Religion & Law

Mormon Church in talks to ?regularize? activities in China

Posted on September 03, 2010
Newsroom: "A series of high-level meetings between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and an official from the People?s Republic of China is expected to lead to 'regularized' operations for the Church in China . . . 'It is important to understand what the term regularizing means, and what it does not mean,' Church spokesman Michael Otterson said...

NY Court OKs menorah display, but not use of city personnel and equipment to light it

Posted on September 03, 2010
Religion Clause: "In Chabad of Mid-Hudson Valley v. City of Poughkeepsie, (NY App. Div., Aug. 31, 2010), a New York state appellate court held that the display of an 18-foot high menorah on public property in downtown Poughkeepsie (NY) did not violate the Establishment Clause ...

Heritage Foundation: New film ? I want your money

Posted on September 03, 2010
Insider Online: "Jim Van Eerden, the producer of the film, told a group of bloggers at The Heritage Foundation today that he wants the film to help promote a national conversation about the importance of getting government spending under control. The film will release to theaters on October 15, but it will be shown in private screenings around the country throughout September...

American jihadist?s haven may be U.S. courtroom

Posted on September 03, 2010
Ann Woolner writing at Bloomberg: "Known for English-language Internet sermons urging jihad on Americans, [Anwar al-Awlaki] has crossed the line from propagandist to become a leading al-Qaeda operative, authorities say . . . President Barack Obama?s administration earlier this year authorized his killing ...

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Teachers? rights and their unions

Posted on September 03, 2010
David W. Kirkpatrick writing at EducationNews.org: "In its Beck decision in 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that workers can only be required to pay dues or fees for costs directly related to collective bargaining. The decision awarded a dues reduction of 79 percent to Harry Beck, who had been an active union member and who launched the appeal...

Alaska Sen. Begich pressures national Dems to invest in the Senate race

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Hill: "Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) said Thursday he is pressuring national Democrats to take on Tea Party-backed Joe Miller (R) and invest in the state's Senate race. Begich, who will soon be the state's senior senator, said he is working to drum up support and national party backing for Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (D) who will face Miller in November...

Pawlenty: DC like ?drug dealer?

Posted on September 03, 2010
Associated Press: "Pawlenty defended his order that seeks to limit his state's participation in the new health care overhaul law that makes available funds for states to try new medical models . . . 'Instead of all just running around saying, "We'll take the money because it's free money," let's call it what it is: The federal government is basically a drug dealer trying to give out free samples, or give people a taste, get them further addicted,' Pawlenty said...

Tea Party sees repeat of Alaska GOP primary in Delaware race

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Hill: "After Joe Miller?s surprise win over Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the Republican Senate primary, observers started taking a second look at another Tea Party candidate: Christine O?Donnell. O?Donnell is challenging popular Rep. Mike Castle for Delaware?s Republican Senate nomination...

The 50th anniversary of Kennedy?s historic speech

Posted on September 03, 2010
Dr. Gary Scott Smith writing at The Center for Vision & Values: "This September 12 marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy?s historic speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in which he countered religious objections to his candidacy and promised to honor the separation of church and state ...

Greg Baylor: First- and second-class religious colleges?

Posted on September 03, 2010
ADF Attorney Gregory S. Baylor writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "Late last month, a state court of appeals held that North Carolina violated the state and federal constitutions by delegating the power to enforce state criminal law to Davidson College because Davidson has a connection to the Presbyterian Church (USA) ...

Obama appeals against federal funds ban on embryo research

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Christian Institute: President Obama?s administration has formally challenged a court order which temporarily blocks federal funding of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in the United States . . . [ADF Attorney Steven H. Aden] said: 'The American people should not be forced to pay for experiments prohibited by federal law that destroy human life...

NH: Signs for Jesus

Posted on September 03, 2010
Fox News / Live Shots: "Fab Cusson says the Bible helped him beat an addiction to the painkiller Oxycontin five years ago. Now he wants to share the Scripture passages he says saved his life? by displaying them on electronic roadside signs . . . the town's [Chichester, NH] planning and zoning boards have turned him down twice...

Federal stem cell ruling blocks Yale scientists

Posted on September 03, 2010
Yale Daily News: "Rizzolo?s laboratory is one of about a dozen facilities on campus that use stem cells. Haifan Lin, director of the Yale Stem Cell Center, said he did not yet know how the moratorium will affect Yale researchers . . . 'The American people should not be forced to pay for experiments ? prohibited by federal law ? that destroy human life,' said [Steven Aden], the legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which advised the party that brought the lawsuit to court...

Australia: New South Wales assembly OK?s same-sex adoption bill

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Daily Telegraph: "Two missing MPs could have swayed a NSW Lower House decision to support a Bill allowing same-sex couples to adopt children. Yesterday's decision came down to two votes, with 45 members voting for the Bill and 43 voting against it after two days of vigorous debate...

