Religion & Law

Foes of health care law lose key court ruling

Posted on October 07, 2010
WWJ: "Judge George Caram Steeh ruled that Congress did not exceed its authority by requiring people to have insurance by 2014. He also turned down a challenge Thursday to the financial penalty that comes with having no insurance . . . The lawsuit was filed by the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor...

Judicial Watch sues to obtain Justice Department, ACLU communications regarding AZ immigration suit

Posted on October 07, 2010
Sacramento Bee: "Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today announced that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) for information regarding the DOJ's decision to file a lawsuit against Arizona over the state's tough new illegal immigration law, SB 1070...

Pa. Democrat wants critical pro-life radio ad pulled

Posted on October 07, 2010
"Attorneys for Democrat U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper's campaign want four Erie radio stations to pull an ad by an anti-abortion group that contends her vote for health care reform resulted in 'the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded abortions ever.'"

Second Iowa pastor takes aim at judges

Posted on October 07, 2010
"A pastor from Waukee is wading into the retention election for three Iowa Supreme Court justices, asking religious leaders around the state to inform their congregations about 'out of control' judges. But some contend the effort is actually encouraging churches to violate federal tax law...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

?Gay and lesbian? group protests textbook at Czech university

Posted on October 07, 2010
The Prague Post: "Charlie, a gay and lesbian students? association at Charles University, took issue with what they saw as a biased and intolerant treatment of homosexuality in the handbook."

Australia: Group set up to lobby for ?gay fathers?

Posted on October 07, 2010
Sydney Star Observer: "The Gay Dads Alliance is the first national gay dads lobby group in Australia to call for reform of Section 60H of the Family Law Act, which covers children born as a result of artificial conception procedures and doesn?t recognise gay fathers...

Catholic monks get OK to build a Wyo. monastery

Posted on October 07, 2010
Gillette News Record: "The Park County Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved two permits for a 144,000-square-foot French Gothic-style monastery and coffee roasting barn on a remote, 2,500-acre ranch near Meeteetse."

UK: Cameron ?stands alone? against same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on October 07, 2010
Ekklesia: "Following the election of Ed Miliband as Labour Party leader, same-sex civil marriage is now supported by the leaders of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties, leaving Cameron and the Conservative Party as the main opponents. This is despite growing support for the idea amongst senior Conservatives, including the London Mayor Boris Johnson and former Tory Vice-Chair Margot James MP...

Council of Europe attack on conscience defeated in dramatic reversal

Posted on October 07, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "An attempt to erase the conscience rights of EU health care workers has been soundly defeated at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) this evening. In a vote of 56 to 51, the PACE rejected the proposal of Christine McCafferty, a British politician and abortion activist, to ?regulate? conscientious objectors to abortion across Europe...

Abortion takes center stage in Brazil presidential vote

Posted on October 07, 2010
AFP: "Abortion has become a big issue in Brazil's presidential election after religious activists dropped support for leading candidate Dilma Rousseff due to her past support for legalizing it."

UK: Teens just one click away from internet sex and porn

Posted on October 07, 2010
The Christian Institute: "An investigation into a disturbing playground craze involving coloured wristbands and sexual acts between children has uncovered a hidden online world of teenagers, sex and porn, a BBC broadcaster has revealed."

EU blocks British request for disclosure on EU ?Equal Treatment Directive?

Posted on October 07, 2010
CCFON: "The EU Council has refused to allow the public to access documents concerning the highly controversial EU Equal Treatment Directive, which is currently being negotiated in secret between European Member States. The refusal follows a public access request by Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON)...

VA: Christian meteorologist says he was fired for talking about ministry plans

Posted on October 07, 2010
The Virginian-Pilot: "Former WAVY-TV weather forecaster Jon Cash on Wednesday accused the station of religious discrimination, in his most detailed comments since he was fired."

IRS should investigate NY church that endorsed gubernatorial candidate, says Americans United

Posted on October 07, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "A Brooklyn church that endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew M. Cuomo should be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State."

The cost of Muslim intolerance

Posted on October 07, 2010
Strategy Page: "One of the many tragedies of the war in Iraq was the expulsion of the native Christian population. Before 2003, there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Now there are fewer than 800,000 . . . Alas, throughout the Moslem world, there is an ancient antipathy against non-Moslems, or Moslems who are different than you...

