Religion & Law

Shuttered church sues Avondale Estates

Posted on August 16, 2010
The Champion Newspaper: "The city of Avondale Estates shut down the Christ Liberty Family Life Center ? a church ? in April because it didn?t meet the city?s acreage and frontage requirements. Now, the church is fighting back ? with a lawsuit . . . The church is also represented locally by Kevin Theriot of the Alliance Defense Fund, which advocates for religious groups and is financially assisting the church?s case against Avondale Estates...

RI: Cranston school committee to discuss prayer banner

Posted on August 16, 2010
NBC 10: "The Cranston school committee will discuss Monday night what to do about a prayer that's been posted in Cranston West High School for more than 50 years."

Kevin Theriot on Federalist No. 79: The Judiciary Department Continued

Posted on August 16, 2010
ADF Attorney Kevin Theriot writing at Constituting America: "For the most part, this Paper is relatively straightforward and unremarkable. The subject matter is not particularly complicated. If judges are to be as unbiased as possible, they cannot be tempted to adjust their decisions to conform with the views of the current majority in Congress ? lest they have their salary cut ...

U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit: Foundation does not qualify as church under tax laws

Posted on August 16, 2010
Foundation of Human Understanding v. United States, No. 2009-5129 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 16, 2010) | Google Viewer | The Foundation of Human Understanding (?the Foundation?), which describes itself as ?based upon Judeo-Christian beliefs and the doctrine and teachings of its founder, Roy Masters,? challenges a decision of the United States Court of Federal Claims that the Foundation did not qualify as a ?church? under section 170(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code (?I...

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Planned Parenthood abortion biz found improperly billing Medicaid in New Jersey

Posted on August 16, 2010
LifeNews: "The U.S. Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has uncovered a consistent problem with New Jersey-based family planning clinics run by the Planned Parenthood abortion business. They were found to be improperly billing Medicaid for services that did not qualify as family planning...

Poll: Majority of US Hispanics oppose abortion and same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on August 16, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "A majority of American Hispanics oppose abortion and gay 'marriage,' according to a new poll carried out jointly by the Spanish-language television network Univision and the Associated Press . . . Overall, 39 percent of Hispanics said abortion should be mostly legal, while polls of the general population indicate that approximately 46-54% of Americans think abortion should be legal...

First Rush, then Coulter, and now Glenn Beck . . . what?s happening?

Posted on August 16, 2010
John-Henry Westen writing at LifeSiteNews: "Appearing on The O?Reilly Factor yesterday, famed conservative Fox News host Glenn Beck may have shocked many Americans by noting that he was not very concerned about homosexual 'marriage.' See the complete 6 minute interview...

Malaysian state introduces Islamic currency

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "A Malaysian state's attempt to revive use of gold and silver coins common in early Islamic societies has run afoul of the country's central bank, which said Friday that local governments have no authority to issue their own currency...

The perils of ?wannabe cool? Christianity

Posted on August 13, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "Recent statistics have shown an increasing exodus of young people from churches, especially after they leave home and live on their own. In a 2007 study, Lifeway Research determined that 70% of young Protestant adults between 18-22 stop attending church regularly...

McCain says he doesn?t back 14th Amendment change

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "Breaking with Republican leaders in the Senate, U.S. Sen. John McCain says he is not requesting hearings into the constitutional amendment that grants automatic citizenship to babies born in the United States, and doesn't support changing the Constitution...

Questions and answers about BlackBerry objections

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "Some questions and answers about foreign countries planning to ban the use of BlackBerry's messaging and Web services: Q: Which countries are involved? A: India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have threatened to shut down some BlackBerry services in their respective countries...

Federal appeals court in NY rules against ACORN

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "A federal appeals court on Friday threw out a decision that had barred Congress from withholding funds from ACORN, the activist group driven to ruin by scandal and financial woes." | ACORN v. United States, Nos. 09-5172-cv (L); 10-0992-cv (CON) (2nd Cir...

?Log Cabin Republicans event to have Texas flair?

Posted on August 13, 2010
San Angelo Standard-Times: "A gay and lesbian group?s fall fundraising events will have a Texas flair, thanks to scheduled appearances by Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Sessions, who is in charge of House GOP fundraising, has agreed to speak at the Log Cabin Republicans 2010 National Dinner on Sept...

Target Stores negotiate with ?gay-lesbian group? over disputed political spending

Posted on August 13, 2010
Chicago Tribune: "The public demonstrations have died down, but the company is locked in closed-door negotiations with largest gay activist organization in the country, the Human Rights Campaign, which is demanding that the giant retailer make an equivalent or greater donation to groups supporting equal rights candidates...

R.R. Reno: Marriage natural and supernatural

Posted on August 13, 2010
R.R. Reno writing at First Things / First Thoughts: "As many have pointed out, over the last fifty years, the procreative dimension of human sexuality has dropped out of the popular view of the meaning and purpose of sex. In more subtle but equally important ways, decades of ideological assault on gender roles has hidden and diminished the differences between make and female...

