Religion & Law

Poll: Majority of Americans Say Abortion Morally Wrong

Posted on February 18, 2011
LifeNews: "A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds 53 percent of voters consider abortion morally wrong most of the time, while just 32% say it is morally acceptable most of the time. Another 15 percent of American voters are undecided."

Alaska Could Become Next State With Choose Life License Plate

Posted on February 18, 2011
LifeNews: "Alaska could become the next state with a Choose Life license plate allowing state motorists to express their support for human life and the abortion alternative of adoption."

PG, other news organizations seek to unseal abortion case Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11048/1126165-100.stm#ixzz1EL0Od2i3

Posted on February 18, 2011
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and several other Pennsylvania newspapers filed a petition today to open a sealed state Supreme Court case that could potentially alter part of the state's abortion law. The case involves a 17-year-old who requested permission from an Allegheny County judge to have an abortion and was denied ...

French Leaders Plan Debate on Role of Islam in the Country

Posted on February 18, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: "Reuters and France 24 report that France's governing UMP party plans to lead a debate beginning in April on the role Islam in light of France's tradition of secularism-- an issue that promises to be a major focus in France's 2012 election campaign ...

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U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review San Francisco?s Anti-Catholic Resolution

Posted on February 18, 2011
Thomas More Law Ctr.: "The Thomas More Law Center, yesterday afternoon, filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that it reverse a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision which upheld San Francisco?s virulent anti-Catholic resolution . . ...

Canadian Cabbie Loses Challenge To Fines For Displaying Religious Items

Posted on February 18, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: "In Canada yesterday, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail, a Montreal municipal court judge upheld over constitutional attack four tickets given to cab driver Arieh Perecowicz for violating a Bureau du taxi rule that bars drivers from having items or inscriptions in their cab that are not necessary for the cab to be in service...

New Mexico Sen. Bingaman (Dem.) to retire

Posted on February 18, 2011
The Hill: "Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) will retire from the Senate, a Democratic source with knowledge of Bingaman's plans confirmed Friday."

DOJ May Intervene To Defend RLUIPA In Connecticut Zoning Case

Posted on February 18, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: "Yesterday's Hartford Courant reports that the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division is seeking approval from the Solicitor General's office to intervene to defend the constitutionality of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act which is being challenged by defendants in a Connecticut federal district court lawsuit...

Wis. police hunt Dem. leader, protests continue

Posted on February 18, 2011
AP: "The Wisconsin State Patrol was dispatched Friday to find a Democratic state senator who fled the Capitol to delay the near-certain passage of a bill to end a half-century of collective bargaining rights for public workers, a measure that's attracted thousands of protesters for four days...

Criminals target Idaho school superintendent over school reforms opposed by teacher?s union

Posted on February 18, 2011
Idaho Press: "Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's vehicle was vandalized overnight at his Nampa home and he and his family have received threats, he told police."

Film lays bare Mexico?s broken justice system

Posted on February 18, 2011
AP: “Antonio Zuniga was minding his own business, walking through his Mexico City neighborhood, when police arrested him on charges of murdering a young gang member he had never seen. He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence ...

Administration asks judge to tell the states that Obamacare isn?t optional

Posted on February 18, 2011
The Hill: "The Obama administration is asking a federal judge who struck down the healthcare reform law to clarify that states must still implement the overhaul as the appeals process plays out. Some states are saying the Jan. 31 ruling relieves them ...

Feds ask Florida federal judge to clarify Obamacare ruling

Posted on February 18, 2011
MyFoxOrlando: The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to clarify the immediate impact of his ruling last month that declared the new health care law unconstitutional, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. US District Court Judge Roger Vinson in Florida ...

Help grow the ADF Alliance Alert. Tell a Friend!

Posted on February 18, 2011
Many thanks to our readers and the faithful ministry friends of the Alliance Defense Fund who make the ADF Alliance Alert possible.  There are many ways to help the cause.  Of course, financial donations are always needed and greatly appreciated as are prayers...

Republicans challenging unions in state capitols

Posted on February 18, 2011
AP on MyWay: "Republicans who swept into power in state capitols this year with promises to cut spending and bolster the business climate now are beginning to usher in a new era of labor relations that could result in the largest reduction of power in decades for public employee unions...

