Religion & Law

Living in sin and judicial activism

Posted on August 30, 2010
Eugene Volokh writing at The Volokh Conspiracy: "From today's In re the Petition of Theresa Goudeau to Adopt a Minor Child (Ga. Ct. App.), 2010 WL 3369363 . . . 'The superior court denied the petition of Theresa Goudeau to adopt her foster daughter and ordered the Department of Family and Children?s Services to remove the child from Goudeau?s foster care, finding that placing the child with Goudeau violated this state?s ?public policy? because Goudeau was not married to the man with whom she lived ...

Long lost Jesus icon in Kremlin restored to view

Posted on August 30, 2010
[Medvedev said] . . . "Now that we've got the icon back, our country secures an additional defence,"

Horne declares victory in race for Arizona attorney general

Posted on August 30, 2010
ABC 15: "State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne declared a victory over Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas via Twitter Sunday afternoon. Horne confirmed to ABC15 he posted the celebratory message on the social media site."

Will the presence of three women really change the court in any real way?

Posted on August 30, 2010
Dahlia Lithwick writing at Slate: "[W]hat does the difference between having one, two, or three women at the court really signify? Social scientists contend that the difference is more than just cosmetic. They cite a 2006 study by the Wellesley Centers for Women that found three to be the magic number when it came to the impact of having women on corporate boards ...

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Mexico?s Catholic Church fans flames of ?gay rights? row

Posted on August 30, 2010
BBC: "[Cardinal Sandoval Iniguez] alleged that Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard had bribed the Supreme Court judges to hand down a ruling that supported gay rights . . . The Supreme Court judges issued a unanimous and unprecedented condemnation of the Archbishop's allegations ...

Court rejects Quaker?s challenge to use of his tax payments for military

Posted on August 30, 2010
Religious Clause: "In Moore-Backman v. United States, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88547 (D AZ, Aug. 24, 2010), an Arizona federal district court adopted a magistrate's recommendations (2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88548, June 28, 2010) and dismissed a complaint by a Quaker that the use of his federal income tax payments for military spending substantially burdens his religious exercise in violation of the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act ...

The World Trade Center mosque and the Constitution

Posted on August 30, 2010
Mark Helperin, "The World Trade Center Mosque and the Constitution," Wall Street Journal (full text via Google News): "The proponents of the mosque know that Americans will not and cannot betray our constitutional liberties . . . Their knowledge of the Constitution, however, does not penetrate very far, and perhaps they are not as clever as they think...

Public pensions and California?s fiscal future

Posted on August 30, 2010
NCPA (WSJ): "California simply cannot solve its budgetary problems without addressing government employee compensation and benefits, says Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California . . . Thanks to huge unfunded pension and retirement health care promises granted by past governments, and also to deceptive pension-fund accounting that understated liabilities and overstated future investment returns, California is now saddled with $550 billion of retirement debt, says Schwarzenegger...

Louisiana charter schools: After the deluge, a new education system

Posted on August 30, 2010
Leslie Jacobs, "After the Deluge, A New Education System," Wall Street Journal (full text via Google News): "Five years ago yesterday, the levees broke. Hurricane Katrina flooded roughly 80% of this city, causing nearly $100 billion in damage . . . But from the flood waters, the most market-driven public school system in the country has emerged...

GOP chances of winning House are rising as midterm election nears

Posted on August 30, 2010
The Hill: "The playing field of competitive House races has expanded substantially over the past two months, increasing the chances that Republicans will control the lower chamber next year . . . As the election environment has worsened for Democrats amid troubling new economic and polling data, Republicans have become increasingly bullish in their projections of major House gains...

New York imam: Politics behind mosque opposition

Posted on August 30, 2010
Associated Press: "The imam spearheading a proposed Islamic center near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York believes the fierce opposition is closely linked to the U.S. elections in November, according to comments published Monday."

Gov. Charlie Crist supports constitutional ban on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on August 30, 2010
The State Column: "Florida Governor, and current U.S. Senate candidate, Charlie Crist said Sunday that he supports a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Mr. Crist said that he favors a ban but added that he describes himself as a 'live and let live kind of guy' when it comes to same-sex partners living together...

NYC mosque debate will shape American Islam

Posted on August 30, 2010
Associated Press: "Whatever the outcome, the uproar over a planned Islamic center near the World Trade Center site is shaping up as a signal event in the story of American Islam . . . American Muslim leaders say the furor has emboldened opposition groups to resist new mosques around the country, at a time when there aren't enough mosques or Islamic schools to serve the community...

Obama appeals stem cell ruling; some work to stop

Posted on August 30, 2010
Las Vegas Sun (AP): "[T]he ruling drew praise from the Alliance Defense Fund, a group of Christian attorneys who helped with the lawsuit filed by two researchers against the administration rules.The American people should not be forced to pay for experiments _ prohibited by federal law _ that destroy human life,' said [Steven H...

