Religion & Law

Spanish television network fined ?100,000 for criticizing homosexuality

Posted on July 27, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Spain's socialist government has fined the Intereconomia television network 100,000 euros (130,000 USD) for running a series of advertisements that it claims 'attacks the dignity' of homosexuals."

Mothers to show Congress babies saved from abortions to help pregnancy centers

Posted on July 27, 2010
LifeNews: "Sponsored by Heartbeat International, the Heartbeat?s Babies Go to Congress campaign provides an opportunity on Capitol Hill for women to speak publicly about their gratitude for the pregnancy support they received when faced with an unexpected pregnancy...

12 Muslims fined for Malaysia Hindu temple protest

Posted on July 27, 2010
Associated Press: "A Malaysian court fined 12 Muslims on Tuesday and sentenced one of them to a week in prison for illegally protesting the construction of a Hindu temple and parading a severed cow's head."

Thorny Issue: ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell?

Posted on July 27, 2010
Diane Singer writing at BreakPoint: "'The small group of activists who are pushing to repeal "don?t ask, don?t tell" are conveniently ignoring the dramatic legal impact of the legislation upon the religious liberties of thousands of chaplains and service members,' said ADF litigation counsel [Daniel Blomberg]...

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Dr. Kenneth Howell update

Posted on July 27, 2010
The American Catholic: "The Alliance Defense Fund which is representing Dr. Howell, sent a letter to the University of Illinois on July 12, demanding his reinstatement. Read the letter here. The Alliance Defense Fund highlights the absurdity of this situation rather well with this statement: 'A university cannot censor professors? speech?including classroom speech related to the topic of the class?merely because certain ideas "offend" an anonymous student,' said ADF Senior Counsel [David French]...

?Remediation? required for graduate student who voices opinion on same-sex behavior

Posted on July 27, 2010
The United Families International: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys filed suit against the university on Keeton?s behalf on First Amendment grounds. According to ADF, university faculty said Keeton?s beliefs are unethical and incompatible with the counseling profession, saying it would hinder her 'ability to be a multiculturally competent counselor, particularly with regard to working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning populations...

Court: Professor has free-speech rights

Posted on July 27, 2010
OneNewsNow: "'Here we have a student trying to silence a professor under the guise of being -- quote -- "offended," whatever that means, and the professor was simply doing her job,' notes attorney [David Hacker] of the Alliance Defense fund (ADF), the legal alliance representing Sheldon...

SC: Woodruff council holds firm on prayers

Posted on July 27, 2010
Herald-Journal: "Officials from Spartanburg County and the cities of Woodruff and Aiken spent part of the afternoon discussing the matter with state Attorney General Henry McMaster and numerous attorneys aligned with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian organization, either in person or via conference call...

?Student sues university for right to be homophobic?

Posted on July 27, 2010
Chicago Pride: "'Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform,' said ADF Senior Counsel [David French]. 'This type of leftist zero-tolerance policy is in place at far too many universities, and it must stop.'"

Victory for academic freedom: ?Human Heredity? professor receives $100,000 settlement

Posted on July 27, 2010
FIRE: "Nearly three years after she was terminated over her protected classroom speech, the San José/Evergreen Community College District (SJCCD) has agreed to pay adjunct professor June Sheldon $100,000 in lost earnings in exchange for dismissal of her First Amendment lawsuit ...

Pro-life T-shirt censorship case to go to jury

Posted on July 27, 2010
First Amendment Center: "A dress-code dispute over an anti-abortion T-shirt will head to trial in late August, after a federal district judge said it was an open question whether officials prohibited a student from wearing her shirt with pictures of fetuses because of its viewpoint or because it was too graphic ...

TN: Judge urges Hawkins officials to seek attorney?s advice on Ten Commandments

Posted on July 27, 2010
Kingsport Times-News: "The Hawkins County Commission isn?t expected to consider approval of a ?Foundations of American Law and Government? display in the new Justice Center at least until its August monthly meeting . . . Hawkins County received a letter dated July 23 from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation claiming that the proposed display is unconstitutional and violates separation of church and state ...

Pro-life concern at new appointments to Irish Supreme Court

Posted on July 27, 2010
Pat Buckley: "Pro- Life groups in Ireland have expressed both dismay and deep concern at the new shape of the Irish Supreme Court given the recent nomination of High Court judge Justice Liam McKechnie, to the Court, to replace Justice Hugh Hugh Geoghegan, who retired recently...

Ireland has EU?s highest birth rate

Posted on July 27, 2010
Irish Times: "Ireland had both the highest birth rate and the lowest death rate in the European Union in 2009, according to new figures from Eurostat. Overall, Ireland recorded the highest natural growth in population among member states, but was also responsible for the biggest net outflow of people...

ME: Portland Planning Board to hear comments on a small mosque

Posted on July 27, 2010
WCSH6: "The Portland Planning Board is expected to give final approval tonight to the establishment of a mosque on Washington Ave."