The choice of children: The logic of same-sex ?marriage? and abortion

Posted on August 13, 2010
Matthew Lee Anderson writing at First Things / First Thoughts: "[T]he complex relationship of procreation, gender differences, and reproductive impulses that is heterosexual marriage exists 'pre-politically.' It is a relationship that only needs a man and a woman to exist, without any need for the surrounding society or its institutions, even while they might be interested in it...

ADF attorneys discuss court?s stay order in Prop 8 litigation

Posted on August 13, 2010
Daniel Blomberg on KTXL Fox 40 (Video) - MP4 4:37 mins | Sara Tappen on the Georgene Rice Show - MP3 10:02 mins | Jim Campbell with David Lazarus on 89.3 KPCC, S. Cal. Public Radio - MP3 4:19 mins | Jim Campbell on KMJ with Chris Daniel - MP3 8 mins | Jim Campbell on KGO -  MP3 4:59 mins.

Liberty Counsel files response to ACLU lawsuit against Personhood Mississippi Ballot initiative

Posted on August 13, 2010
Personhood Mississippi: "Liberty Counsel will file a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood in Hinds County, Mississippi Circuit Court today on behalf of Les Riley and Personhood Mississippi to prevent the voices of over 130,000 Mississippi voters from being silenced...

IN: Supporters OK with abortion law ruling

Posted on August 13, 2010
The News-Sentinel: "Although both sides are claiming victory, supporters of a law regulating an abortion provider and other out-of-town doctors practicing in Allen County say a judge's ruling upholds the bill's main purpose: to protect patient safety...

Stephen J. Heaney: A marriage tail

Posted on August 13, 2010
Stephen J. Heaney writing at Public Discourse: "If we accept the misdefinition of marriage using non-essential characteristics as the complete story, it would be impossible to reject same-sex marriage. Given the whole truth, however, it is impossible to accept it...

Lesbian cadet quits West Point, cites ?don?t ask?

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "A lesbian cadet asked to resign from the U.S. Military Academy because she said she can no longer lie about her sexuality and was troubled by the anti-gay attitudes of some around her."

US Muslims prep for Islamic holiday ? around 9/11

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "Eid al-Fitr, a joyous holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, this year falls around Sept. 11. Muslim leaders fear that their gatherings for prayer and festivities could be misinterpreted by those unfamiliar with Islam as a celebration of the 2001 terrorist strikes...

Court rules to allow Belgian clergy abuse inquires

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "A Brussels appeals court ruled Friday to allow an investigating magistrate to continue looking into alleged sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy, in cases that came to light after police seized documents, computers and data discs from the Belgian archbishop's residence in June...

?Judge doubts gay marriage ban?s backers can appeal?

Posted on August 13, 2010
Associated Press: "'We are confident we do have standing to seek the appellate review here, and we realize this case has just begun and we will get the decision overturned on appeal,' said [Jim Campbell], an Alliance Defense Fund lawyer who is part of the legal team defending Proposition 8...

?Christian legal group defies ABA on gay marriage?

Posted on August 13, 2010
Edge Boston: "'The fact that ADF and other lawyers disagree with ABA on a number of controversial issues demonstrates the gross inaccuracy of ABA?s claim that it speaks for the U.S. legal profession,' said ADF Senior Legal Counsel [Doug Napier], who has resigned from the ABA ...

Indiana: Court issues ruling on Fort Wayne abortion law, pro-lifers say victory

Posted on August 13, 2010
LifeNews: "Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing Allen County say the court order the judge issued denies most of abortion practitioner George Klopfer's motion to stop critical aspects of the new Patient Safety Ordinance. ADF tells LifeNews.com that means those provisions can go into effect and that the door is open for other Indiana counties to enact similar legislation...

What?s next for Proposition 8 case?

Posted on August 13, 2010
The Desert Sun: "David B. Cruz, a constitutional law expert and professor in the University of Southern California?s Gould School of Law, said the panel would have to consider if those pushing for Proposition 8 to remain in effect have the right to appeal the case in the first place ...

Scotland: Students criticise appointment of Roger Scruton for views on homosexuality

Posted on August 13, 2010
The Herald: "Professor Roger Scruton has been named quarter-time professorial fellow in moral philosophy and is due to take up his new role at St Andrews in the spring. But the decision has been criticised by the students? association who claim his views on homosexuality could create an 'uncomfortable' atmosphere for gay students...

State officials step aside for Prop. 8?s demise

Posted on August 13, 2010
Stateline.org: "The decision by the elected officials is significant, because they are the two named defendants in the underlying case. That means that if they don't decide to appeal, there may be nothing that supporters of Proposition 8 can do to stop the weddings from taking place ...

Attorneys: Calif. voters losers in Prop. 8 ruling

Posted on August 13, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund has already launched the process to send the appeal to the Ninth Circuit. ADF attorney Sara Tappen tells OneNewsNow that Walker's ruling is remarkable in light of the magnitude of the issue. 'It certainly does seem [that way],' she replies...

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