Religion & Law

Judge: Free speech protects Amazon buyers? data

Posted on October 26, 2010
Associated Press: "A federal judge says constitutional free-speech rights protect Amazon.com customers from North Carolina tax collectors who wanted to learn what they bought from the online retailer." | Amazon.com LLC v. Law, No. C10-664 (W.D. Wash Oct...

Homosexual civil unions bill looms for Illinois lame-duck session

Posted on October 26, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Pro-family leaders in Illinois are preparing for a battle to preserve traditional marriage in the state as supporters of a homosexual civil unions bill eye a post-election lame duck session as a golden opportunity to push the measure through...

MSNBC program exploits killing of abortionist George Tiller to attack pro-lifers

Posted on October 26, 2010
LifeNews: "MSNBC plans to air a program tonight exploiting last year?s shooting death of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller to suggest a pro-life conspiracy was behind his murder."

Federal judge allows Congressman to shut down pro-life group?s election effort

Posted on October 26, 2010
LifeNews: "A federal judge has issued a ruling essentially allowing a 'pro-life Democratic' congressman to shut down a pro-life group?s election effort. The Susan B. Anthony List purchased a set of billboards in southwest Ohio to notify voters that Congressman Steven Driehaus voted for taxpayer funding of abortions under the ObamaCare bill...

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En banc 3rd Circuit set to hear DNA samples case

Posted on October 26, 2010
Law.com: "At issue in United States v. Mitchell is perhaps one of the most important privacy rights issues facing the courts: whether routine DNA sampling should be considered no different from fingerprinting or photographing, or whether the government ought to be required to get a warrant or wait for a conviction before taking a genetic sample...

Jordan Lorence on Fox and Friends tomorrow at 6:50 AM EST to discuss Christian roommate case

Posted on October 26, 2010
ADF Attorney Jordan Lorence will be on Fox and Friends tomorrow morning at 6:50am EST to talk about this: Mich. woman accused of civil rights violation for seeking Christian roommate at church

Indonesia: 700 churches attacked in past decade

Posted on October 26, 2010
CatholicCulture.org: "Some 700 Catholic and Protestant churches have been attacked in Indonesia over the past decade, according to the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum. Between October 12 and October 17, a Catholic parish was attacked, another was threatened with attack, and a Protestant church was burned down...

Brazilian bishops threatened with death after urging pro-life election vote

Posted on October 26, 2010
Fides: "The President of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB), Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha, expressed his support for the Bishop of Guarulhos, Bishop Luiz Gonzaga Bergonzini, who has received anonymous death threats for defending the right to life and for denouncing the pro-abortion position of the Workers Party (PT) during the election campaign...

Memphis, TN: ?Anti-gay discrimination plan again before city council?

Posted on October 26, 2010
WREG: "City Councilman Shea Flinn has proposed an ordinance that would prohibit city departments from discriminating against employees because of their sexual orientation. Flinn hates that the sex term has to be used at all in his proposal. 'I'm not that curious about your activities,' Flinn said...

Audit shows records at National Archives at risk

Posted on October 26, 2010
Boston.com (AP): "An audit prompted in part by the loss of the Wright Brothers' flying machine patent file and maps for the atomic bomb missions in Japan finds some of the nation's precious historical documents are in danger of being lost for good."

Time to look beyond Chinese rare earths, says EU trade boss

Posted on October 26, 2010
Breitbart: "European Union trade commissioner Karel De Gucht on Tuesday urged global partners to diversify mining sources for prized rare earths as a battle with China deepened over scarce supplies . . . The United States and Australia have 15 and five percent respectively of global reserves, but stopped mining them mainly because of cheaper Chinese competition...

MS: $81K in legal fees awarded in lesbian prom case

Posted on October 26, 2010
WMCTV (AP): "A federal judge has ordered a Mississippi school district to pay $81,665 in legal fees and expenses in a lawsuit filed by a lesbian student whose prom was canceled because she wanted to bring her girlfriend to the dance." McMillen v. Itawamba County School District, No...

In San Diego, a victory for firefighters engulfed by sexual harassment

Posted on October 26, 2010
ADF President and CEO Alan Sears writing at Inside the Issues: "In its ruling, the appellate court said, 'the record contains substantial evidence to support a finding that the sexual harassment experienced by the Firefighters during the Pride Parade was severe and pervasive, thus altering the conditions of employment and creating a hostile or abusive work environment...

MI: Fetuses found in Delta Twp. abortion clinic trash

Posted on October 26, 2010
Lansing State Journal: "State Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, plans a news conference Wednesday to announce that 17 aborted fetuses were found in a dumpster outside an abortion clinic in Delta Township and to unveil legislation to ensure the proper disposal of fetuses...

