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Religion & Law

Blog From The Capital

Blog from the Capital is the weblog of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Baptist church-state separation advocacy group in D.C. for the last 70 years.

Post Frequency: 8.8/day

Last Entry: March 30, 2009 at 16:22:09

Early Returns on Dubois: Good Listener

Posted on January 30, 2009
Rob Marus of Associated Baptist Press reports on further reaction to the apparent selection of Josh Dubois to head up President Obama's faith-based office. Included in his piece are statements from Interfaith Alliance Director Welton Gaddy, as well as Baptist...

26-Year-Old Campaign Organizer to Lead Obama's Faith-Based Office

Posted on January 29, 2009
The NYTimes is reporting that Josh Dubois - the young preacher who organized Obama's religious outreach campaign - will head the administration's new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. One former Faith-Based Office leader offers praise...

Nashville Settles with Justice Department Over Religious Land Use Dispute

Posted on January 29, 2009
The city of Nashville, TN has settled a case with the Department of Justice over violation of the Religious Land Use and Fair Housing Acts in denying zoning approval for a Tenn Challenge substance abuse rehabilitation program. The obstinance of...

4th Circuit Rules in Favor of Religious School Discretion

Posted on January 28, 2009
A panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously sided with California Lutheran High School's right to expel students for (allegations of) homosexuality, despite California's law outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. Because the school has a religious affiliation,...

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Faith-Based Stimulus?

Posted on January 28, 2009
Religion Clause finds money in the pending stimulus bill that would go to faith-based organizations, and an amendment that would greatly increase the amount....

Discrimination Claims: A New Era of Assertiveness?

Posted on January 28, 2009
The marked increase in workplace religious discrimination claims has been a standard refrain for the last few years. Can the case be made that this is a positive development? A new Beliefnet piece argues just that, saying: a) the surge...

President Obama Appeals to "Muslim World", Calls For "Respect" Across Faiths

Posted on January 27, 2009
In an unprecedented move, President Obama granted his first sit-down interview with an Arab TV network in an attempt to communicate a new, respectful attitude toward the Muslim world. THE PRESIDENT: Now, my job is to communicate the fact that...

Judge Refuses to Halt Gold Mine Over Religious Objection

Posted on January 27, 2009
In a case echoing the Arizona Snowbowl dispute - recently appealed to the Supreme Court - a federal judge in Nevada has denied the Religious Freedom Restoration Act claim of the Shoshone tribe that a gold mining company violates their...

Church-State Principle vs. Pragmatism: Should We Worry About Obama?

Posted on January 26, 2009
Law professor Jonathan Turley writes in this morning's USAToday about his apprehension over President Obama's seeming "preference of practicalities over principles", especially in matters of church-state separation and faith-based funding initiatives...

The Bush Administration's "Insular" Approach to Church-State Matters

Posted on January 26, 2009
In the latest Report From the Capital, BJC Counsel Holly Hollman looks back at the church-state legacy of George Bush. In addition to the well-earned critique of his faith-based initiative in substance, she points to another important flaw I have...

Weekend Roundup: Florida Backtracks, Texas Evolution Battle, Daily Show Update, Gingrich Confounds

Posted on January 25, 2009
A NYTimes report notes that the Texas Education Board votes last week - turning back anti-evolution language in the science curriculum - also included changes that did not sit well with scientists. A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled a...

Controversial Minnesota School Sued for Church-State Violations

Posted on January 23, 2009
The ACLU has filed suit against Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, a charter school in Minnesota that emphasizes Middle Eastern culture and language. The publicly funded Academy has been the subject of complaints and one investigation, resulting in an official mandate...

Illinois Moment of Silence Law Ruled Unconstitutional

Posted on January 22, 2009
A federal judge yesterday made permanent the injunction against Illinois' Moment of Silence law, ruling it to be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The same judge had previously halted the law pending his decision....

Federal Judge Rules School's Long Hair Policy Unconstitutional

Posted on January 22, 2009
Judge Keith Ellison Tuesday struck down a Texas school district's policy banning boys from wearing long hair. The parents of 5-year-old Apache Indian argued that due to the religious significance of keeping hair uncut, the rule violated the Constitution...