Casey Mattox on the radio: UC Davis? Christian Oppressors

Posted on February 18, 2011
ADF attorney Casey Mattox appeared on the radio earlier in the week to discuss the UC Davis situation. | Related ADF Media Update | George Rice Show; MP3 audio 8:32 mins | KFBK Radio; MP3 audio 2:55 mins

David French on the radio: UC Davis retreats on Christians as oppressors stance

Posted on February 18, 2011
ADF attorney David French appeared on the radio to discuss recent developments in the UC Davis situation. | Related ADF Media | The Hugh Hewitt Show; MP3 audio 8:33 mins | The Janet Mefferd Show; MP3 audio 18:50 mins

Matt Bowman on the Mary Reichard Show: Rights of conscience litigation for healthcare workers

Posted on February 18, 2011
ADF attorney Matt Bowman appeared on the Mary Reichard Show to discuss rights of conscience litigation for healthcare workers. | MP3 audio 21:03 mins

Michelle Malkin: Apocalypse Now: Wisconsin vs. Big Labor

Posted on February 18, 2011
Michelle Malkin writes at Townhall: "If ever there were proof that public unions no longer work in the public interest, this is it. Big Labor dragoons workers into exclusive representation agreements, forces them to pay compulsory dues that fatten Democratic political coffers and then has the chutzpah to cast itself as an Egyptian-style "freedom" and "human rights" movement...

Rasmussen: ?Half of Americans are Pro-Choice, But 53% Say Abortion?s Usually Morally Wrong?

Posted on February 18, 2011
Rasmussen: "A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters consider themselves pro-choice, while 40% say they are pro-life, the same split found over three years ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.) . . . However, that does not mean half of U...

IN: Allen County settles suit with abortion provider

Posted on February 18, 2011
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Dr. Klopfer, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and the Center for Reproductive Rights, filed a lawsuit last May challenging the ordinance. Dr. Klopfer, who owns and operates Fort Wayne Women?s Health, argued that the ordinance would prevent him from performing abortions because he couldn?t find a doctor in the area who was willing to associate with him for the purpose of being his designated physician...

Calif. Supreme Court Gets Involved in Prop. 8 Battle

Posted on February 18, 2011
Christian Post: Jim Campbell, an Alliance Defense Fund legal counsel, believes that Protectmarriage.com should be able to defend the measure."Politicians should not be able to nullify a democratic act of the people by refusing their duty to defend it," he said in a January statement...

United States Dangerously Close to Debt/GDP Ratio Threshold

Posted on February 18, 2011
NCPA Policy Digest: "There is evidence that once a government lets its debt/gross domestic product (GDP) ratio rise more than 90 percent, the economy begins to seriously weaken and government spending starts to spiral out of control as the interest payments on the debt grow faster than the economy...

?Critics say religious freedom bill in Kansas House discriminates against gay people?

Posted on February 18, 2011
LJWorld.com: "Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said the legislation is needed to prevent government from forcing people to go against their religious beliefs. He cited an instance in New Mexico where a photographer was ruled in violation of state law because she refused to photograph a same-sex wedding...

Washington Times: ?Fast-track Obamacare challenges: Constitutionality of individual mandate should be resolved now?

Posted on February 18, 2011
Washington Times: "While lower courts wrestle over the constitutionality of Obamacare, nearly one-sixth of the economy hangs in the balance. The plans of doctors, medical students, hospitals, clinics and millions of employers will change based on whether the health care law stands or falls...

School responds, will revisit policy on religious discrimination

Posted on February 18, 2011
One News Now: It's clearly unconstitutional. It violates virtually every provision of the First Amendment, as a matter of fact," notes Casey Mattox, attorney and spokesman for ADF. "It's a denominational preference by the government, and it, of course, violates the free exercise and free speech clauses as well...

The Vatican?s Marriage Quandary

Posted on February 18, 2011
John Allen Jr. writes at the Wall Street Journal: "Fewer Americans get annulments. Is it because fewer are getting married in the church at all?"

SCOTUS Petitions to watch includes Ten Commandments case

Posted on February 18, 2011
SCOTUS Blog: "On February 18, the Court will consider petitions on such issues as the significance of a ?critical habitat" designation under the Endangered Species Act, whether the remaining part of Booth v. Maryland should be overruled, and whether a privately donated display of the Ten Commandments on government property violates the Establishment Clause...

Douglas Johnson: Now is the Time to End Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

Posted on February 18, 2011
Douglas Johnson, the Federal Legislative Director of the National Right to Life Committee, writes at Public Discourse: "The history of federal abortion funding highlights the urgent need to reverse the new health care law?s assault on unborn life, and to enact a permanent, government-wide prohibition on federal funding of abortion...

PA: Teen ?rights? to abortion in dispute

Posted on February 18, 2011
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Mr. Wenger, along with Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund, sought a redacted version of the case file so they could prepare their Supreme Court brief, but the request was denied. Still, they maintain that Judge Ignelzi considered all the facts and made an informed decision...

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