Religion & Law

New Iowa Supreme Court Nominees a Slap in the Face of Voters

Posted on February 23, 2011
Citizen Link: "Gary Marx of the Judicial Crisis Network has details here and here. Apparently these nominees are judicial liberals and proud of it. Marx quotes from the application of the only female to be presented by the nominating commission to the governor ...

Virginia Senate puts off major abortion vote to Thursday

Posted on February 23, 2011
Washington Post: "The Virginia Senate has postponed a major vote over abortion rights, as Democrats in the chamber hunt for votes to kill last-minute legislation that would regulate clinics where first trimester abortions are performed as hospitals."

Iowa: Prohibit Supreme Court from ruling on marriage, Republicans say

Posted on February 23, 2011
Des Moines Register: "County recorders would be prohibited from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and the Iowa Supreme Court would be unable to rule on the issue under a new bill sponsored by six conservative House Republicans. House File 330 ...

Liberty Counsel: Obama Betrays America By Refusing to Defend the Defense of Marriage Act

Posted on February 23, 2011
Liberty Counsel: "Today President Barack Obama instructed the U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, and the Department of Justice to cease defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). ?This is outrageous and unthinkable that the President would abandon the defense of marriage,? said Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel...

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ADF statement in response to DOJ letter on Defense of Marriage Act

Posted on February 23, 2011
?The American people have a right to expect their laws to be defended by the very people whose job it is to do so: their government officials. But the administration is making clear that they are simply not going to defend marriage.?

Montana Senate votes to repeal sodomy law

Posted on February 23, 2011
Billings Gazette: "The state Supreme Court struck down the law in 1997. Senate Bill 276 would remove the language from state code. The Senate endorsed the bill Wednesday 41-9."

Australia: ?Government urged to rule out gay marriage?

Posted on February 23, 2011
Herald Sun: "Liberal senator Guy Barnett and the Australian Christian Lobby have urged the Federal Government to rule out allowing same-sex couples to marry. The Australian Human Rights Commission told a Senate estimates hearing yesterday that it broadly supported gay marriage ...

Public Sector Unions and Basic Morality

Posted on February 23, 2011
Manon McKinnon write at the The American Spectator: "The spectacle in Wisconsin has many of us rethinking the underlying grounds for public sector unions. Many Americans are thinking in terms of the obvious financial implications. But surely others are looking deeper to question the moral underpinnings of these unions and their place in public service...

Hawaii: Bill on civil unions to be signed today

Posted on February 23, 2011
Hawaii: "With the signing, Hawaii becomes the seventh state to grant civil unions to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Five states and Washington, D.C., permit same-sex marriage."

Australia: Couples say just in case before ?I do?

Posted on February 23, 2011
AdelaideNow.com.au: "OLDER couples with much to lose are increasingly turning to prenups to protect themselves, experts say."

Albert Mohler, Jr.: Boys Wrestling Girls ? A Clash of Worlds and Worldviews

Posted on February 23, 2011
"The general direction of the culture is clear: we are moving out of Joel Northrup?s world into Rick Reilly?s world. Along the way, something immeasurably more important than a wrestling match is about to be defaulted."

India: Yet Another Delay in Dalit Christian Affirmative Action Case

Posted on February 23, 2011
http://www.christianpost.com/news/yet-another-delay-in-dalit-christian-affirmative-action-case-49129/

MT House Committee approves bill to nullify sexual orientation discrimination ordinances

Posted on February 22, 2011
Missoulian: "The Republican majority on the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Monday that would effectively overturn Missoula's 2010 ordinance banning discrimination against city residents based on their sexual orientation and gender. House Bill 516 ...

More companies covering ?transgender? surgery

Posted on February 22, 2011
MSNBC:  "The number is expected to spike this year, when HRC adds availability of surgery-inclusive medical benefits for transgender employees or transgender dependents to the criteria in its annual corporate diversity report card.  To maintain the coveted 100 percent rating when the next Corporate Equality Index is published in the fall, companies will have to offer at least one insurance plan that covers at least $75,000 worth of surgery and other treatments recommended by a patient's doctor...

