Religion & Law

Personhood Mississippi responds to lawsuit against right to life and right to vote in Mississippi.

Posted on July 15, 2010
Personhood Mississippi: Personhood Mississippi responds to lawsuit against right to life and right to vote in Mississippi ACLU and Planned Parenthood attorneys have filed an injunction against the Mississippi Secretary of State, seeking to disallow Mississippi voters from voting on the Mississippi Personhood Amendment...

Police say prayer illegal on U.S. Supreme Court grounds

Posted on July 15, 2010
ADF attorneys send letter to Supreme Court officials urging them to allow constitutionally protected prayer outside court building

?Right-To-Die? Billboard Causes Uproar In N.J.

Posted on July 15, 2010
WCBSTV.com: The message on a billboard in New Jersey is stirring up a lot of controversy. It centers on whether a person suffering from a painful disease has the right to take his or her own life . . ."

Lack of commonsense interpretations of Constitution could advance tea party

Posted on July 15, 2010
Mark R. Weaver writes at the NewarkAdvocate.com: "America was founded as a haven for those fleeing government dictates about religion. The First Amendment was crafted as a mighty shield to protect that refuge. So it can only be called ironic that bureaucrats in California, aided by five Supreme Court justices, are wielding that amendment as a mighty sword to undercut the rights of citizens to organize a private campus group according to their beliefs...

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School aims to re-teach civics with focus on fait

Posted on July 15, 2010
AP: "Call it vacation Bible school, Glenn Beck-style. Some three dozen kids ages 10 to 15 are spending five nights this week learning what organizers ? some with tea party ties ? say they won't hear in school about the Constitution, the founding fathers and the role of faith in the birth of the United States...

Finance bill favors interests of unions, activists

Posted on July 15, 2010
Washington Times: "The financial reform bill expected to clear Congress this week is chock-full of provisions that have little to do with the financial crisis but cater to the long-standing agendas of labor unions and other Democratic interest groups...

NEA celebrates ?drag queen? teachers

Posted on July 15, 2010
One News Now: "At this year's meeting in New Orleans, the largest professional organization and labor union in the U.S. recognized a new caucus: the NEA Drag Queen Caucus."

Cal. State Chief Justice Ronald George to retire

Posted on July 15, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle: "Ronald George, California's chief justice since 1996 and author of the ruling that briefly legalized same-sex marriage in the state, said Wednesday he will retire in January - a surprise announcement that allows Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to choose his successor...

Uncertain Role for Female Shariah Judges in Malaysia

Posted on July 15, 2010
NY Times: "Women?s groups have applauded the recent appointment of two female judges to Islamic courts in Malaysia, but its significance is not yet clear: The new judges will have to wait a month before finding out whether they will be prevented from hearing certain cases ...

Dutch lawmaker forms anti-Islam group

Posted on July 15, 2010
AP: "An anti-Islam lawmaker in the Netherlands is forming an international alliance to spread his message across the West in a bid to ban immigration from Islamic countries, among other goals. Geert Wilders told The Associated Press . . . "

Texas Survey Shows Dissatisfaction With State School Board Curriculum Battles

Posted on July 15, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "Texas Freedom Network on Tuesday released the results of a state-wide survey conducted in May that showed most Texans want an end to the divisive curriculum battles that have been a part of the operations of the Texas State Board of Education ...

Court Rejects Religious Challenge To Social Security Numbers

Posted on July 15, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Hill v. Promise Hospital of Phoenix, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68884 (D AZ, July 7, 2010), an Arizona federal district court rejected plaintiff's complaints about federal laws that require him to provide a potential employer with a social security number ...

Court rules D.C. can deny vote on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on July 15, 2010
"D.C.'s highest court has ruled against opponents of the city's same-sex marriage law, saying they cannot ask voters to overturn it."

Case of dismissed Catholic professor is under review

Posted on July 15, 2010
CNS News: "Attorney Jordan Lorence told Catholic News Service July 14 that Howell's dismissal was wrong. Describing Howell's comments as conservative in nature, Lorence said they accurately reflected Catholic teaching and are protected under academic freedom standards...

UI grad student protests dismissal of instructor of Catholicism

Posted on July 15, 2010
News-Gazette.com: “A University of Illinois graduate student is protesting the dismissal of an adjunct professor from teaching classes on Catholicism . . . Howell is working with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian-based organization that “provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense and [...