Michigan union opposes removing abortion coverage from employee health plan

Posted on October 26, 2010
LifeNews: "Kent county officials voted to remove abortion coverage from the taxpayer-funded health care plan county employees receive, but a union is now saying it opposes the move and will try to stop it. In September, the Kent County Commission voted 9-0 to remove abortion coverage from the county health insurance plans...

Fight to replace stolen Mojave Cross goes on

Posted on October 26, 2010
City Watch: "The theft, a federal crime under the Veterans Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003, remains unsolved. The Mojave National Reserve has prohibited the replacement of a memorial on the VFW?s land, citing a court order . . . On October 5, FamilySecurityMatters...

IRS continues to dodge questions on 1099 rule

Posted on October 26, 2010
The Hill: "Despite repeated requests from House Small Business Committee ranking member Sam Graves (R-Mo.) for how the IRS intends to implement the 1099 reporting rule, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman continues to decline to provide him the information...

Court rules that Mississippi?s personhood initiative will be on 2011 ballot

Posted on October 26, 2010
Liberty Counsel: "Today Judge Malcolm Harrison ruled in state circuit court that Personhood Mississippi can be on the state?s ballot in the November 2011 election. This lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights, seeking to keep Initiative 26 off the ballot, in spite of the fact that it received more than the required number of signatures...

Texas court blocks parents from forcing abortion on teen

Posted on October 26, 2010
Christian Post: "'No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life ? especially one that belongs to someone else ? is worthless,' said Stephen Casey, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund."

Justice O?Connor?s one A.M. robocalls in support of ballot initiative

Posted on October 26, 2010
Ed Whelan writing at National Review Online / Bench Memos: "Do the ethics rules governing federal judges really permit a federal judge to robocall voters in support of a ballot initiative? That question is raised by the apparent decision by former Justice Sandra Day O?Connor?who has retired from the Supreme Court but who, rightly or wrongly, maintains that she now has senior status and can still sit on lower-court cases?to authorize use of her voice on robocall messages to Nevada voters in support of Question 1 (which would alter the state?s method of selecting its judges)...

NJ: Point Beach council will no longer recite the Lord?s Prayer at public meetings

Posted on October 26, 2010
Asbury Park Press: "The Point Pleasant Beach Borough Council has agreed to end the custom of saying the Lord's Prayer at the start of public meetings, thus resolving a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey."

WA: Jefferson County extends moratorium on sexually oriented businesses

Posted on October 26, 2010
Peninsula Daily News: "The Jefferson County commissioners Monday approved extending a moratorium on the establishment of sexually oriented businesses for six months, after which time the county will be able to determine a permanent policy of regulation...

9th Circuit overturns Arizona?s proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration

Posted on October 26, 2010
"The split decision by a three-judge panel determined that the requirement to show proof of citizenship ? passed by voters in 2004 ? is not consistent with the National Voter Registration Act."

Australia: Greens MP seeks same-sex ?marriage? survey

Posted on October 26, 2010
The Sydney Morning Herald: "Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt wants his federal parliamentary colleagues to seek out the views of their constituents on same-sex marriage."

White House to hold DADT meeting

Posted on October 26, 2010
Advocate.com: "A White House official tells The Advocate that pro-repeal groups are scheduled to meet Tuesday with White House officials to discuss the path forward on repealing 'don?t ask, don?t tell' during the lame-duck session following the midterm election...

Soros give $1M to Calif pot legalization measure

Posted on October 26, 2010
Mercury News (AP): "Billionaire George Soros has thrown his weight behind California's marijuana legalization measure with a $1 million donation a week before the vote."

Abortion concerns added to health care reform debate

Posted on October 26, 2010
News on 6: "The heated debate over health care reform has added new fuel to the fire over another controversial issue -- abortion. The News On 6 reported Wednesday the leaders at local Catholic hospitals are concerned the health care bills in Congress right now could fund abortions...

Provincial Court to rule on freedom of speech case at University of Calgary

Posted on October 25, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Provincial court Judge John Bascom said he will rule early next year whether University of Calgary security officials had the authority to charge Bill Whatcott with trespassing for handing out flyers on campus criticizing homosexuality...

Ohio: Court stays out of Driehaus election billboard spat

Posted on October 25, 2010
Cincinnati Enquirer: "A federal judge Monday refused to jump into a dispute between U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus and an anti-abortion group that wants to erect billboards criticizing the congressman."

Muslims seize Christian chapel in Pakistan

Posted on October 25, 2010
Fides: "On October 19, the Chapel was illegally occupied by force by a group of over 20 people who broke into the building and shut themselves inside: they are Muslim faithful who, with the support of some local politicians, are claiming ownership of the building, based on records that Christians consider artifacts...

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