Religion & Law

Jim Campbell on the radio: A Government of the people, by the people, and for the people? More than marriage at stake

Posted on June 21, 2010
ADF attorney Jim Campbell appeared on a couple of programs last week to discuss the marriage battle. | The Roland Lettner Show : MP3 24 mins | AFR Focal Point with Bryan Fischer : MP3 11 mins

NY?s Kingsborough Comm. College finds another way to restrict student speech

Posted on June 21, 2010
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent Kingsborough Community College officials a letter Monday calling upon them to end an unconstitutional policy that allows a faculty advisor to cancel a student organization?s event and silence its message by simply not showing up for the event.

Irish gov?t must introduce legislation recognizing ?transgendered? status

Posted on June 21, 2010
RTE News: "The Government has dropped its challenge to a High Court declaration that Irish law on transgender rights is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government must now introduce legislation recognising the new gender of transgender persons and allowing them to obtain new birth certificates or it will face condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights...

Obama Fatherhood Proclamation Mentions Families with ?Two Fathers?

Posted on June 21, 2010
CNSNews: ?'Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a stepfather, a grandfather, or caring guardian,' the proclamation reads."

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MN: All candidates, except Tom Emmer, support same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on June 21, 2010
Minnesota Independent: "Same-sex marriage advocates think 2010 is their best chance yet to realize equality for gay and lesbian people. But a key factor will be who ends up occupying the governor?s mansion after Tim Pawlenty moves out ? and whether he or she supports Minnesota joining the five other states and Washington, DC...

Sex offender asks N.H. high court to OK church attendance

Posted on June 21, 2010
First Amendment Center (AP): "A New Hampshire sex offender on probation is asking the state?s highest court to allow him to go to church with a chaperone. The case of Jonathan Perfetto marks the first time the New Hampshire Supreme Court has been asked to rule whether a probation condition that effectively bars church attendance violates constitutional rights to religious freedom...

Austria: Man hoarded a million child porn pictures

Posted on June 18, 2010
Breitbart (AP): "The bureau said the material?confiscated during a search of the man's home?shows children under the age of 14, including babies, being sexually abused. Some of the scenes are violent, it said . . . The man, currently in pretrial detention, is also alleged to have sexually abused two young daughters of a Thai woman who lived with him for a while ...

Hindus urge Western Australia Legislative Council to rotate prayer among religions apologizes to upset Hindus

Posted on June 18, 2010
OneIndia.in: "Currently, President of the Council reads same two-part prayer every sitting day. One part of the prayer is 'Lord's Prayer', a well-known prayer in Christianity, while the other part besides other things, seeks the advancement of 'the honour of Her Majesty'...

Massachusetts to get pro-life plates

Posted on June 18, 2010
Boston Globe: "The new 'Choose Life'? plate, which features an illustration of a woman cradling an infant, becomes one of 18 Massachusetts tags that provide publicity and funding for causes, including breast cancer research, youth hockey, and environmental preservation...

NYC Department of Education proposes to suspend students that are caught ?sexting?

Posted on June 18, 2010
NY Daily News: "Public school kids soon should think twice before pulling out their cell phones: The city Education Department is set to ban 'sexting' - even on students' own time. Under proposed new rules, kids face suspensions of up to 90 days for texting each other suggestive pictures or notes, even outside school hours...

Radical Muslim preacher banned from entering UK

Posted on June 18, 2010
Reuters: "Britain on Friday banned from entering the country an Indian preacher who has expressed radical views about Islam, including some that appear to justify acts of terrorism."

Texas Education Board Passes Social Studies, Upholds Religious Freedom

Posted on June 18, 2010
PR-USA.net: "Today, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) voted 9-5 to complete its review and updating of social studies educational standards for the state, as scheduled for K-12 courses, except for the Economics standards, which passed by a unanimous vote, 14-0 (one abstention)...

Fathers Who Are Husbands Spare Children from Poverty

Posted on June 18, 2010
Heritage Foundation Morning Bell: "'The principal cause of child poverty in the U.S. is the absence of married fathers in the home,' Robert Rector, senior research fellow in domestic policy studies at The Heritage Foundation, writes in a new paper. 'Marriage is a powerful weapon in fighting poverty...

Tulsa, OK: Council adds sexual orientation to city?s nondiscrimination policy

Posted on June 18, 2010
Tulsa World: "The City Council voted 6-3 on Thursday to add sexual orientation to the city?s personnel nondiscrimination policy. The action adds sexual orientation to the list of protected classes, which now are race, color, sex, religion, political beliefs, national origin, age, ancestry and disability ...

ABA Asks High Court To Take Judges? Pay Raise Suit

Posted on June 18, 2010
Forbes: "The ABA filed a brief Monday arguing that Congress' periodic withholding of the judicial cost-of-living increases has resulted in compensation that is 'now so low that it seriously compromises the independence that life tenure was intended to ensure, and is insufficient to attract and retain well-qualified jurists from diverse economic and societal backgrounds...

?Gay, straight federal workers benefit from new leave policy?

