Religion & Law

Wesley J. Smith: Federal funding for human cloning?

Posted on September 23, 2010
Wesley J. Smith writing at National Review Online: "Just when you thought the political fight over federal funding of embryonic-stem-cell research (ESCR) was over, United States District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that President Obama?s ESCR policy violates the 'Dickey-Wicker Amendment,' a federal law barring federal funding of 'the creation of a human embryo ...

CDC study: 1 in 5 urban ?gay and bisexual? men have HIV

Posted on September 23, 2010
"A government study found one in five sexually active urban gay and bisexual men is infected with HIV, and nearly half of those infected don't know they have the disease."

UK: ?Gay? population much lower than believed, first official figures show

Posted on September 23, 2010
"Just one and a half per cent of the UK population is gay or bisexual, far lower than previous estimates suggested, the first official survey on sexual identity has revealed."

UK under Shariah? 6 arrested for burning Koran on YouTube

Posted on September 23, 2010
Associated Press: "British police say they have arrested six men on suspicion of stirring racial hatred after they posted a video on the Internet in which they appear to burn two Qurans on Sept. 11." YouTube video via The Jawa Report [Warning: Video contains foul language]

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India?s Supreme Court delays ruling on Hindu-Muslim religious site dispute

Posted on September 23, 2010
Los Angeles Times: "In a last-minute move, the Supreme Court agreed Thursday to delay a verdict involving a dispute between Muslims and Hindus over who has the right to a controversial religious site."

Del. Rep. Castle mulls write-in Senate campaign

Posted on September 23, 2010
Associated Press: "A spokeswoman for Delaware Congressman Mike Castle says he's considering a write-in campaign for Senate after his Republican primary loss to Christine O'Donnell."

Democrats push Goodwin Liu, other controversial nominees out of committee

Posted on September 23, 2010
Blog of LegalTimes: "The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines today to advance the nomination of law professor Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, signaling they're not ready to give up on one of President Barack Obama's most controversial nominees...

Study breaks down divorce rates by occupation

Posted on September 23, 2010
Washington Post: "The study, published in the spring edition of the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, was co-written by Michael Aamodt, a professor emeritus at Radford University who now works as a consultant with the Washington-based DCI Consulting Group ...

Prenups more popular, especially among women

Posted on September 23, 2010
Law.com: "Prenuptial agreements are on the rise, according to a poll by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Of the divorce lawyers polled, 73% reported an increased number of prenuptial agreements during the past five years. Significantly, 52% reported an increase in the number of women initiating such agreements...

Philadelphia to become largest US city with casino

Posted on September 23, 2010
Boston.com (AP): "Six years after the state Legislature legalized gambling, Philadelphia is set to become the largest U.S. city with a casino."

America?s one-child policy

Posted on September 23, 2010
"There is a constellation of factors tamping down fertility in America. And even with steady immigration, they represent our own, bottom-up adoption of a One-Child regimen."

IA: Judge says strip club can open immediately

Posted on September 23, 2010
Quad City Times: "A Scott County judge has opened the door for a Davenport strip club to reopen its doors. District Judge Marlita A. Greve ruled this week that C Line Inc., owner of the Chorus Line property at 4128 N. Brady St., has a valid and existing adult entertainment license and can immediately open its cabaret business...

Americans vote on the Supreme Court

Posted on September 23, 2010
Breitbart: "These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,775 adults surveyed online between August 9 and 16, 2010 by Harris Interactive. Almost three in five (58%) Americans say they are knowledgeable about the process, with 14% saying they are very knowledgeable and 44% saying they are somewhat knowledgeable...

Army must cancel evangelistic event at Fort Bragg, says Americans United

Posted on September 23, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "An evangelistic rally jointly sponsored by U.S. military personnel and evangelical Christian churches and ministries violates the U.S. Constitution and must be cancelled, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State...

MN: Corporations Appeal Decision Upholding Bans on Their Political Speech

Posted on September 23, 2010
Specifically, MCCL and the other corporations want to spend general treasury dollars to run advertisements for candidates they support. But Minnesota law won?t let them. Instead, Minnesota requires them to set up a separate fund to pay for advertisements, and requires that fund to comply with lots of registration, record-keeping, and reporting requirements just to engage in its political speech...

