Religion & Law

Harvard Law Opens Applications to Juniors

Posted on May 17, 2013
National Law Journal: Harvard Law School has announced a pilot program under which Harvard undergraduates may apply and gain acceptance during their junior year, provided they agree to work for two years in between graduation and beginning their legal studies...

Gosnell Case Exposes Big Abortion for What It is

Posted on May 17, 2013
NC Register: As the trial of Kermit Gosnell exposed to the world the evil, ugly and indefensible truth of Big Abortion, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America (formerly National Abortion Rights Action League) were quick to throw him under the bus, applauding his conviction and implausibly blaming the pro-life community for Gosnell?s house of horrors...

Federal judge blocks Arkansas abortion law ? for now

Posted on May 17, 2013
AP: A federal judge granted a request Friday to temporarily block enforcement of a new Arkansas law that bans most abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy. | Edwards v. Beck, No. 4:13-cv-00224-SWW (E.D. Ark.)

Push to Treat Reproductive Rights as Fundamental Rights

Posted on May 17, 2013
Devex: The legislators called on heads of state gathering at both meetings in June to recognize family planning and sexual and reproductive health rights as ?fundamental? to gender equality and development. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development last week gathered over 50 parliamentarians from across the world to show a united voice in making sure the powerful clubs of wealthy countries talk about family planning during their meetings next month...

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Nevada resolution to redefine marriage heads to Assembly floor

Posted on May 17, 2013
Review Journal: A constitutional amendment that would let voters decide whether to legalize gay marriage passed another hurdle Thursday when an Assembly panel voted in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 13.

Nevada Assembly approves addition of gender identity to hate crimes bill

Posted on May 17, 2013
Washington Blade: The Nevada Assembly on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would add gender identity and expression to the state?s hate crimes law.

The ?Therapeutic Cloning? of Human Embryos | Samuel Aquila at NRO

Posted on May 17, 2013
Samuel Aquila at National Review: The embryos killed are the first class of victims; the second class of victims will be the rest of us.

?Puerto Rico Senate approves non-discrimination bill?

Posted on May 17, 2013
Washington Blade: The Puerto Rican Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping bill that would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and government services in the U.S. territory. The 15-11 vote took place after lawmakers for several hours debated Senate Bill 238 that Sen...

?Democrats look to President Obama on gay rights in immigration?

Posted on May 17, 2013
Politico: Senate Democrats are in such a bind over addressing gay rights under immigration reform that they?re turning to President Barack Obama for help.

Abortion Clinic Workers Blow Whistle on Abortion Doc Killing Babies Born Alive

Posted on May 17, 2013
LifeNews: Gigi Aguiliar, Deborah Edge, and Krystal Rodriguez came forward after receiving a postcard from Operation Rescue. The pro-life community has now connected them with attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, who helped them contact authorities in Texas...

?Is this still America?? Congressman asks IRS during hearing

Posted on May 17, 2013
Daily Mail: Texas Republican congressman Kevin Brady had the harshest criticism for Miller. ?Is this still America?' he asked him. 'Is this government so drunk on power that it would turn its full force, its full might, to harass, and intimidate, and threaten an average American who only wants her voice, their voices heard??

Washington Florist Countersues For Religious Right To Discriminate | Think Progress

Posted on May 17, 2013
Think Progress: The suit claims that Stutzman is entitled to religious conscience protections that allow her to ignore nondiscrimination protections, as ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt attempted to explain to WorldNetDaily . . .

Washington Florist Barronelle Stutzman Countersues State for Discriminating Against Her Religious Discrimination | Towerload

Posted on May 17, 2013
Towerload: ?In America, the government is supposed to protect freedom, not use its intolerance for certain viewpoints to intimidate citizens into acting contrary to their faith convictions,? said Alliance Senior Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt. ?Family business owners are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to live and work according to their beliefs...

IRS Commissioner Unsure if It?s OK Pro-Life Group Asked to Disclose Prayer Content

Posted on May 17, 2013
LifeNews: During intense questioning at a Congressional hearing this morning Rep. Aaron Schock asked acting commissioner Steven Miller if the IRS has asked a pro-life group about the content of its prayers.

?Washington Florist Who Refused To Supply Flowers For Gay Wedding Sues State? | On Top Magazine

Posted on May 17, 2013
On Top Magazine: Dale Schowengerdt, senior legal counsel with the ADF, said Stutzman had a right to refuse service based on her religious convictions. ?In America, the government is supposed to protect freedom, not use its intolerance for certain viewpoints to intimidate citizens into acting contrary to their faith convictions,? he said...