Posted on June 18, 2010
Washington Post: "Unlike recent changes to federal personnel policy that apply only to same-sex partners, the changes also apply to opposite-sex domestic partners. The policy change -- published in Monday's Federal Register -- is part of reforms ordered last year by President Obama when he extended fringe benefits to the same-sex partners of gay federal workers...

UK: Ofsted blasted over call for home ed clampdown

Posted on June 18, 2010
The Christian Institute: "A controversial Ofsted report on home education has been slammed by the new Chairman of the influential House of Commons Education Select Committee. Conservative MP Graham Stuart said comments made by Ofsted?s chief inspector Christine Gilbert defending the report were 'deeply concerning'...

Soccer official stops Wayne Rooney from sharing too much about his faith

Posted on June 18, 2010
Christian Today: "According to the Sydney Morning Herald, England striker Wayne Rooney was prevented from sharing more about his faith as he answered a question in an off-camera briefing about why he wears a cross and rosary beads around his neck outside of official matches...

Serbia: Inter-Religious Council established

Posted on June 18, 2010
B-92: "A news conference at the Palace of Serbia announced that the council's mission is affirming religious freedom and culture, as well as reviewing and interpreting tendencies of public life in the country. . . . Minister of Religion and Chairman of the newly-set Council Bogoljub ?ijakovi? said that the tasks of the body include giving public statements regarding the most important social issues, organizing scientific conferences, panels, round tables, and affirming citizens to practice religious freedoms and contribute to the community by developing their religious identity...

Radical Islamist Group Is Returning to Chicago for Major Recruitment Drive

Posted on June 18, 2010
Fox News: "They're back. A radical Islamist group critics say has links to Al Qaeda is gearing up to host its second annual U.S. recruiting event. The group, Hizb ut-Tahrir America, which is committed to establishing a caliphate, or international Islamic empire, kicked up controversy in Chicago last year with its first U...

Catholics Defend French Cathedral de Lyon During Homosexual ?Kiss-In?

Posted on June 18, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "The homosexuals reportedly came on the eve of the 'World Day Against Homophobia' in May to kiss each other in front of the cathedral, presumably in protest against the Catholic Church's 2,000-year-old condemnation of homosexual sex acts...

Netherlands: Sharp growth in euthanasia deaths

Posted on June 18, 2010
Dutch News: "The number of reported deaths by euthanasia rose 13% last year to 2,636, following an increase of 10% in 2008, the NRC reports, quoting figures due to be published at the beginning of July."

Ireland: Ministers dismiss bishops? claims on civil partnership

Posted on June 18, 2010
Irish Times: "A spokesman for Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said he had stated time and again that the Bill has been carefully drafted, on the advice of the Attorney General, to ensure that it does not undermine the constitutional position of marriage...

Gary Bauer: The abortion debate needs to include the forgotten fathers

Posted on June 18, 2010
Gary Bauer writes at the Christian Science Monitor: "Anti-abortion advocates have long contended that abortion produces two victims: the unborn child, and his or her mother, who, a mounting body of research affirms, risks physical and emotional injury...

Irish Senators criticize Civil Partnership Bill

Posted on June 18, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Irish Senators have spoken out strongly against a Civil Partnership Bill which could see registrars sent to prison if they refuse to carry out same-sex civil partnerships. The Irish Bill goes even further than UK legislation on civil partnerships as it lays out fines of up to ?2,000 and/or up to a six month jail term for those who flout it...

FL: Crist opposed to same-sex adoption ban

Posted on June 18, 2010
Sunshine State News: "Gov. Charlie Crist clarified on Thursday that he thinks judges ought to be allowed to decide on a case by case basis whether gay couples can adopt children rather than continuing a statewide ban, the only one in the nation."

IL: Collinsville bans ?stripper-mobiles?

Posted on June 18, 2010
Suburban Journals: "The Collinsville City Council last week banned advertising from mobile platforms in the city. The ordinance is largely intended to limit so-called 'stripper-mobiles,' or trucks with glassed-in portions where half-clothed dancers perform...

Lawsuit Seeks Order Forcing Canadian Blood Services to Accept Blood from Homosexuals

Posted on June 18, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "A court battle is brewing between the Canadian agency in charge of collecting blood donations and an active homosexual that could result in a court decision that removes the ban on homosexuals giving blood. Canada Blood Services (CBS), which collects, screens and ensures the safety of the blood supply, sued homosexual Kyle Freeman last fall after he admitted he lied in the pre-donation screening process and gave blood despite the lifetime ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) giving blood...

House Democrats Cancel Vote on Disclose Act Opposed by Pro-Life Groups

Posted on June 18, 2010
LifeNews: "House Democratic leaders canceled a planned vote for today on the DISCLOSE Act, campaign finance legislation pro-life groups oppose because it would place stringent new limits on their ability to operate. They say the limits would curtail communications on legislation and politicians' voting records...

OH: Charges filed after raid at Clermont strip club Déjà Vu

Posted on June 18, 2010
Cincinnati Enquirer: "Thirteen dancers and three managers at the Déjà Vu strip club in Clermont County face charges ranging from prostitution to illegally operating a sexually oriented business as a result of a police raid Thursday."

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