Religion & Law

Survey shows slight increase in reported number of ?gays? serving in the military

Posted on January 27, 2010
Washington Post: "An estimated 66,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people are serving in the U.S. military, roughly 2 percent of all military personnel, according to a report released Tuesday by a gay rights policy center. The figures suggest a slight increase in the number of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the military, and they provide opponents of the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy with fresh data as they lobby the Obama administration for its repeal...

Catholic League: Prop 8 Trial Demonizes Catholicism

Posted on January 27, 2010
Catholic League: "As the Catholic Church has long noted, there is a huge difference between condemning sinful behavior and condemning those who engage in it. It is even more preposterous to sanction incivility against sinners by the self-righteous. Plato condemned sodomy...

Oregon Voters Pass Tax Boost on Wealthy, Corporations

Posted on January 27, 2010
Wall Street Journal: ". . . Measure 66 increases Oregon's personal-income-tax rate by two percentage points for households earning over $250,000 a year. Measure 67 calls for an increase in the state's minimum corporate income tax, currently $10 a year, and imposes a tax on gross revenues for corporations that do not report a profit ...

Witness Assails ?Gay Marriages?

Posted on January 27, 2010
"David Boies, a lawyer representing gay couples, began questioning Mr. Blankenhorn in a cross-examination that had the two men raising their voices at each other. Their bickering prompted the judge to end the trial for the day . . . "

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Nebraska Introduces Abortion Pain Prevention Act

Posted on January 27, 2010

Obama Will Call For Repeal Of ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell?

Posted on January 27, 2010
Real Clear Politics carries CNN video of a Wolf Blitzer interview with White House Advisor David Axelrod.

European Assembly Delays ?Gay Rights? Vote

Posted on January 27, 2010
Zenit: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided today to postpone voting on a document regarding so-called discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The assembly will take up the document, called 'Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,' in its next session in April...

David French: The next great pro-life advocate

Posted on January 27, 2010
David French, Director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, writing at Phi Beta Cons: "Given the decisive move of young people toward life, it is hardly surprising that a pro-life advocate emerges from college. And it should be less surprising that it's Tim Tebow...

Mother of four dies after abortionist severs artery during abortion

Posted on January 27, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Alexandra Nunez, a 37-year old single mother of four, died after a botched abortion Monday at the A-1 Women?s Center in New York City."

UK: ?Lessons fight anti-gay prejudice in Cornwall?

Posted on January 27, 2010
BBC News: "New lessons have started in Cornish schools aimed at cutting the number of suicides among gay people. Figures from the NHS in Cornwall reveal the county's suicide rate is higher than average and lesbian and gay people are at more than twice the risk...

NC: Greensboro sex club closed

Posted on January 27, 2010
North Carolina Family Policy Council: "The City of Greensboro filed a nuisance abatement lawsuit against the club on January 21, after a long-term undercover police investigation revealed that the club played host to various criminal offenses involving prostitution, and violated a 2003 state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol at certain sexually-oriented businesses...

Canada: The problem with ?sext? ed

Posted on January 27, 2010
National Post: "[T]he Canadian Centre for Child Protection has launched a website and pilot program, to be used in 100 schools, to warn young people off sexting . . . I suppose if sexting is wreaking havoc with teens? lives, one can say that TextEd.ca is necessary, and that I shouldn?t be making fun of it ...

Joy Behar on The View: ?[Gays] don?t take monogamy and infidelity the same way?

Posted on January 27, 2010
NewsBusters: "'They,' she said, referring to gays, 'don't take monogamy and infidelity the same way that the straight community does.' Such things as fidelity, she added, don't have the 'same weight' with gays as with straights, and - you might want to sit down for this - Behar was actually right for once...

Islamic Militants in Somalia Murder Christian Leader

Posted on January 27, 2010
Christian Post: "Islamic extremists shot the leader of an underground church to death outside the capital city of Somalia this month and have threatened to kill his wife, his tearful widow told Compass."

Canada: B.C. polygamy trial draws odd list of interveners

Posted on January 27, 2010
Calgary Herald: "A free-speech group allied with Holocaust deniers, women's advocates and fundamentalist Mormons are among those looking to have their say at a B.C. trial that will determine the constitutionality of Canada's anti-polygamy law."

Baptist Press Prop 8 summary, day 11: Religious conservatives again targeted

Posted on January 27, 2010
Townhall (Baptist Press): "Following is commentary on day 11 of the trial from Austin R. Nimocks, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which supports Prop 8: 'Day 11, Tuesday, can be aptly described as an exercise in the pot calling the kettle black (or what's good for the goose is somehow not good for the gander)...

