Religion & Law

India: slain former leader of Hindu converted to Christianity

Posted on August 27, 2010
Asia News: "A former Hindu converted to Christianity was killed this morning near Tiangia, a village in the district of Kandhamal (Orissa) hit by anti-Christian pogrom of August 2008."

Catholic priestly vocations plummet in Ireland

Posted on August 27, 2010
Catholic Culture: "Only 16 men are entering the seminary in Ireland this year-- down from 39 in 2009, and over 150 during the average year in the 1980s. Ireland currently has 99 seminarians, while England and Wales have 150."

MI: Surprise Granholm appointment changes state Supreme Court makeup

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Detroit News: "The surprise resignation Thursday of Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth 'Betty' Weaver caused political upheaval as Gov. Jennifer Granholm quickly appointed a replacement and tilted the balance of power in the state's highest court. Naming Appeals Court Judge Alton Davis to Weaver's seat gave Democrats a majority on the court for the first time in 11 years and could have lasting impact on the state, analysts say...

Iowa Supreme Court: Chilling Effect is exactly what the ?independent? judiciary needs

Posted on August 27, 2010
CitizenLink: "Liberals who rely on courts to achieve what democratic majorities would never stand for, however, see such campaigns to oust judges as a threat to their 'judicial independence' ? a polite euphemism that many times means 'you can?t stop us...

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Fundraising effort begins for ?Ground Zero mosque?

Posted on August 27, 2010
Boston.com (AP):  "The developer behind plans to build an Islamic community center and mosque two blocks from ground zero kicked off fundraising for the project Friday by raising $10,000 in just a few minutes from a congregation of Muslim worshippers...

11th Circuit rejects challenge to federal immigration restrictions on marriage

Posted on August 27, 2010
US v Di Pietro, No. 09-13726 (11th Cir. Aug. 27, 2010) | Google Viewer "This case requires us to address de novo two constitutional challenges to § 1325(c) U.S.C. § 1325(c), ['which imposes criminal liability on any individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading federal immigration laws'] in evaluating whether the district court properly denied Ms...

Hugh Hewitt and Peter Hitchens: Rage Against God ? the decline of Christianity in the West

Posted on August 27, 2010
Hugh Hewitt Show transcript: Peter Hitchens discusses the decline of Christianity in the West, and his book, The Rage Against God. Excerpt: "We are a country in very severe decline of all kinds, and there is, at the moment, no sign whatever of any serious attempt to recover from that decline...

Wyoming: ?Gay marriage lawsuit finds little support?

Posted on August 27, 2010
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: "Last week, a Cheyenne couple challenged Wyoming's law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. But many of the key supporters on gay rights aren't backing the action [and were] surprised by the lawsuit . . . 'We don't support this argument at this time,' said Tim Reid, a board member for Wyoming Equality, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group...

Italy: ?Mass gay kiss-off to highlight gap in EU law?

Posted on August 27, 2010
EU Observer: "An Italian MP is planning to ask gay couples to hold a day of mass-scale public kissing in September in a fight against petty homophobia. But a draft EU law combatting the same problem is likely to stay off the agenda for years."

Utah court rejects appeal from polygamous sect

Posted on August 27, 2010
Associated Press: "Utah's Supreme Court has rejected a petition from members of a southern Utah-based polygamous sect seeking a reversal of changes made to its communal land trust." FLDS v. Hon. Lindberg, No. 20090859 (Utah Aug. 27, 2010)

?Republican gay rights backlash?

Posted on August 27, 2010
Reihan Salam writing at The Daily Beast: "However much Republicans like former RNC chair Ken Mehlman want to embrace gay rights, the party's rank-and-file won't for years to come . . . Republicans are far less likely to accept gay relationships than Democrats or Independents...

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell agrees state should limit abortion businesses

Posted on August 27, 2010
LifeNews: "Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell appears to agree with the opinion Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued late Friday providing legal guidance for the state Board of Health. Cuccinelli said more limits can be placed on abortion businesses in Virginia when it comes to healthy and safety standards...

Federal Circuit rules no link between autism and vaccine

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Blog of LegalTimes: "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has just upheld lower court findings that reject a causal connection between childhood vaccines and the onset of autism. The ruling came in Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services...

Muslims, Jews still like Obama as his approval rating slips

Posted on August 27, 2010
AFP: "Muslims and Jews in the United States remain among the most ardent supporters of President Barack Obama, whose overall job approval ratings have been falling sharply, a Gallup poll showed Friday. The survey which tracked opinions over a period from January 21 to July 31 showed 78 percent of Muslims and 61 percent of Jews approved of Obama's job performance...

DuPage, IL: Proposal to ban all religious facilities, after mosque proposal, draws a crowd

Posted on August 27, 2010
Chicago Tribune: "After an uproar over three controversial proposals to build or expand Islamic centers in DuPage County, about 60 people attended a more than two-hour public hearing on Thursday evening to debate a proposed ban on opening new religious facilities in unincorporated residential areas in the county...

