Religion & Law

CT: Can Same-Sex Partner Claim Loss of Consortium?

Posted on July 12, 2010
Law.com: "It may sound like a sad but legally straightforward malpractice case. But an interesting appeal is expected in the coming months on an issue that lawyers say has never been taken up anywhere in the country. When Mueller died, she left behind her lifelong same-sex partner Charlotte Stacey, on whose behalf the malpractice lawsuit included a claim of loss of consortium...

Commercial Use of Part of Religious High School Not Protected By RLUIPA

Posted on July 12, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In New Life Worship Center v. Town of Smithfield Zoning Board of Review, 2010 R.I. Super. LEXIS 101 (RI Super. Ct., July 7, 2010), a Rhode Island trial court upheld the decision of a town zoning board to bar use of space in a high school operated by New Life Worship Center, a religious organization, for use as a commercial fitness center and dance studio ...

5th Circuit: Texas RFRA Supports Long Braids In School For Native American Boy

Posted on July 12, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In A.A. v. Needville Independent School District, (5th Cir., July 9, 2010), the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, held that the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects the right of a Native American kindergartner to wear his hair in two long braids...

UK: Christian foster carer wins legal case against Council

Posted on July 12, 2010
Christian Institute: A foster carer with 10 years? experience has won her legal battle this week after she was struck off when a Muslim girl in her care converted to Christianity.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Kagan?s responses to senators? written questions

Posted on July 12, 2010
Scotus Blog: "Today, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan returned answers to written questions for her submitted after her hearing by Republican Senators Coburn, Cornyn, Graham, Grassley, Kyl, and Sessions . . . "

Iowa AG still beating around the bush

Posted on July 12, 2010
One News Now: "Operation Rescue is raising questions about the Iowa attorney general's handling of a requested Planned Parenthood probe."

Critics: US too low-key on Islamic radicalism talk

Posted on July 12, 2010
AP: "The Obama administration's recent move to drop rhetorical references to Islamic radicalism is drawing fire in a new report warning the decision ignores the role religion can play in motivating terrorists. Several prominent counterterror experts are challenging the administration's shift ...

Ill. prof. fired for teaching about Catholic beliefs in class on Catholicism

Posted on July 12, 2010
"Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a letter Monday to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign officials on behalf of a popular, highly regarded professor who was fired for explaining the position of the Roman Catholic Church on human sexual behavior to members of his Introduction to Catholicism class...

Oil Spill Response is ?Stuck on Stupid?

Posted on July 12, 2010
Heritage Foundation Foundry Blog: "Ineptitude. Incompetence. Inattention. We heard these themes consistently as we traveled across the Gulf, but perhaps the best description came from a local Louisiana official who told our team that the federal response was ?stuck on stupid...

Elena Kagan?s final answers; Justice Ginsburg?s recent words

Posted on July 12, 2010
SCOTUS Blog: "The weekend began with what is expected to be the last set of documents from Elena Kagan before the vote on her confirmation: the Senate Judiciary Committee released her answers to post-hearing questions submitted by six of the seven Republican Senators ...

Michael C. Dorf: Cases on Arizona?s Immigrant-Investigation Law and the Defense of Marriage Act Show the Cross-Ideological Interplay Between Federalism and Individual Rights

Posted on July 12, 2010
Michael Dorf writes at Findlaw:  "Last week, two civil actions in federal district courts on opposite ends of the country illustrated our Constitution's cross-ideological interplay between federalism and individual rights. On Tuesday, the Justice Department filed suit in federal district court in Arizona, and sought a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of Arizona's S...

Faith In Freedom: Religious Groups Oppose Sectarian Invocations At N.C. Government Meetings

Posted on July 12, 2010
Sandhya Bathija writes at the Americans United for Separation of Church and State Wall of Separation Blog: "The two briefs were filed in the Joyner v Forsyth County case, a lawsuit in which Americans United and the North Carolina ACLU are challenging the commission?s sectarian bias...

Coming Soon To a Gulag Near You

Posted on July 12, 2010
Bill Muehlenberg writes at Virtue Online: "All around the world homosexual activists are working overtime to silence any opposition, and make sure that dissenters are rounded up and rendered voiceless and powerless. If not jail time or fines, they will do their utmost to get people fired from their jobs if they dare to differ on homosexuality ...

?Despite efforts, Obama can?t shake gay rights fights?

Posted on July 12, 2010
Virginian-Pilot: "With the new Pentagon survey under fire for its questions about open-bay showers and even its use of the term 'homosexual,' it is almost certain that Justice Department lawyers handling the Log Cabin case will be accused of asking insensitive or homophobic questions as they cross-examine witnesses...