Emotional Prop 8 trial draws to an end

Posted on January 27, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Lawyers defending the California constitution's definition of marriage in federal court are wrapping up testimony today after weeks of wrangling over theories surrounding marriage, sexuality, procreation, and the law's involvement in all three ...

SD: Attempt to repeal embryonic stem cell research ban unvolves more deception

Posted on January 27, 2010
Dakota Voice: "On January 21, SB 74 was introduced in the South Dakota Senate. Of course, it makes no mention of embryonic stem cell research or a different, non-destructive type of stem cell research called adult stem cell research; it lumps ?stem cell research? into one disingenuous lump...

ACLU: ?U.S. Participates In United Nations Human Rights Review Process?

Posted on January 27, 2010
ACLU: "For the first time, the U.S. is participating in a process that allows the United Nations to review the human rights records of all member states . . . The ACLU and its affiliates will also play roles in upcoming consultations in New York, Alabama, New Mexico, California, Michigan, Texas and Washington, D...

Separation of pro?life and state at the National Gallery of ARt

Posted on January 27, 2010
Meghan Duke writing at First Things, On the Square: "I decided to visit the [National Gallery of Art] after attending the March for Life the day before . . . After searching my bag, the two guards at the Gallery told me, 'You're good to go in, but first you need to remove that pro-life pin...

National Abortion Federation and ACLU Ask Court to Preclude Voluntary Manslaughter Charge in Trial of Dr. Tiller?s Murderer

Posted on January 27, 2010
National Abortion Federation: "The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the National Abortion Federation, the ACLU, and the ACLU of Kansas in the trial of Scott Roeder, the alleged murderer of Dr. George Tiller, asking the court to preclude Roeder from arguing his anti-abortion beliefs in support of a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter rather than first degree murder ...

ACLU: ?House Introduces Bill To Protect LGBT Students Against Discrimination?

Posted on January 27, 2010
ACLU: "A bill was introduced today in the House by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) that would, as Title IX did for girls and women, offer remedies for discrimination ?based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity? in public elementary and secondary schools ...

Utah lawmaker acts to block D.C. ?gay marriage?

Posted on January 27, 2010
"Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican, on Tuesday submitted legislation in the House of Representatives that would overturn a D.C. bill allowing gay marriage."

?Gay-Marriage Ban Comes at What Cost?

Posted on January 27, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "A July 2008 report on Proposition 8 by California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office concluded that 'over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments.' Similarly, a 2004 Congressional Budget Office report estimated that allowing gay marriages would boost federal tax revenues by less than $700 million per year over 10 years, or less than 0...

Air Force Academy?s own ?Godzilla? invited to speak to cadets

Posted on January 27, 2010
Colorado Springs Gazette: "Mikey Weinstein, a 1977 Academy graduate and the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said his Feb. 19 talk will be his first 'non-adversarial' forum at the academy in years."

Same-Sex Marriage Case, Day 12: The End (for Now)

Posted on January 27, 2010
NY Times: ". . . The legal team for the defense includes Brian Raum, Charles J. Cooper, David Thompson, Andrew Pugno, James Campbell, Jordan Lorence, Nicole Moss, Howard C. Nielson Jr. and Peter A. Patterson . . . Early Wednesday, the final defense witness, David Blankenhorn, the founder and president of the Institute for American Values, again locked horns with David Boies, a leading lawyer for the plaintiffs seeking to overturn the ban ...

CT: Enfield School Board Votes To Stop Using First Cathedral For Graduations

Posted on January 27, 2010
Hartford Courant: "The school board decided Tuesday night not to hold high school graduations at First Cathedral in Bloomfield anymore, sidestepping a potential lawsuit from two activist groups." According to the report, the vote was taken in response to threats from the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The public argument of conscientious objection

Posted on January 27, 2010
Dr. Grattan Brown, assistant professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College, writing at First Things, On the Square: "When the members of a society carry on a serious debate, the activity of conscientious dialogue, the sharpening of individual consciences, and a relatively stable peaceful consensus all characterize that society?s common good ...

Wisconsin Senate to vote on ?Unhealthy Youth Act? tomorrow!

Posted on January 27, 2010
Wisconsin Family Voice reports on Assembly Bill 458/Senate Bill 324, the so-called "Healthy Youth Act."  This bill would gut abstinence education among other things.  Wisconsin Family Action provides more information about the bill can be found here.

Ohio SC: Law protecting children from porn regulates only ?personally directed? electronic communications

Posted on January 27, 2010
Supreme Court of Ohio Press Release: "The Supreme Court of Ohio today agreed with the state attorney general?s interpretation that a state law banning electronic transmission to minors of pornography or other material 'harmful to juveniles' applies only to personally directed communications such as instant messaging, person-to-person emails and private chat rooms, and exempts from liability material that is posted on generally accessible websites and in public chatrooms...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.