Proposal to add churches sows conflict in Southern Calif. vineyards

Posted on July 27, 2010
Scripps News: "Winery owners are concerned about plans before the Riverside County Planning Commission to open the door for more places of worship in the 12-square-mile region. They fear more churches will make it harder to protect vineyards with pesticides or obtain licenses to serve alcohol...

Christian counseling student sues to stay in school

Posted on July 27, 2010
Aolnews.: "'The university has told Jennifer Keeton that if she doesn't change her beliefs, she can't stay in the program,' [David French], senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, told FoxNews.com. 'She won't even have a chance to counsel any students; she won't have a chance to get a counseling degree; she'll be expelled...

Adventists monitoring possible Sunday business-closing law in Europe

Posted on July 27, 2010
Adventist News Network: "Seventh-day Adventist religious liberty proponents are monitoring a proposal from a European Parliament member who wants businesses in Europe to close their doors on Sundays. Parliament member Martin Kastler of Germany is urging for the passage of continent-wide laws similar to those of his home country, which encourage employees to take a day off work to be with their families, the New York Times reported ...

?Student claims University tried to force her into accepting gay ?lifestyles??

Posted on July 27, 2010
Care2 / Defend Civil Rights: "Representing Keeton is the Alliance Defense Fund, a self described Christian legal group that frequently takes on cases involving religious freedom of speech: 'In a news release announcing the lawsuit against Augusta State, [David French], senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said: "A public-university student shouldn't be threatened with expulsion for being Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that's exactly what's happening here...

David French: A disappointing ruling in Michigan

Posted on July 27, 2010
ADF Attorney David French writing at Speak Up Movement / University: Late yesterday afternoon we received word that the federal district court granted the university?s motion for summary judgment dismissing Julea Ward?s case against officials from Eastern Michigan University...

U.S. District Court grants EMU summary judgement in Julea Ward case

Posted on July 27, 2010
Media Newswire: "The court ruled in EMU's favor and dismissed all claims brought by Ward and the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom. 'We are pleased that the court has upheld our position in this matter,' said Walter Kraft, vice president for communications at Eastern Michigan University...

Kan. medical board files complaint over abortions

Posted on July 27, 2010
Associated Press: "A Kansas doctor who provided second opinions for a late-term abortion provider who was gunned down last year could face disciplinary action from a state medical regulatory board."

Western Climate Initiative offers cap-and-trade

Posted on July 27, 2010
Associated Press: "A coalition of seven western states and three Canadian provinces on Tuesday offered its most detailed strategy yet for controlling greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change, saying they hope it will stand as a model for national systems in the United States and Canada...

Scotland: Sex offender fails to overturn pornography ban

Posted on July 27, 2010
The Courier: "Martin Miller (26), previously jailed for stalking a 12-year-old girl, believes the ruling breaches his human rights as it interferes with his 'fundamental freedom.' Papers launched at Perth Sheriff Court claim the ban impinges on his rights as set out in the European Convention ...

?Anti-gay EMU social-work student loses appeal?

Posted on July 27, 2010
Detroit Free Press: "Lawyers for a national religious liberty group said they plan to appeal a federal judge?s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a former Eastern Michigan University graduate student who said she was kicked out of a master?s program because she refused on religious grounds to counsel a homosexual client...

ADF to appeal ruling that allows Eastern Michigan U. to expel Christian students for holding to beliefs

Posted on July 27, 2010
University banished graduate counseling student for not affirming homosexual behavior

Canada: ?Children of same-sex couples experience their families in different ways?

Posted on July 27, 2010
The Vancouver Sun: "The children of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual parents have been dubbed the 'gayby boom.' . . . Statistics Canada tallied more than 45,000 same-sex couples in Canada in 2006, of which 7,465 were married. Same-sex couples represented 0...

NYC police to increase mosque patrols during Ramadan holiday for 800,000+ Muslims

Posted on July 27, 2010
Bloomberg: "The New York City Police Department will increase foot patrols at mosques during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting that begins in August, as hate crimes against Muslims have increased from last year."

Democrats fail to stop filibuster against DISCLOSE act pro-life groups oppose

Posted on July 27, 2010
LifeNews: "Democrats failed on Tuesday to get enough votes to stop a republican filibuster against the DISCLOSE Act. That's the campaign finance reform bill pro-life groups oppose because they say it would place stringent limits on their ability to communicate to the public about legislation and elections...

University of Alabama officials arrest demonstrators for holding pro-life signs on the public campus

Posted on July 27, 2010
ChristianNewsWire: "UAB administrators ordered the young people off of the campus claiming that the public university was actually 'private property.' When Kristina Garza, Survivors' new Campus Life Tour director, asked the UAB administrator what right he had to order the group off of public property, the UAB official refused to speak with Garza and would not even provide his name...

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