University Of Illinois Adjunct Professor Fired For Homophobic Email Explaining How To Answer Question On Final

Posted on July 12, 2010
Lez Get Real: "Howell ran to the Alliance Defense Fund, a group that 'provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and traditional family values...

MD: Transgender seeks millions for ?distress? and damages

Posted on July 12, 2010
One News Now: "Montgomery County man who has made a physical change to the opposite gender has filed a lawsuit against his Maryland county for reaping 'emotional distress.' . . . "

SC: Spartanburg County Council prayers facing protest

Posted on July 12, 2010
GoUpState.com: "A local minister is trying to organize a 'silent protest' against Christian prayers before Spartanburg County Council meetings, and a local activist is asking a national group to take an interest in the situation."

Jeff Shafer: The Indoctrinating Power of Exclusion

Posted on July 12, 2010
. . . the exclusion of theological reference from public bodies and civic discourse not only trains the broader community into safely agnostic mental habits, it also creates a social environment leading religious adherents themselves to gradually doubt the objective truth or public relevance of their marginalized beliefs ...

Erik Stanley: The Blogging Bishop of Bridgeport

Posted on July 12, 2010
"The story is about Bridgeport, Connecticut Bishop William Lori, whom some have dubbed the 'Blogging Bishop of Bridgeport.' His story of how he motivated his congregation to action under a very real and ominous threat from the state legislature is amazing ...

Church of England paves the way for women bishops

Posted on July 12, 2010
AP: "The Church of England national assembly decided Monday that women should be allowed to become bishops, making only minor concessions to theological conservatives who have threatened to break away over the issue."

France denies citizenship to Muslim man

Posted on July 12, 2010
Europe News: "Moroccan man who refused to shake hands with a French female official and whose wife wears the full Islamic veil has been denied French citizenship . . . "

UK: Council tells schools to rearrange exams and cancel swimming for Ramadan

Posted on July 12, 2010
Telegraph: "Council bosses issued a document to all primary and secondary schools on how to avoid offending Muslim pupils who may still be fasting when the new term starts in September."

Jews reluctantly abandon Swedish city amid growing anti-Semitism

Posted on July 12, 2010
Europe News: "But as in many other cities across Europe, a rapidly growing Muslim population living in segregated conditions that seem to breed alienation has mixed toxically with the anger directed at Israeli policies and actions by those Muslims ? and by many non-Muslims ? to all but transform the lives of local Jews...

?Mormon church restates opposition to gay marriage?

Posted on July 12, 2010
Newsok.com: "Mormon church leaders have restated the faith's position on gay marriage to its members in Argentina, where the government is debating whether to legalize gay unions . . . "

Muslims seek to add holidays on NY school calendar

Posted on July 12, 2010
Reuters: "Muslim parents, students and civic groups are campaigning to add two of their religious holidays to the New York City public school calendar, pinning their hopes on state lawmakers after failing to win over Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the idea...

Hundreds of clergy set to leave Church of England over women bishops

Posted on July 12, 2010
Telegraph: "Leading Anglo-Catholic clergy warned that the failure to provide concessions to opponents of the historic reform would force many of them to defect to Rome. In a highly-charged debate at the General Synod, the Church?s parliament, members rejected a compromise deal put forward by the archbishops of Canterbury and York which would have averted a schism...

Senate Judiciary Committee Will Vote on Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan Next Week

Posted on July 12, 2010
LifeNews: "Republican senators decided today to use the right given under the Senate Judiciary Committee rules that allow any member of the committee to delay a confirmation vote by one week."

Anglican Congregations Ask Va. High Court to Reconsider Property Ruling

Posted on July 12, 2010
Christian Post:?'Today we filed a motion asking the Virginia Supreme Court to rehear a portion of its June 10 ruling that addressed whether CANA and ADV are in fact branches that divided from The Episcopal Church and Diocese of Virginia,' announced Jim Oakes, chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV), which is affiliated with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

Fired For Being Catholic?

Posted on July 12, 2010
Meghan Duke writing at First Things: "First Things has obtained a letter sent today by the Alliance Defense Fund to the University of Illinois on Dr. Howell?s behalf. ADF has charged the university with violating Dr. Howell?s First Amendment right, citing numerous cases where the Supreme Court has upheld the right and emphasized the value of university professor?s freedom to debate and share ideas...

FRC Responds to Flawed British Study on Fetal Pain

Posted on July 12, 2010
FRC: "The Family Research Council today released a new report that refutes claims made recently by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) that a fetus is not able to feel pain before 24 weeks of development. RCOG's study is being used to uphold Britain's current legalization of abortions up to 24 weeks ...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.