Obama Justice Dept seeks stay of order nixing NIH embryonic stem cell funding

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "The Obama Administration is appealing the decision, and said that a stay 'should not be denied for the benefit of two scientists whose only alleged harm is increased competition from other meritorious research projects that may ultimately save lives...

TX Court: Conservative Christian Religious Beliefs, Use of Moderate Corporal Punishment, & High Sex Drive Do Not Show Family Violence

Posted on September 03, 2010
At the Volokh Conspiracy, Eugene Volokh provides excerpts from the ruling in In re Wean (Tex. Ct. App. Aug. 31).

Court rules that officer challenging Obama?s eligibility can?t see evidence

Posted on September 03, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "A career officer in the U.S. Army acting as a judge in the prosecution of Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin today ruled that the military is no place for Barak Obama's presidential eligibility to be evaluated. Army Col. Denise R. Lind today ruled in a hearing regarding the evidence to be allowed in the scheduled October court-martial of Lakin that he will be denied access to any of Obama's records as well as any testimony from those who may have access to the records...

Canada: Campaign Life Coalition wants Harper to fire minister over abortion funding

Posted on September 03, 2010
Toronto Sun: "A social conservative group is calling for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to fire one of his cabinet ministers. Campaign Life Coalition, a lobby group that fights against abortion, said Thursday that International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda is opening Canada up to funding the procedure against government policy and the will of Parliament...

MA: No abortion referrals at newly acquired hospital says Caritas after meeting with Archdiocese

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Following a meeting with the local archdiocese, a Catholic hospital chain in Boston appears to have reversed its earlier position that a newly-acquired secular hospital would be allowed to continue its practice of providing contraception, sterilizations, and abortion referrals...

As Ramadan ends, Muslim students seek school holiday parity with other faiths

Posted on September 03, 2010
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: "Fortunately, Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, falls Sept. 10 this year, when New York City schools will already be closed for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year observance. Choudhury is not sure what she'll do in mid-November for Eid al-Adha, an annual observance that concludes the period when Muslims make the hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca...

Congress to Vote on Pro-Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill Later This Month

Posted on September 03, 2010
Steven Aden, a lead attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, which represented the adult stem cell researchers who filed the case against the Obama administration, applauded the decision. 'The American people should not be forced to pay for experiments -- prohibited by federal law -- that destroy human life,' he said...

The Generation That Can?t Move On Up is also Losing Connections to Marriage and Religion

Posted on September 03, 2010
re . . . The grim employment picture is familiar, but what's less widely known is that they are losing not only jobs but also their connections to basic social institutions such as marriage and religion. They're becoming socially disengaged . . .

Muslims resume building on Christian graveyard in Pakistan

Posted on September 03, 2010
Christian Post (Compass Direct): "Muslims led by a hard-line cleric on Friday resumed building on a Christian cemetery in Mandi Bhawaldin, desecrating more graves in spite of a local government order to halt construction, according to the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA)...

Australian Muslim cleric calls for beheading of Dutch politician

Posted on September 03, 2010
Yahoo News: "A well-known Australian Muslim cleric has called for the beheading of Dutch anti-Islamic politician Geert Wilders, a newspaper said on Friday."

Pence says Republican majority would move first to extend Bush tax cuts

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Hill: "House Republicans' first move in the majority would be to extend tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) suggested Wednesday evening."

Chinese pastor, wife slain at church served by Lottie Moon

Posted on September 03, 2010
Baptist Press: "A Chinese pastor and his wife were slain Aug. 31 at Penglai Christian Church, where Lottie Moon, an icon of Southern Baptist mission work, served in the early 1900s in Penglai, China."

FL: St. Petersburg takes steps to extend same-sex benefits

Posted on September 03, 2010
St. Petersburg Times: "St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster is taking a responsible and appropriate step by extending same-sex health benefits to the city's rank-and-file police officers in a union contract ratified Friday."

UK: Tatchell repeats call for lower age of consent

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Christian Institute: "'Homosexual rights' campaigner Peter Tatchell has repeated his call for the age of consent to be lowered to just 14. His position has been strongly rebuffed in the past, with one commentator saying that sex is for people who can cope with the consequences, 'In a word, adults...

Missouri Diocese develops plan to axe CCHD funding for groups supporting abortion and marriage redefinition

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) prepares to receive a report on the controversial funding practices of their anti-poverty arm, one diocese has proposed a plan to cut off the group's shadier associations. The diocese of Kansas City-St...

Scots end-of-life Bill backed by humanists

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A controversial attempt to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland is being supported by a humanist campaign group. The End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill, proposed by independent MSP Margo MacDonald, would allow terminally ill people and those who are 'permanently physically incapacitated' to seek assistance in ending their lives...

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