Fired professor to teach the truth about homosexual acts in Introduction to Catholicism

Posted on July 15, 2010
GlossChile.com (Chilean news translated by Google): "A new sign of intolerance was recorded at the University of Illinois (United States) a few days ago a professor fired for teaching the Catholic doctrine on homosexuality which states that homosexual acts (and not the trend itself) violated the natural law ...

Casey Mattox: In Defense of the Future Farmers of America

Posted on July 15, 2010
Casey Mattox writes at the Christian Post Advancing Religious Liberty Blog (via Speak Up Movement):  "I have a skeleton in my closet. Two decades ago I did something that could have threatened my college education and all that has followed. In a moment of youthful indiscretion, I associated with a group - even attaining a high ranking leadership position - that, although I did not appreciate it at the time, placed my future at risk...

Teaching or Preaching

Posted on July 15, 2010
Inside Higher Ed: "In California, June Sheldon lost her job teaching science courses at San Jose City College after a student complained about Sheldon's discussion, in a class on heredity, of the causes of homosexuality. Sheldon was talking about the 'nature vs...

WA: State blinks in standoff over pharmacists? rights

Posted on July 15, 2010
WorldNetDaily: "Pharmacists and other health-care workers shouldn't be punished for looking out for their patients' health ? and for abiding by their beliefs," said Steven H. Aden, the senior legal counsel who worked on the case for ADF. "The pharmacy board was right in determining that facilitated referrals work to protect the patients' best interests and that, at the same time, pro-life pharmacists shouldn't be forced to violate their conscience...

Reid raises $19.2 million for re-election

Posted on July 15, 2010
AP: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has banked $19.2 million for his re-election campaign but will need to speed up his fundraising to reach his goal of hitting $25 million for the Nevada race."

Brief for 9 states backs Arizona immigration law

Posted on July 15, 2010
AP: "States have the authority to enforce immigration laws and protect their borders, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said Wednesday in a legal brief on behalf of nine states supporting Arizona's immigration law."

The Long Reach of Teachers Unions

Posted on July 15, 2010
"If you think it?s far-fetched to suggest that a teachers union could play the role of political kingmaker, think again. The largest political campaign spender in America is not a megacorporation . . . It?s not even a labor federation, like the AFL-CIO ...

GOP poised to grab control at state levels

Posted on July 15, 2010
Washington Times: "A record number of state legislatures could change party control this year, with Democrats at risk of losing their majorities in more than 20 state chambers, according to a comprehensive analysis."

GOP senators float amendment to stop Arizona lawsuit

Posted on July 15, 2010
The Hill: "Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.) and David Vitter (La.) said they would try to attach the language to small-business legislation set to be debated on the Senate floor next week."

Missouri fifth state to opt out of abortion coverage in state insurance exchange

Posted on July 15, 2010
The Hill: "The healthcare reform law allows states to exclude elective abortion coverage from being offered on the state health insurance exchanges due to begin operating in 2014. The legislation has exemptions for rare cases where the mother's life is in danger from 'a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury" including "a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself...

?Court Strikes Challenge to D.C. Gay-Marriage Law?

Posted on July 15, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "An attorney for the group asking for the initiative, Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund, said in a statement that the decision means district residents 'are being denied their most fundamental freedom?the right to vote.' Mr...

German university introduces Islamic theology degree

Posted on July 15, 2010
Europe News: "Frankfurt University is introducing a bachelor degree in Islamic studies, the first in Germany to teach Islamic theology using western academic methods, it said Thursday . . . "

Europe?s Backlash Against Islamization

Posted on July 15, 2010
Europe News: "Facing a precarious future, Europe has only just begun to reckon with increasing Muslim populations and Islamic extremism. If current demographic trends persist, Europe?s democratic secular foundations will be in serious jeapordy in about twenty five years...

NC: State House Probes Chamber Prayer Guidelines

Posted on July 15, 2010
NC News Network: "State House Speaker Joe Hackney has appointed a six-member bi-partisan panel to review prayer guidelines for the House and report their findings. The move comes after a minister from Forsyth County complained he was asked not to use the word "Jesus" in a prayer at the start of a House session earlier this year...

Webb will allow different faiths to pray at Jacksonville City Council meetings

Posted on July 15, 2010
Florida Times-Union: "Leaders of different faiths will be allowed to pray at the beginning of bi-monthly Jacksonville City Council meetings under a new, more inclusive policy outlined today by President Jack Webb."

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