Religion & Law

India steps up demands for BlackBerry access

Posted on August 11, 2010
Reuters: "Indian demands are giving a new headache to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion after New Delhi threatened a shutdown that could affect one million of the smartphone's 41 million users."

Douglas Napier on Point of View Radio to discuss the Prop 8 ruling

Posted on August 11, 2010
ADF Attorney Douglas Napier appeared on Point of View Radio with Penna Dexter to discuss the Proposition 8 ruling. | MP3 10:31

Jordan Lorence on KFUO: The vindication of Dr. Kenneth Howell

Posted on August 11, 2010
ADF Attorney Jordan Lorence appeared on KFUO with Roland Lettner to discuss the case of Dr. Kenneth Howell. | MP3 23:39

Gary McCaleb on Federalist No. 76: The appointing power of the executive

Posted on August 11, 2010
ADF Attorney Gary McCaleb writing at Constituting America: "Federalist No. 76 recognizes that every government needs a stable of civil servants, who in turn must be secured for service with reasonable dispatch and with some assurance of quality. The paper plays off a consistent theme of our founding era?to balance each grant of authority (and concomitant power) with some restraint on the authority ...

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UK: Labour?s attack on Christian liberties

Posted on August 11, 2010
Dr. Martin Parsons writing at Conservative Home: "In the 2-3 years before the general election there was a significant move of practising Christians away from Labour and renewed interest in the Conservatives. However, as we will see later in this series of articles during the election itself the Conservative Party failed to seal the deal with many committed Christians ...

Jennifer Aniston: You don?t need a man to have a baby

Posted on August 11, 2010
Huffington Post: "Speaking at a Los Angeles press conference for her movie about artificial insemination, 'The Switch,' Aniston said that 'times have changed' along with the idea of the traditional family. So if that means having one without the man in the picture, that's okay...

Battle for Washington Supreme Court seat rallies LGBT, pro-abortion interests

Posted on August 11, 2010
Seattle Weekly: "The battle for the Washington Supreme Court seat held by Jim Johnson is rallying LGBT interests. Johnson famously wrote an opinion upholding the state legislature's ban on gay marriage . . . Johnson's challenger, Stan Rumbaugh, runs a small law firm in Tacoma that represents employees in workers'-comp disputes...

5th Circuit will hear ACLU?s arguments about single-gender classes

Posted on August 11, 2010
KATC (AP): "The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the ACLU's challenge of the single-gender programs at a Kaplan middle school."

Americans United, allies commend House Resolution on Texas School Board?s social studies standards

Posted on August 11, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "In a joint letter, Americans United and 22 other religious, educational and advocacy groups commended U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson for introducing a House resolution supporting academically sound curriculum development and criticizing the Texas State Board of Education for politicizing the state?s social studies standards...

Kelly Shackelford on Federalist No. 72 and the Office of the Executive

Posted on August 11, 2010
Kelly Shackelford writing at Constituting America: "Today, very little debate exists over the Twenty-second Amendment and executive term limits, though various members of Congress occasionally propose legislation to repeal the Amendment. Even now, two hundred years after President Washington stepped down after his second term, Americans generally accept the two-term limit as an adequate amount of time for a President to serve...

Turkey: Why state interference in the election of Chief Rabbi, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Patriarchs?

Posted on August 11, 2010
Forum 18: "Turkey continues to interfere in the choices made by the Jewish, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic communities of who should lead them, Forum 18 News Service notes. The government makes no attempt to hide this interference, which raises serious questions in relation to its international human rights commitments to allow religious communities to select the leaders of their choice...

Muslim call to prayer ?banned? in Tajik city ahead of Ramadan

Posted on August 11, 2010
Radio Free Europe: "Reports say authorities in Tajikistan's northern city of Panjakent in Sughd province have prohibited the 'adhan' via loudspeakers because they said it could cause confusion and disturbs the peace."

Imperial County appeals Proposition 8 ruling to 9th Circuit

Posted on August 11, 2010
Advocates for Faith & Freedom: "Today, San Francisco Federal District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional under both the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution. In doing so, Walker overturned California?s Proposition 8, which was passed by a majority of California voters in 2008...

Jordan Lorence on All Sides with Ann Fisher: Polygamy, witnesses and ideology in the Prop 8 ruling

Posted on August 10, 2010
ADF attorney Jordan Lorence appeared on All Sides with Ann Fisher to discuss the Proposition 8 ruling. | MP3 14:24 mins

Hundreds of Muslims attack church members in Indonesia

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Post: "Leaders of a church in West Java, Indonesia, demanded justice from police after a fifth attack from Muslim protesters left at least a dozen people injured Sunday."

Iran set to execute 18-year-old on false charge of sodomy

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Guardian: "An 18-year-old Iranian is facing imminent execution on charges of homosexuality, even though he has no legal representation. Ebrahim Hamidi, who is not gay, was sentenced to death for lavat, or sodomy, on the basis of 'judge's knowledge', a legal loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where there is no conclusive evidence...