Indiana county?s regulations on abortion survive ACLU challenge

Posted on February 22, 2011
Women?s protections through Patient Safety Ordinance left largely intact after abortionist dismisses lawsuit against Allen County

Political Fight Over Unions Escalates

Posted on February 22, 2011
"Overall, unions put around $400 million into the 2008 campaign to help elect Mr. Obama and other Democrats."

N.C. protesters want collective bargaining restored

Posted on February 22, 2011
Miami Herald: "A coalition of labor, civil rights and religious groups rallied in front of the General Assembly offices Monday to call for an end to North Carolina's ban on public employees' collective bargaining and to resist state budget cuts at the expense of public sector jobs and programs...

Abortion Debate: Little Evidence Sonograms Change Minds, Doctors Say

Posted on February 22, 2011
LiveScience on Yahoo News: "The author of a proposed law in Texas that would require doctors to perform sonograms on women seeking abortions has called the bill "empowering" to women, saying it could help some change their minds about going through with the procedure...

Oklahoma Senate panel approves changes to teacher firings

Posted on February 22, 2011
Tulsa World: A handful of bills making it easier to fire public school teachers and expanding the use of charter schools across the state cleared a Senate panel on Monday, despite concerns from some Democrats that the proposals amount to an "assault" on public education.

Court turns down campaign disclosure challenge

Posted on February 22, 2011
Boston Globe: "Human Life of Washington challenged the requirements as a violation of the First Amendment. The group didn't want to reveal its donors in a 2008 campaign opposing an assisted suicide ballot measure."

Navy Sub Officer Discharged Over Religious Beliefs

Posted on February 22, 2011
NBC Connecticut: "A junior officer at the Sub base in Groton has been granted an honorable discharge after suing the Navy, saying his Quaker beliefs keep him from participating in war."

MT: Bill would add parental control to sex education

Posted on February 22, 2011
Helena Independent: "A Bill that would prevent abortion providers from offering materials to students and force school districts to provide parents with an opt-in option for sex education courses passed the House. The House voted 71 to 29 to approve House Bill 456 ...

Que. mayor?s collection plate for saving prayer is filling up

Posted on February 22, 2011
Canada.com: "The city of Saguenay said Tuesday it has already garnered $53,418 as part of a high-profile campaign to fund a legal battle against citizens who want Mayor Jean Tremblay to stop reading a prayer at the opening of city council meetings."

VA: Ten Commandments displays taken down again from Giles Co. schools

Posted on February 22, 2011
News & Advance: "Giles County Schools has removed all displays of the Ten Commandments in the county's schools, and the school system's technology center again, according to Superintendent Terry Arbogast."

Embattled Christians in Egypt, Iran, Libya, Other Hot Spots Need ?Special? Help

Posted on February 22, 2011
Christian Newswire: "The countries of Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Yemen, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are among the top 11 persecutors of Christians, according to the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List . . . To address some of the abuses of religious freedom, Rep...

Wisconsin unions vs. Governor Walker is a battle for the soul of America

Posted on February 22, 2011
"As even pro-union FDR understood, collective-bargaining rights for government workers is the ultimate conflict of interest. What is really at stake in the Wisconsin donnybrook is whether individual liberty or government power has the upper hand in our country...

Public Unions Take Hit in Polls Ahead of Possible Federal Shutdown

Posted on February 22, 2011
Fox News: "But opinion polls show the union image slipping as they prepare for battle, both at the federal and state level. In Wisconsin, unions are uniting in opposition to a proposal from Republican Gov. Scott Walker to restrict collective bargaining rights and require higher benefits contributions from state workers...

White House closely aligned and in constant contact with Union bosses

Posted on February 22, 2011
Washington Examiner: "But even the claim that AFSCME, the AFL-CIO, or even the SEIU, are representative of some kind of grassroots movement denies everything we know about unions. First is their political access: Then-SEIU president Andy Stern not only served on the president's deficit commission, he was also the top visitor to the White House in 2009, the first year Obama was in office...

Unions to protest Ohio collective bargaining bill

Posted on February 22, 2011
Dayton Daily News: "Unions say thousands of their members and supporters will rally at the state capitol Tuesday afternoon as lawmakers hold a hearing on state Senate Bill 5."

NPR: Battles May Cripple A Weakened Labor Movement

Posted on February 22, 2011
NPR (includes audio): "But the movement is going national now because anti-union efforts are cropping up in many states."

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