GOP allows Murkowski to keep position on Energy, Resources panel

Posted on September 22, 2010
The Hill: "Senate Republicans defied expectations and did not act Thursday to remove Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) from her top Republican role on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."

ME Human Rights Commission: School must allow ?transgender? male-to-female 6th grader to use girls? bathroom

Posted on September 22, 2010
"The Maine Human Rights Commission ruled Monday that Orono Middle School unlawfully discriminated against a sixth-grader during the 2008-2009 school year by not letting the male-to-female transgender student use the girls? bathroom."

Abortion providers say Louisiana policy aims to shut them down

Posted on September 22, 2010
Courthouse News Service: "Five outpatient abortion providers and a doctor say Louisiana's new '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 their due process rights...

Washington struggling to rein in increasing homegrown terrorism

Posted on September 22, 2010
The Hill: "'We do not yet have a complete understanding of what would cause a United States person to radicalize to the extent of violence,' said Napolitano, adding that the department was aiming its efforts at the community level by sharing information about what forms early signs of violent radicalization may take...

Liberty Counsel: Florida court ruling on adoption will harm children

Posted on September 22, 2010
Liberty Counsel: "In 2004, the federal Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the same law against a challenge brought under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Florida?s equal protection clause is construed the same way as the federal Equal Protection Clause ...

Australia: Fears that teen girls pressured to look like porn stars

Posted on September 22, 2010
Courier Mail: "Intimate beauty treatments are becoming popular with girls as boyfriends demand they look like porn stars, the experts say . . . ''Everything they are watching, seeing, doing is about sex. They're growing up in an R-rated society,'' she said...

Islamists raid 2 independent radio stations in Mogadishu

Posted on September 22, 2010
CNN: "Armed Islamist militants raided and looted two radio stations in Somalia's beleaguered capital this weekend, according to statements issued Sunday by the government's Ministry of Information and a Somali journalists' group."

Islamic states push UN to condemn Koran burning

Posted on September 22, 2010
Reuters: "A resolution submitted by Pakistan for the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) asks the council to speak out against what it dubbed 'the recent call by an extremist group to organise a "Burn a Koran Day."'"

Ad accusing Planned Parenthood of targeting African Americans banned in major cities

Posted on September 22, 2010
Catholic News Agency: "Heroic Media, an Austin, Texas advertising agency dedicated to promoting a pro-life message, is accustomed to controversy. However, even they are surprised at the response to their new campaign, which accuses Planned Parenthood of targeting African-Americans...

Cornyn, Sessions to receive award from Log Cabin Republicans

Posted on September 22, 2010
Dallas Morning News / Trail Blazers: "The Log Cabin Republicans will give the two lawmakers--who lead the Republicans' Senate and House campaign efforts, respectively--the Barry Goldwater Award at its fundraising reception and dinner." CNSNews: Conservatives Blast Chair of Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for Helping Homosexual Activist Group Raise Money

Obama?s omission of ?Creator? speaks volumes

Posted on September 22, 2010
OneNewsNow: "In a recent speech before the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Barack Obama omitted the word 'Creator' when quoting the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Was it an accident or by choice?"

Lawmakers oblivious to harm DADT repeal would bring

Posted on September 22, 2010
OneNewsNow: "'If you go ahead and do something as radical as allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military, those [who volunteer for military service] are going to begin to evaporate in a major way,' [Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (USA-Ret.)] warns. 'We're going to jeopardize the safety of this country because we're going to have to return, as far as I'm concerned, to the draft...

Rep. Paul Ryan defends including pro-life goals in GOP after recent criticism

Posted on September 22, 2010
LifeNews: "Congressman Paul Ryan, a respected Republican leader on the health care debate, put himself in the ranks of governors Mitch Daniels and Hailey Barbour when he said fiscal issues would need to trump social ones this election cycle and that pro-life advocates would have to 'agree to disagree' about abortion ...

Puerto Rican authorities accused of tolerating ?homophobia?

Posted on September 22, 2010
Latin American Herald Tribune: "Puerto Rico?s gay community blames island authorities for tolerating an atmosphere of homophobia that might have encouraged the slaying of 10 of their number over the past year."

Children of divorce vow to break cycle, create enduring marriages

Posted on September 22, 2010
"The risk of divorce is 50 percent higher when one spouse comes from a divorced home, and 200 percent higher risk when both of them do . . . "

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