Religion & Law

Israeli President Receives Fruits and Vegetables In Honor of Shavuot

Posted on June 08, 2008
Tonight is the start of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot-- both a harvest festival and a celebration of the receiving of the Ten Commandments. Today's Jerusalem Post reports that on Thursday a delegation from the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association presented Israeli President Shimon Peres with four baskets of fruits and vegetables...

Website Allows "Raptured" To E-Mail Their Friends

Posted on June 08, 2008
Today's Christian Post reports on a new website, YouveBeenLeftBehind.com. The site, designed for those who believe that the Rapture will physically lift them to heaven, allows subscribers to send pre-written e-mails to up to 62 people six days after the Rapture...

Bahrain Nominates Jewish Ambassador To U.S.

Posted on June 08, 2008
Reuters reports today that the Muslim country of Bahrain has nominated a Jewish woman to be its ambassador to the United States. Houda Nonoo is one of only about 35 Jews who live in Bahrain. She will be the first Jewish ambassador from a modern Arab nation...

Egypt Outlaws Female Circumcision

Posted on June 08, 2008
M&C, as well as Australia's Herald Sun, report that yesterday Egypt's Parliament passed legislation-- effective immediately-- outlawing female circumcision (except in cases of medical necessity). Members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement complained that the new legislation-- part of a children's rights law-- "contradicts with the Islamic jurisprudence and is brought from the West...

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OMB Watch Encourages Birght-Line Rule For Church Involvement In Politics

Posted on June 08, 2008
The non-profit group OMB Watch in a June 3 press release says it is encouraging the Internal Revenue Service to draft "a bright-line rule that unambiguously defines prohibited political intervention activities for charities and religious organizations...

Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act

Posted on June 08, 2008
The Tulsa World reports that Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry on Friday vetoed HB 2633, the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act [full text Word doc]. The bill allowed students to express religious viewpoints in school without discrimination and provided that they could include religious content in classwork and homework assignments...

IRS Revokes Non-Profit Status of Two Religious Groups

Posted on June 08, 2008
In Announcement 2008-51 (June 2, 2008), the Internal Revenue Service announced the revocation of non-profit 501(c)(3) status for several organizations. Included were two religious groups: America?s Faith Centered Education Foundation, Inc. of Sandy, Utah and Prayer Works of Branson, Missouri.

District Court Refuses To Dissolve Injunction In InnerChange Case

Posted on June 08, 2008
Last year in a widely publicized decision the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a government funded, faith-based inmate rehabilitation program operated in an Iowa prison by InnerChange violates the Establishment Clause. (See prior posting.) Since the Iowa Department of Corrections has now terminated its contract with InnerChange, the program has ceased operation in Iowa, and InnerChange has paid back to the state all funds that the court had ordered it to return, in April the defendants in the case asked the federal district court to dissolve the injunction that had been issued...

Yeminis Argue Over Creation of Religious Police Force

Posted on June 07, 2008
In Yemen, Islamists led by Sheikh Abdulmajeed al Zindani have asked President Ali Abdullah Saleh to create a 25-member national committee for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice. Abu Dhabi's The National reports today that representatives of civil society organizations at the al Jawi Forum in Sana'a last week opposed the idea...

Ohio Supreme Court: Church Gets No Exemption For Property Acquired Mid-Year

Posted on June 07, 2008
In Sylvania Church of God v. Levin, (OH Sup. Ct., May 28, 2008), the Ohio Supreme Court held that a church could not obtain a tax exemption for property it acquired mid-year. An exemption is available for the year only if the property is owned by the applicant and used for an exempt purpose on January 1 of the year in question...

Falun Gong In New York Have Been Attacked

Posted on June 07, 2008
Yesterday's Epoch Times reports that adherents of Falun Gong in Flushing, New York met this week with representatives of the New York Police Department to discuss physical and verbal attacks that have been directed at the Falun Gong. The paper says that China has spread false rumors, through its state-controlled media in the United States and in China, that Falun Gong practitioners have been blocking donations from getting to earthquake victims in Sichuan Province...

10th Circuit Rejects Trademark Claims By Group Formed To Critique LDS Church

Posted on June 07, 2008
In Utah Lighthouse Ministry v. Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, (10th Cir., May 29, 2008), the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected trademark infringement, unfair competition and cybersquatting claims brought by a group founded to critique the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

Ohio Library Sued For Denying Meeting Room For Relgious Program

Posted on June 07, 2008
Today's Cincinnati Enquirer reports that last Wednesday a federal lawsuit was filed against the Clermont County (Ohio) Public Library by George and Cathy Vandergriff and the Institute for Principled Policy who were denied use of a library meeting room to present two days of Biblically-based financial planning workshops...

Jury Verdict Against Islamic Charity Officials Overturned

Posted on June 07, 2008
A federal judge in Boston last Tuesday overturned a jury's tax conspiracy verdict handed down in January against officers of a former Islamic charity. In the case, the government had charged that three defendants withheld information about Care International's support of jihad and mujaheddin in various countries when they applied for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for Care International...

Illinois Mayor Vetoes Settlement Of Zoning Dispute

Posted on June 06, 2008
The mayor of Carlinville, Illinois has vetoed City Council's 5-4 approval of a mediated settlement in a zoning controversy with the Carlinville Southern Baptist Church. Yesterday's Alton (IL) Telegraph reports that the settlement would have allowed the use of an old Wal-Mart building, zoned for commercial use, as a church...