By One Vote: Texas Committee Affirms Chamge in Science Standards

Posted on January 22, 2009
A committee of the Texas Board of Education earlier today narrowly defeated an effort to reintroduce anti-evolution language into the science curriculum. The Austin-American Statesman has more: The State Board of Education this afternoon rejected efforts to continue to require...

The Audacity of Rick Warren

Posted on January 21, 2009
In his ceremony-opening prayer yesterday, Pastor Rick Warren offered some inclusive gestures that I truly appreciated, but he may have undone them all in the end with a recitation of the Lord's Prayer, a "particularly Christian" text as Randall Balmer...

Inaugural Speech Offers Inclusive Vision of Faith in America

Posted on January 21, 2009
President Obama's Inaugural address made repeated reference yesterday to the diversity of Americans, including our religious diversity. I was especially glad to hear him couch that in terms that included those also who are not religious. We know that our...

Inauguration Prayer Watch...

Posted on January 19, 2009
Bishop Gene Robinson delivered the invocation to the "God of our many understandings" at yesterday's Inaugural concert event. Because Inauguration-related prayers have been in the news of late, here is the text to his....

Inauguration Blogging--Civil Rights Head Named

Posted on January 19, 2009
Posting has been light as I made my way to D.C. for the Inauguration festivities (still looking for the church-state ball...), but also trying to keep up with developments of a new administration that will impact religious liberty policy and...

Brent Walker: Inauguration Prayer OK

Posted on January 18, 2009
Writing at the Washington Post's On Faith site, BJC Director Brent Walker affirms the propriety of prayer at Tuesday's Inauguration. This long-standing tradition does not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause -- Michael Newdow's lawsuit notwithstanding...

Judge Rejects Newdow's Injunction Request in Inauguration Challenge

Posted on January 16, 2009
AP reports that federal judge Reggie Walton yesterday declined to enter an injunction halting prayers and the phrase "so help me God" from the Inauguration Tuesday. Walton said he didn't have the authority to order Obama not to say the...

New Louisiana Science Curriculum Guidelines Delete Church-State Protections

Posted on January 16, 2009
The National Center for Science Education has been following efforts to alter science curriculum guidelines in Louisiana. As usual in these controversies is an attempt by some to insert religion-based objections to the teaching of evolution. NCSE points to a...

Florida School District Changes Bible Distribution Policy

Posted on January 15, 2009
The Florida Baptist Witness reports that the school district of Collier County is discontinuing a practice that allowed the distribution of Bibles on Religious Freedom Day. This year, the district superintendent, Dennis Thompson, through the district's attorney, John Fishbane, said...

Federal Lawsuits Seek a Halt to Bush Administration's "Conscience Rule"

Posted on January 15, 2009
3 separate lawsuits - from plaintiffs that include 7 states, and several advocacy groups - were filed today in federal court seeking an injunction against the Bush Administration's last minute "conscience rule". The controversial policy recently issued by the Department...

ACLU Files Church-State Suit Over Catholic Funding

Posted on January 14, 2009
A Catholic Bishops program to minister to immigrant victims of sex trafficking and prostitution is being challenged for its use of taxpayer funds in promoting only efforts that are in line with the church's beliefs in the area of birth...

Religious Freedom Day

Posted on January 14, 2009
As expected, President Bush declared January 16, Friday, to be Religious Freedom Day. The date marks the anniversary of Virginia's Statute for Religious Freedom. You can read the proclamation here....

NY's Nativity Ban in Schools Challenged in City Council

Posted on January 14, 2009
New York's City Council is entering the annual December battle over the display of religious holiday symbols in public schools now that its Education Committee will take up a measure that would change city policy. Currently, schools may show some...

Priorities for a New Presidency

Posted on January 12, 2009
Americans United has prepared a list of 9 important church-state goals that should be on Barack Obama's list of things to do. Take a look!...

Supreme Court Declines City Council Prayer Case

Posted on January 12, 2009
Via Religion Clause, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined the appeal of Reverend Hashmel Turner in the case involving City of Fredericksburg's (VA) Council policy disallowing sectarian prayer to open their meetings. This leaves in place the 4th Circuit's ruling...

Louisiana Agrees to Stop Payments to 2 Churches

Posted on January 09, 2009
The ACLU has settled a case with the state of Louisiana, which has agreed to stop sending taxpayer money directly to churches. In 2007, a judge issued an injunction halting the earmarks....

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