In Egypt, more people call for civil instead of religious marriage

Posted on August 30, 2010
Axcess News: "Now, after a controversial court case and the government's promise of a new law dealing with personal-status issues like marriage, their cases are in the spotlight. The resulting struggle has exposed the pitfalls of a legal system that, by forcing people to abide by religious regulations, has deprived citizens of the freedom to make decisions about their personal lives...

GA: Monk accused of operating religious temple will not be cited

Posted on August 30, 2010
CBS Atlanta: "Code Enforcement officers with the city of Lilburn will not cite a monk accused of operating a religious temple on his property. Homeowners in the 5000 block of Hood Road tell CBS Atlanta Monk Ton held a large illegal religious service on his property Sunday, even though it is not zoned for that purpose...

Australia: ?Tasmanian independent Wilkie demands pensions rise, vote on gay nuptials?

Posted on August 30, 2010
The Australian: "Mr Wilkie's national demands include maximum $1 bets and $120/hour loss limits on pokies machines, an increase to all government pensions, including dental care in medicare, a conscience vote on gay marriage and increased aged care funding...

Don?t agree with Obama? Get ready for IRS probe

Posted on August 30, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "The Internal Revenue Service has delayed approval of tax-exempt status for a private organization and is reviewing its educational work, telling a lawyer for the foundation that it must be examined by Washington because its activities may 'contradict the administration's public policies...

Illinois State Police sued over Muslim chaplain flap

Posted on August 30, 2010
CNSNews: "[The Council on American-Islamic Relations] has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois State Police alleging discrimination when the agency revoked the appointment of the agency's first Muslim chaplain."

Crist clarifies stance on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on August 30, 2010
The Hill: "After the interview aired, Crist's campaign issued a statement reiterating that he doesn't back a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage."

TN: Authorities investigate shots fired near Islamic Center site

Posted on August 30, 2010
The Daily News Journal: "Rutherford County Sheriff?s deputies are investigating a complaint about shots being fired near the construction site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro on Veals Road off Bradyville Pike."

Green Bay city worker requests benefits for domestic partner

Posted on August 30, 2010
Green Bay Press Gazette: "A longtime truck driver has become the first city of Green Bay employee to request health insurance coverage for a domestic partner. The request could prompt a policy change making Green Bay the first municipality in Northeastern Wisconsin to provide benefits for employees' same-sex partners...

Thomas not conceding in AZ Attorney General race

Posted on August 30, 2010
KFYI: "Former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas says he was ready on Friday morning to concede the GOP nomination for Arizona Attorney General to current Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, as Horne's lead continued to grow slowly with the continued counting of early and provisional ballots...

Exodus Ministries denied charitable status in New Zealand

Posted on August 30, 2010
" . . . The commission said the trust was not performing any public benefit because homosexuality was not a mental disorder and did not need curing."

South Africa: ?Gay attorney forced to resign from Rotary?

Posted on August 30, 2010
Independent Online: "A former Rotarian who claims three Rotary clubs discriminated against him because he was homosexual is challenging the matter in the Equality Court in Pretoria. Rhett Gardener, an attorney at the Special Investigating Unit, said in court papers he was first forced to resign from the Rotary Club of Pretoria West (RCPW) after homophobic comments...

The right to be perverse

Posted on August 30, 2010
Dr. Jeff Mirus writing at Catholic Culture: "What are we up against in fighting the public facilitation of sexual perversion? We?re up against nothing less than a global culture which regards a person?s desired form of sexual expression as a basic human right...

?How Costa Rica is battling for gay rights?

Posted on August 30, 2010
Global Post: "As Americans take on the issue state by state amid conflicting rulings by local and federal courts, Costa Rica's Diversity Movement is pressing for change nationwide. Movement leader Abelardo Araya says it's more appropriate to fight for gay rights in congress than in court or at the ballot box...

American Islamists rely on threat of Islamic violence to make their case

Posted on August 30, 2010
Eugene Volokh writing at The Volokh Conspiracy: "[T]he response from Ibrahim Hooper of CAIR . . . 'Can you imagine what this will do to our image around the world . . . And the additional danger it will add whenever there is an American presence in Iraq or Afghanistan?' ...

Shariah for Dummies

Posted on August 30, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf claims that the U.S. Constitution is Shariah compliant. Let us examine below a few laws of Shariah to see if Imam Rauf is truthful or a fraud."

With Calif. ruling stayed, ?gay? demands return focus to Hawaii

Posted on August 30, 2010
WSJ: "The ruling earlier this month by San Francisco federal judge Vaughn Walker declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional might well be overturned by the Ninth Circuit . . . But for now, it seems it?s providing a bit of inspiration to gays and lesbians in Hawaii, who last month sued Hawaii Gov...

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