Ohio Supreme Court Holds Relatives May Not Claim Autopsy Specimens

Posted on June 06, 2008
The Canton Repository reports that, in a decision with implications for those whose religious beliefs require burial of all body parts, the Ohio Supreme Court yesterday held that a decedent's next-of-kin has no right to receive back autopsy specimens...

Turkey's Constitutional Court Invalidates Constitutional Changes On Headscarves

Posted on June 06, 2008
Hurriyet reported yesterday that Turkey's Constitutional Court has struck down constitutional amendments adopted in February designed to lift the ban on wearing of Muslim headscarves at universities. (See prior posting.) By a vote of 9-2, the court held that the provision in Article 2 of the country's Constitution providing that Turkey is a secular and democratic state is, according to Article 4 of the Constitution, unamendable...

California Prisons Short On Jewish Chaplains To Implement Lawsuit Settlement

Posted on June 06, 2008
In 2003, the state of California settled a class action lawsuit brought by an Orthodox Jewish prisoner seeking kosher food while in prison. As part of the settlement, the state agreed to make good-faith efforts to have kosher food available in all of its 33 prisons by 2006...

Illinois Village Sets Guidelines For Invocations

Posted on June 06, 2008
The Carpentersville, Illinois Village Board last Tuesday adopted guidelines for invocations that it had previously voted to include at Board meetings. Yesterday's Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald reports that the invocations may be delivered by a recognized leader of any faith or belief...

Saudi King Opens Muslim World League Conference

Posted on June 06, 2008
The London Guardian reported yesterday that earlier this week Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah opened a 3-day meeting of the Muslim World League in Mecca. Abdullah hopes the Conference will create greater unity among various Muslim schools of thought as a prelude to discussions with Jewish and Christian leaders...

Turkish Theologians Sue To Change Name of Fashion Designer's Company

Posted on June 05, 2008
In Turkey, two liberal theologians have brought a lawsuit against the country's most famous Islamic clothes designer to force him to change the name of his company. London's Independent reports today on the lawsuit filed by Ilhami Guler and Suleyman Bayraktar against Mustafa Karaduman who has become known as "Allah's tailor"...

Texas School Principal Sanctioned Over Student Assembly About Islam

Posted on June 05, 2008
In Friendswood, Texas, near Houston, Friendswood Junior High School principal Robin Lowe has been moved out of her job into another position because of a school assembly at which 7th and 8th graders heard a presentation about Islam from two representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations...

Jordan Summons Danes In Effort To Create International Blasphemy Law

Posted on June 05, 2008
Jordan's Public Prosecutor has summoned Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and the editors of ten Danish newspapers to appear in Jordan to answer charges of blasphemy and threatening the national peace because of an offensive cartoon of Muhammad reprinted in Danish newspapers earlier this year...

Snoqualmie Lawsuit Claims Member Ousted For Religious Reasons

Posted on June 05, 2008
Yesterday's SnoValley Star reports that nine members of the Snoqualmie Tribe of Indians who were banished by the tribe's new government have filed suit against the Tribe in federal district court in Washington state. Plaintiffs claim the banishments violate the Indian Civil rights Act, the Tribe's constitution and various provisions of the U...

Volunteer Pastor Is "Professional" Under California Sex Abuse Law

Posted on June 05, 2008
In People v. Bautista, (CA Ct. App., June 3, 2008), a California appellate court held that a lay pastor could be convicted under a California Penal Code Sec. 289(d) that outlaws sexual penetration of a victim who was not aware of the essential characteristics of the act because of the perpetrator's fraudulent representation that the sexual penetration served a professional purpose...

California University Lets Quaker Attach Explanation To Loyalty Oath

Posted on June 04, 2008
California State University at Fullerton has agreed to allow a Quaker instructor to attach an addendum to California's requied loyalty oath. Yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Wendy Gonaver, a lecturer in American studies who was terminated last fall when she refused to sign the oath, has now reached an agreement with the University after negotiations on her behalf by People for the American Way...

Algerian Actions Against Christian Conversionary Activity Continues

Posted on June 04, 2008
Yesterday's Christian Post reports that in Algeria, four Christians charged with attempting to convert Muslims have received suspended prison sentences and fines. Tuesday's court decision stems from charges under a 2006 law that prohibits attempting to convert Muslims and also requires non-Muslim activities to take place only within churches...

New Anti-Evolution Strategy Emerging In Texas Education

Posted on June 04, 2008
Today's New York Times carries an analysis of developments in Texas regarding public school science curriculum. The article titled "Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy" says that language already in the science standards, calling for the teaching of the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution, has become the focus of debate...

New Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism Created

Posted on June 04, 2008
In Moraga, California yesterday, Saint Mary's College announced the opening of its new Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism. The Center's goal is to broaden the dialogue about religion, politics, and public policy to include participants from many different belief systems that are typically not involved in public debate on these issues...

FLDS Proceedings Costly To State; Investigations Continue

Posted on June 04, 2008
CNN reported yesterday that it has cost Texas well over $7 million to remove FLDS children from the YFZ Ranch, litigate the case and eventually return the children. The state spent $5.2 million to provide food, shelter and counseling (mostly employee overtime and transportation...

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