The Obama-Holder Justice Department is failing our military voters

Posted on October 07, 2010
J. Christian Adams writing at Pajamas Media: "Instead of aggressive enforcement to protect military voting rights, the DOJ has been cutting deals with states like Wisconsin which ignore the congressional mandate that ballots be mailed at least 45 days before the election...

Pew Poll: Same-sex ?marriage? gains more acceptance

Posted on October 07, 2010
Pew Research Center: "For the first time in 15 years of Pew Research Center polling, fewer than half oppose same-sex marriage. The shift in opinion on same-sex marriage has been broad-based, occurring across many demographic, political and religious groups...

Next Canadian citizenship guide to cover ?gay rights?

Posted on October 07, 2010
"The next printing of a guide designed to educate immigrants applying for Canadian citizenship will contain references to gay rights ? ones that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney had vetoed for the current version."

Humanoid Rights: The ACLU looks to science fiction to prepare for future threats to civil liberties

Posted on October 07, 2010
"The idea of the ACLU battling a private corporation over whether clones are human beings or pieces of property may seem far-fetched. But almost a decade ago, the organization started thinking about how to do it."

Vatican synod mulls Middle East Christian exodus

Posted on October 07, 2010
Reuters: "With Christianity dwindling in its Middle Eastern birthplace, Pope Benedict has convened Catholic bishops from the region to debate how to save its minority communities and promote harmony with their Muslim neighbors."

Bulgarian police raid suspected radical Islamists, locals protest

Posted on October 06, 2010
EU Observer: "Police in rural southern Bulgaria have raided the houses of what they suspect to be a branch of an outlawed Islamist group, provoking a peaceful protest in a Muslim village, the interior ministry and media reported."

All Federal Circuit vacancies now have nominees, but quick confirmation unlikely

Posted on October 06, 2010
Law.com: "President Barack Obama's recent nomination of Jimmie Reyna for one of three vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit covers all open slots and adds a candidate with deep international trade expertise. But court watchers expect that at least two of the confirmations to the 12-judge court, including Reyna's, will stretch into next year...

Wis. college nixes video endorsing leftist re-interpretation of biblical moral standards

Posted on October 06, 2010
After receiving a letter from the Alliance Defense Fund, Lakeshore Technical College has agreed to stop showing faculty and students a film that insisted that the Bible condones homosexual conduct. The film promoted denominations that accept homosexual behavior and denigrated Scripturally accurate teachings opposing such behavior as relying on an ignorant misuse and misinterpretation of the Bible.

How Appealing roundup on Snyder v. Phelps

Posted on October 06, 2010
The How Appealing roundup is here.

After Dem leaders skip vote, Bush tax debate flares on campaign trail

Posted on October 06, 2010
The Hill: "The decision by Democratic leaders to skip a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts has led to intense campaign attacks on vulnerable House and Senate Democrats."

DC Circuit: Federal employee need not relitigate religious discrimination victory to appeal retaliation holding

Posted on October 06, 2010
Religion Clause: "In Payne v. Salazar, (DC Cir., Sept. 7, 2010), . . . Department of Interior employee Cassandra Payne won her religious discrimination clam at the administrative level. An EEOC administrative judge found that the Interior Department had violated Title VII by refusing Payne's requests for weekends off so she could attend church and Bible study ...

PBS to air series on ?God in America?

Posted on October 06, 2010
PBS: "For the first time on television, God in America, a presentation of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, will explore the historical role of religion in the public life of the United States. The six-hour series, which interweaves documentary footage, historical dramatization and interviews with religious historians, will air over three consecutive nights on PBS beginning Oct...

National Review responds to criticism of its marriage editorial

Posted on October 06, 2010
National Review Online: "Our actual point was and is that same-sex marriage is a contradiction in terms that undermines the logic of the institution. There is a governmental interest in ensuring that as many children as possible are raised in a home by biological parents who are committed to each other and to them for the long term ...

James Taranto: Green supremacists

Posted on October 06, 2010
James Taranto writing in the Wall Street Journal: "There's a new kind of supremacist on the scene: green supremacists. They haven't blown up any children--not in real life. But they've been thinking about it."

Court says confidentiality agreements will not prevent discovery in Establishment Clause suit

Posted on October 06, 2010
Religion Clause: "Now in ACLU of Minnesota v. Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104961 (D MN, Oct. 1, 2010), the district court has upheld a federal magistrate's grant of a protective order to prevent enforcement by TiZA of non-disclosure / confidentiality provisions in its employee handbook against current and former employees in connection with disclosures the employees may make to the ACLU...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.