British Catholic adoption agency closes

Posted on August 27, 2010
Christian Science Monitor / Adam Smith Institute Blog: "This week the last Catholic adoption agency in the UK has been forced to cease adoptions following the ruling of the Charity Commission. Catholic Care, a Leeds-based social care organization, only offers adoption services to heterosexual married couples...

KY: Mosque denied in Mayfield, ACLU watches situation

Posted on August 27, 2010
WKMS: "This week, the Mayfield zoning board denied a conditional use permit that would have allowed a mosque in the city's downtown. This is the first conditional use permit submitted by a religious organization the board has denied . . . 'We certainly have obviously serious concerns about the procedural irregularities...

?Abortion help? offered to pregnant Alaska teens

Posted on August 27, 2010
Juneau Empire: "The biggest abortion provider in Alaska, Planned Parenthood, has created a website to help teens meet the requirements of the ballot measure approved in Tuesday's election."

Ground Zero Mosque may get public financing

Posted on August 27, 2010
"The Muslim center . . . could qualify for tax-free financing, a spokesman for City Comptroller John Liu said on Friday, and Liu is willing to consider approving the public subsidy."

Church of England calls for BBC to appoint religion editor

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "The Church of England has called on the BBC to appoint a religion editor to bring more depth to the Corporation?s religious output. Bishop of Manchester Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, the Church?s senior communications spokesman, said that it made little sense for areas such as arts and science to have editors, but not religion...

UK: Donors could get up to £800 for their eggs

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Women could be paid up to £800 for donating their eggs to fertility clinics under a controversial new proposal from the UK?s fertility regulator. The proposal is one of a number of options being considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in an attempt to address a current shortage of egg and sperm donors...

UK: Homosexual tax guide slammed by commentator

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A Government guide for homosexual and transgender taxpayers has received a stinging rebuke from a prominent national newspaper commentator . . . The glossy booklet, which features the gay pride flag on its front cover, promises that 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' is at the heart of the agency?s diversity agenda...

UK: Dawkins calls for more interference in faith schools

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Faith schools shouldn?t be allowed to teach religious education (RE) lessons in line with their beliefs, according to atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins . . . During an interview with the Times newspaper Professor Dawkins said that RE should be taught in a 'comparative way according to a national curriculum', and accused faith schools of 'indoctrinating' pupils...

UK: Labour leader hopeful would scrap free speech right to speak against homosexual conduct

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Free speech laws that allow people to express their opinions about homosexual conduct should be scrapped, Labour leadership hopeful Ed Miliband says . . . His extraordinary comments appear in an opinion article he wrote for the homosexual website, Pink News...

UK: MP continues Labour crusade for compulsory sex indoctrination

Posted on August 27, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Labour MP, Chris Bryant, is continuing his party?s controversial attempts to impose compulsory sex education in schools, despite opposition from head teachers and faith leaders . . . This type of bill is unlikely to become law but critics say the proposal, expected to be debated on 8th September, will be used to establish the mood in the new parliament on the issue of sex education...

?Lutherans split over gay pastors, Bible beliefs?

Posted on August 27, 2010
Associated Press: "Critics of the country's largest Lutheran denomination and its more open stance toward gay clergy formed a new Lutheran church Friday at a meeting of a conservative activist group. The overwhelming voice vote by members of the Lutheran Coalition of Renewal created the North American Lutheran Church, a tiny denomination of churches formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, headquartered in Chicago...

Oregon town agrees to allow pro-life signs after ADF files lawsuit

Posted on August 27, 2010
"Alliance Defense Fund attorneys secured a consent order Friday from a district court that requires the city of Stayton to allow a man to display pro-life signs on a public street corner."

Guessing the trigger point for a U.S. debt crisis

Posted on August 27, 2010
Guessing the Trigger Point for a U.S. Debt Crisis [View online at Insider Online] by Arnold Kling "It would appear to be quite likely that the United States will experience a debt crisis within the next two decades, unless the path for fiscal policy changes from what is projected by the Congressional Budget Office...

Spain: Barred airman claims ?gay discrimination?

Posted on August 26, 2010
Euro Weekly: "Alberto Linero Marchena, married to a gay partner, claimed last Monday that he was expelled from the Air Force after two years of 'threats, abuse and propositioning'. Linero was stationed at the Moron de la Frontera base in Sevilla but has been on psychiatric sick leave since November 2009...

?Gay rights? marches in Moscow and London

Posted on August 26, 2010
The Moscow News: "Regular Russian protest marches on the 31st of the month will be staged in London, thanks to flamboyant exiled tycoon Yevgeny Chichvarkin. Meanwhile the original Moscow edition is set to welcome gay rights campaigners for the first time as opposition groups continue to assert their right to peaceful freedom of assembly in the face of official opposition...

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