Religion & Law

UN Women Celebrates Launch as Leading Player in Gender Equality

Posted on February 25, 2011
IPSNews.net: "Formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, U.N. Women combines four pre-existing U.N. agencies into one task force that embodies the highest ambitions and aspirations of the drivers of gender equality...

Md. Senate passes bill to redefine marriage

Posted on February 25, 2011
"Maryland's Senate passed a bill that would allow same-sex couples to wed, sending the measure to the House of Delegates for consideration."

House GOP say shutdown irresponsible

Posted on February 25, 2011
AP: "House Republican leaders say a congressional impasse leading to a government shutdown is unacceptable and urged Senate Democrats to agree to their plans for cutting federal spending."

Wis. Assembly passes bill taking away union rights

Posted on February 25, 2011
AP on MyWay: "Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening...

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US Will Be the World?s Third Largest Economy: Citi

Posted on February 25, 2011
CNBC: "China should overtake the US to become the largest economy in the world by 2020, then be overtaken by India by 2050," he predicted.

Federal court dismisses attack on La. abortion clinic regulations

Posted on February 25, 2011
A federal court Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by abortionists against a Louisiana law requiring them to meet certain patient health and safety regulations. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are co-counsel together with Louisiana Department of Health lawyers in defense of the law.

Pro-Lifers to Boehner: Fight for Planned Parenthood De-Funding

Posted on February 25, 2011
LifeNews: "A few dozen leaders of pro-life organizations sent House Speaker John Boehner a letter on Thursday asking him to fight for the Pence Amendment ? the legislative language preventing the Planned Parenthood abortion business from receiving any taxpayer funds under the Continuing Resolution...

Fort Wayne, Indiana Pro-Life Group Moves Next to Abortion Ctr

Posted on February 25, 2011
LifeNews: "A patient?s health is more important than an abortionist?s bottom line,? said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden. ?This settlement means the county will not have to put the health and safety of patients at risk just because one man wanted to perform abortions without the same sensible safety precautions that apply to all out-of-town surgeons...

Murkowski vows to ?throw some elbows? to ensure Alaska oil production

Posted on February 25, 2011
The Hill: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Thursday called boosting Alaskan oil production her top priority and claimed that Middle Eastern turmoil and rising prices put drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) ?back on the table.?

World Magazine: ?Optional: a president who upholds the law?

Posted on February 25, 2011
World Magazine: When Congress enacts laws on behalf of the American people, the American people have the right to expect them to be defended when they're challenged," said Senior Legal Counsel Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund. "How the attorney general's constitutional duty to protect and defend the laws of the United States becomes optional is a great mystery...

KiWi Quake and Other News Briefs

Posted on February 25, 2011
World Mag: "On behalf of 25 students concerned that the school was calling Christians oppressors, the Alliance Defense Fund sent UC Davis a letter arguing that the wording was "blatantly unconstitutional" and protected some religions over others."

WA: Let us bow our heads, then get back to work

Posted on February 25, 2011
Yakima Herald: "Inspired by the divine and initialed by a lawyer, the Yakima City Council's new policy on prayer will debut at its March 1 meeting. And now we beseech all the involved parties to put this behind us and get on with the volumes of work before them...

Kirk of the Hills denied its plan to build in Jenks

Posted on February 25, 2011
Tulsa World: "Erik Stanley is senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, an alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations who defend people's right to freely live out their faith. He said he is seeing an increasing number of cases of cities using zoning codes to restrict or outright prevent churches from building on their own land...

?Gay marriage a 2012 US election issue?

Posted on February 25, 2011
IOL News: Angered conservatives are vowing to make same-sex marriage a front-burner election issue following the Obama administration's announcement that it will no longer defend the federal law denying recognition to gay married couples . . . Staff counsel Jim Campbell of Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal group, said: ?The ripple effect nationwide will be to galvanise supporters of marriage...

Shift in DOMA Policy Prompts Questions from Judge in Lambda Legal?s Golinski v. OPM

Posted on February 25, 2011
Lambda Legal: "A federal judge has requested the U.S. Department of Justice to explain how it plans to defend denying spousal health benefits to a lesbian federal employee, following an announcement yesterday by the Obama administration that it believes the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional...