UK: Tory teacher warned over homosexuality comments

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A teacher and former Tory candidate who said homosexuality is not the norm and Christians shouldn?t be penalised for their views has been given a written warning by his employer. Philip Lardner, who was dumped by David Cameron because of his opinions, intends to appeal against the warning for the sake of other teachers...

UK: Abortion provider offers its staff free terminations

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "One of Britain?s leading abortion providers is offering its employees free abortions as part of a highly controversial benefits package. The free abortions, which are also available to employees? partners and children, are part of the benefits package offered by Marie Stopes International (MSI)...

UK: Church charity to receive £5 million grant from gov?t

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A prominent Christian charity is set to receive £5 million in Government funds, which will be the largest public grant allocated to a church group in recent years. The Tablet, a Roman Catholic newspaper, has revealed that the Church of England?s Church Urban Fund is expected to receive the money later this year...

UK: Lib Dems to vote on ?same sex marriage? party policy

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "The Liberal Democrats will use their first party conference in Government to push a vote to make full 'same-sex marriage' official party policy. The motion also calls for the law to allow heterosexual couples to remain married if a transsexual spouse legally changes their sex by gaining a gender recognition certificate...

?Homosexual marriage? is real goal for Irish Greens

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Civil partnership legislation in Ireland is just a stepping stone to the Green Party?s real goal of full 'homosexual marriage', admitted John Gormley, the Minister for the Environment . . . Mr Gormley, the leader of the Green Party, told attendees at its Party for Partnership event that he welcomed the passing of the Bill but added 'tomorrow we continue the fight towards the final goal of full marriage equality'...

UK: Doc who assisted in suicide deemed fit to practice again

Posted on August 10, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A Scottish GP who prescribed sleeping pills to an elderly patient so that she could kill herself has controversially been declared fit to practice by a medical watchdog."

NY governor offers help moving ground zero mosque

Posted on August 10, 2010
Associated Press: "New York Gov. David Paterson is offering state help if the developers of a proposed mosque near ground zero agree to move the project farther from the site of the Sept. 11 attacks."

The future of Evangelicalism

Posted on August 10, 2010
Patheos: "A rapidly evolving tradition with deep historical roots, evangelicalism confronts abundant opportunities and abundant challenges. How will current movements within the church shape the face of American Christianity in the next ten years? What is the best way to influence culture while retaining the distinctive qualities of evangelical faith? How should evangelicals relate to other Christian traditions, and even non-Christian ones? How ought evangelicals to engage in politics? And how are evangelical ministries responding to the swiftly changing circumstances of life in the twenty-first century? Patheos has assembled an extraordinary collection of essays addressing these questions...

Hawaii Bar Association reconsiders rating rule

Posted on August 10, 2010
Hawaii News Now: "Judge Katherine Leonard's rejection for Chief Justice by the state Senate may be the catalyst for change at the Hawaii State Bar Association. 'What's under consideration now is that the HSBA, the state Bar, will provide some brief explanation of what led to the qualified or unqualified vote,' HSBA president Hugh Jones said...

Young Hispanics less likely to be Catholic, less likely to support abortion, less likely to support marriage redefinition

Posted on August 10, 2010
Associated Press: "An Associated Press-Univision poll finds that younger Latinos, as well as those who speak more English than Spanish, are much less likely to identify as Catholics than older Hispanics who mostly speak Spanish. The poll of 1,500 Latino adults also found significant divisions on social issues such as same-sex unions and abortion, along lines of age, language and whether one is Catholic or Protestant...

The college where ?Islam Meets America?

Posted on August 10, 2010
Family Security Matters: "Zaytuna College, which has attracted applications from Muslims throughout the world and substantial financial support from Saudi Arabia, is located in Berkley, California. With the motto 'Where Islam Meets America,' Zaytuna upholds the goal of cultivating Islamic scholars...

Israel bulldozes Muslim graves in Jerusalem

Posted on August 10, 2010
AFP: "The Islamic Movement accused the municipality of destroying more than 200 Muslim graves that had been recently renovated in a centuries-old cemetery in mostly Jewish west Jerusalem."

Plans to build massive Islamic centers raise concerns in Tennessee

Posted on August 10, 2010
Fox News: "As the Muslim population grows and their communities spread throughout the state, religious leaders say their places of worship must do the same, spurring the construction of mosques and the massive Islamic centers that host them in several Tennessee cities, including Murfreesboro, Memphis and Antioch...

Washington Post article: Converting to Islam today

Posted on August 10, 2010
Alison Lake, convert from Catholicism to Islam, writing at The Washington Post / On Faith: "This is a difficult time to be a convert to Islam. We all know how 9/11 changed the political and social landscape in America, and brought Muslims to the forefront of media coverage...

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