Florist Sues Washington AG Over Right to Discriminate | Baptist Joint Committee

Posted on May 17, 2013
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty: The counter suit, filed by an anti-gay-marriage group called Alliance Defending Freedom, argues that Ferguson?s suit is attempting to force Barronelle Stutzman to act contrary to her religious convictions in violation of her freedoms under the state constitution...

Richland florist, who won?t supply gay wedding, sues the state

Posted on May 17, 2013
Seattle Post Intelligencer: ?In America, the government is supposed to protect freedom, not use its intolerance for certain viewpoints to intimidate citizens into acting contrary to their faith convictions. Family business owners are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to live and work according to their beliefs,? said Dale Schowengerdt, senior legal counsel with the Arizona-based group...

Wash. florist sues state in gay wedding case | Seattle Times (AP)

Posted on May 17, 2013
Seattle Times (AP): Barronelle Stutzman of Arlene's Flowers claims the state is violating her religious beliefs. The Tri-City Herald reports that attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal ministry, filed the suit Thursday in Benton County Superior Court on behalf of Stutzman...

?Washington Florist Who Turned Away Gay Couple Countersues? | Gayopolis

Posted on May 17, 2013
Gayopolis: Whenever there's a lawsuit like this, scratch the surface and you'll find the odious Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund) behind it. One more thing to thank Arizona for.

Pope Francis to Hold Global Pro-Life Conference, Pro-Life Mass on June 16 | Life News

Posted on May 17, 2013
Life News: A number of Americans have helped plan this event including representatives from Priests for Life, the Pro-Life Secretariat of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Alliance Defending Freedom, Susan B. Anthony List, Students for Life of America, LiveAction, and Americans United for Life...

Congress Receives Irrefutable Evidence of IRS Harassment of Pro-Life Organizations

Posted on May 17, 2013
Today, the Thomas More Society offered over 150 pages of analysis and evidence to the House Ways and Means Committee about repeated IRS harassment of pro-life organizations.

School official thankful for ADF?s legal advice | One News Now

Posted on May 17, 2013
One News Now: Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jonathan Scruggs explains that as part of an assignment, their client created a pro-life poster that the principal ordered to be taken down after just one parent complained. But as the attorney notes, restricting speech based on one complaint is known in legal circles as a "heckler's veto...

IRS chief defends targeting of groups as ?obnoxious,? not illegal

Posted on May 17, 2013
The Hill: ?When you talk about targeting, that?s a pejorative term,? Miller said. Asked if the IRS's actions had been illegal, he responded: ?I don?t believe it is.? He then added of the behavior: ?I don?t believe it should happen.?

Richland florist sues state for violating her religious freedom | Tri-CityHerald

Posted on May 17, 2013
Tri-CityHerald:?Everyone knows that plenty of florists are willing to assist in same-sex ceremonies, so the state has no reason to force Barronelle to violate her deeply held beliefs,? attorney Dale Schowengerdt with Alliance Defending Freedom said in a statement...

?EU Survey Reveals Many Gays Live In Fear? on International Day Against Homophobia | AP

Posted on May 17, 2013
AP: The survey, released on the International Day against Homophobia, is important, she said, because "for the first time, we see how much fear there is still around."

The Common Good: Instrumental But Not Just Contractual | Robert P. George at Public Discourse

Posted on May 17, 2013
Robert P. George at Public Discourse: Is the fundamental and essential point of forming the polity the polity itself, or is the polity primarily a means of protecting and achieving many other valuable ends?

Arkansas Court Hears Argument on ?Human Heartbeat Protection Act? | Liberty Counsel

Posted on May 17, 2013
Liberty Counsel: Today the State of Arkansas defended the Human Heartbeat Protection Act against an ACLU motion for a preliminary injunction. Liberty Counsel is seeking to intervene on behalf of a crisis pregnancy center and also filed an amicus brief on behalf of the law...

U.S. House votes to repeal Obamacare, unanimous GOP support

Posted on May 17, 2013
The Hill: Only two Democrats sided with Republicans in the party-line 229-195 vote ? Jim Matheson (Utah) and Mike McIntyre (N.C.). All Republicans voted in favor of repeal.

Protestors derail ?gay pride? parade in Georgia

Posted on May 17, 2013
AP: Thousands of anti-gay protesters, including Orthodox priests, occupied a central street in Georgia's capital Friday, with some threatening to lash with stinging nettles any participant in a gay pride parade which was to take place there.

China: Tight state controls on religious education

Posted on May 17, 2013
Forum 18: China does not allow religious communities to run schools for children, even though regulations do not forbid the provision of religious education to minors. Nor is religious education provided in state schools. For students beyond school age, only state-approved religious groups affiliated with China's five state-backed monopoly faiths are allowed to apply to set up institutions for the study of their faith or training of clergy, Forum 18 News Service notes...

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