...

A victory for the American flag

Posted on November 15, 2010
OneNewsNow: "A 13-year-old California boy who was told by school officials to remove a U.S. flag from his bike will once again be able to fly the Stars and Stripes as he rides on campus . . . But on Friday, Superintendent Edward Parraz backtracked on that decision -- apparently in response to public outcry...

?Missoula Transgender Day of Recognition seeks acceptance, safety?

Posted on November 15, 2010
The Missoulian: "Wednesday marks the second annual Missoula Transgender Day of Recognition, an event that aims to share people?s struggles and triumphs with the community, said Bree Sutherland, Montana TDOR executive director."

Newsweek profile of Brian Brown

Posted on November 15, 2010
Newsweek: "As gays and lesbians battle in the courts and legislatures for marriage rights, Brown is on a mission to match their determination and dollars. Using direct-mail campaigns, donor outreach, and bus tours around the country, he spreads NOM?s message that preserving 'traditional marriage' is necessary to protect families and ensure religious freedom...

McCain wants study of DADT repeal on troop morale

Posted on November 15, 2010
Washington Post: "Sen. John McCain on Sunday said the Pentagon should study how ending the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy would impact troop morale and battle effectiveness, instead of reporting to President Obama and lawmakers on how the Defense Department could lift the gay ban...

Congress braces for hectic lame-duck session ? will it include DADT repeal?

Posted on November 15, 2010
NPR: ". . . What is far less clear is whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, other Senate Democrats and the White House will go to the mat on issues that include a high-profile measure that would end the 'don't ask, don't tell' ban on openly gay Americans serving in the military...

Revised ?hate-crime? law criticized as ineffective

Posted on November 15, 2010
Houston Chronicle: "No one has been brought to trial or convicted under an amended federal hate crimes law in the year since it was expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The Department of Justice reports there are about 76 such cases pending across the country, a category that includes anything from an investigation to an indictment...

Muslim who shot soldier in Arkansas says he wanted to cause more death

Posted on November 15, 2010
Knoxville News Sentinel: "From a black Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Memphis native, watched two soldiers in fatigues smoking outside a military recruiting center in Little Rock. He aimed an assault rifle out the window and fired ...

Irish Catholic priest banned from publishing after comments on homosexuality

Posted on November 15, 2010
Irish Times: "An Irish Catholic priest has been banned by the Vatican from publishing any more of his writings after he suggested homosexuality is 'simply a facet of the human condition.'"

Lithuanian parliament mulls ban on ?public promotion of homosexual relations?

Posted on November 15, 2010
EU Business: "In a first reading Friday, 31 legislators voted in favour and seven were against the draft law that envisages fines from 2,000 to 10,000 litas (580-2,900 euros, 792-3,955 dollars ) for 'publicly promoting homosexual relations.'"

Catholic university defends firing of employee who published ?gay wedding? announcement

Posted on November 15, 2010
ABC: "Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield says Benedictine officials decided it would not be consistent with the university's mission as a Catholic institution for Tadlock to continue in her job. " | For background, see this post.

Changes demanded to Macedonia?s ?anti-gay? textbooks

Posted on November 15, 2010
Balkan Insight: "Slavco Dimitrov, from the Coalition of NGOs For the Protection and Promotion of Health and Sexual Rights of Marginalized Groups, said they were sending a petition signed by 28 local NGOs and university professors to the Culture Ministry seeking changes in the wording of school textbooks...

UK: ?Gay Northampton couple attempt to marry?

Posted on November 15, 2010
PinkNews: "A gay couple in Northampton will attempt to marry tomorrow as part of a campaign to open up marriage and civil partnerships to both straight and gay couples."

Vander Plaats: Four remaining Iowa Supreme Court justices should consider stepping down

Posted on November 15, 2010
"The remaining four justices are Mark Cady, David Wiggins, Daryl Hecht and Brent Appel."

Australia: National parties face ?gay dilemma?

Posted on November 15, 2010
The Age: "With Federal Parliament to start debating a Greens motion on same-sex marriage today, an electorate-by-electorate analysis shows sharp differences of opinion around the country, which will fuel divisions inside the Labor Party on the issue."

Supreme Court justices spar on Lubbock stage

Posted on November 15, 2010
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: "The two men?s main point of conflict came in Scalia?s support of directly analyzing the text of legislation when making a ruling compared to Breyer?s support of interpreting the context and values behind a piece of legislation...

Justice Department settles religious discrimination lawsuit against Essex County, NJ over headscarves

Posted on November 15, 2010
Department of Justice: "The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Essex County, N.J., that, will resolve the department?s lawsuit against Essex County for refusing to permit a corrections officer to wear a religiously-mandated headscarf...

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