Illinois: Same Sex Couple Files Complaint

Posted on February 25, 2011
MyWabashValley.com: "A same-sex couple has filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the Illinois Department of Human Rights over the apparent refusal by two bed and breakfasts to allow them to hold a civil union ceremony."

More Civilians Killed Last Year in One Mexican Border Town Than in All of Afghanistan

Posted on February 25, 2011
CNSNews: "There were 3,111 civilians murdered in the city of Juarez in 2010 and 2,421 in the entire country of Afghanistan."

Leader of Teachers? Union Urges Dismissal

Posted on February 25, 2011
NY Times: "It would give tenured teachers who are rated unsatisfactory by their principals a maximum of one school year to improve. If they did not, they could be fired within 100 days."

Attorney General Mark Levin: Won?t Enforce Roe v. Wade

Posted on February 25, 2011
Jeffrey Lord writes in the American Spectator: "Barely twenty-four hours after her inauguration as America's first woman chief executive, President Sarah Palin announced today that Attorney General Mark Levin has been instructed to stop defending Roe v...

ACLU files suit on behalf of Sikh prison inmate refusing to trim his beard

Posted on February 25, 2011
ACLU: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the ACLU filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Sukhjinder Basra, a Sikh inmate who is being penalized for refusing to trim his beard on religious grounds."

Hungary Wants More Children, But Won?t Ban Abortion

Posted on February 25, 2011
Wall Street Journal: "Hungary won?t ban abortion in its new constitution, contrary to initial plans. Still, the country?s government wants to see more children and will use other means than a constitutional ban on abortion to achieve it."

Fears for Afghan Converts after India Denies Refuge

Posted on February 25, 2011
Christian Post: "Barnabas Fund is appealing to the United Nations to intervene after India refused to grant refuge to six Afghan converts. The converts were named only as Rahimullah and Rita, who have three children, another couple Mohammad and Aisha, who have two children, and two sisters Shazia and Sunita...

Like the ADF Alliance Alert? Please tell a friend!

Posted on February 25, 2011
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First Circuit wants to know whether Congress will weigh on marriage litigation

Posted on February 25, 2011
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued this order in litigation that challenges the Federal DOMA.

Jim Campbell on the Radio: Defending the Federal Defense of Marriage Act

Posted on February 25, 2011
ADF attorney Jim Campbell appeared on the radio to discuss the Obama administration's refusal to defend the Federal DOMA. | The Hugh Hewitt Show; MP3 audio 8:32 mins | Janet Mefferd Show;  MP3 audio 19:17 mins

Ireland: Pharmacists obliged to sell Morning- After-Pill regardless of beliefs

Posted on February 25, 2011
IONA Institute: The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) has confirmed to The Irish Catholic that under their Code of Conduct, pharmacists must stock the MAP or ?take reasonable action to ensure that these medicines or services are provided?.

Presbyterians May Ordain ?Gay Ministers?

Posted on February 25, 2011
Charisma: "Gay Presbyterian pastors aren?t a done deal yet, though. The controversial amendment is now making its way to 173 regional presbyteries across the United States for a vote. These regional presbyteries have the power in their hands to open the door to LGBT ministers or slam it shut...

Idaho Senate passes 2 out of 3 school reform bills

Posted on February 25, 2011
Bloomberg: "The Idaho Senate passed legislation Thursday to eliminate tenure for new teachers and restrict collective bargaining, while also voting on a separate bill to introduce merit pay."

?SBC Committee Decides against Expelling Members of Pro-Gay Bapist Alliance?

Posted on February 25, 2011
Christian Post: "The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee decided earlier this week that a church?s membership in a pro-gay Baptist group does not automatically disqualify it from being part of the conservative Baptist denomination."

Video ? Challenges to Christian Conscience: Greg Baylor at LeTourneau University

Posted on February 25, 2011
ADF attorney Greg Baylor has this post at the Speak Up Movement University Blog which links to this video of his recent appearance at LeTourneau University.

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