Religion & Law

Federalist Society?s Searle Young Legal Scholars Research Fellowships

Posted on July 06, 2009
Eugene Volokh writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: "If you're a young law professor with Federalist Society sympathies, you should definitely apply; the fellowship will fund a semester-long research leave, though you won't be expected to move anywhere physically during the leave...

American missionary deported from Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan

Posted on July 06, 2009
AssistNews: "On Monday, June 29th, an American missionary, Paul Billings, was informed by the State Committee on National Security that he was being deported from the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan."

Child porn?s dirty secret: Dads often behind lens

Posted on July 06, 2009
"Nearly twice as many children in a nationwide child-porn database were photographed by their parents as were victims of online enticement. The number victimized by parents was nearly seven times that of children exploited by strangers."

Kentucky: Fed. Prosecutors Move to Seize House in Child Pornography Case

Posted on July 06, 2009
The property forfeiture marked the first time that prosecutors in the Eastern District of Kentucky have seized a home in a child pornography investigation. The forfeiture of houses more often occurs in drug prosecutions."

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General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats

Posted on July 02, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "Konstantin Fielder, General Manager of Cell Technologies at GE Healthcare said that stem cells harvested from human embryos could even replace lab rats as the primary scientific testing method. 'Once you have human cells and you can get them in a standardized way, like you get right now your lab rats in a standardized way, you can actually do those experiments on those cells,' he said...

Alabama Attorney General Wants Video Showing Planned Parenthood Sex Abuse Coverup

Posted on July 02, 2009
LifeNews: "Alabama Attorney General Troy king wants a copy of the full video footage activist Lila Rose took showing Planned Parenthood stuff covering up a potential case of sexual abuse."

A Minor but Annoying Example of Unconstitutional Religious Discrimination in Virginia Marriage Law

Posted on July 02, 2009
Illya Somin writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: "My fiancee and I are not religious, and we plan to have our wedding performed by Judge Jerry Smith of the Fifth Circuit, the federal judge I clerked for. Unfortunately, however, Judge Smith lives in Texas...

ADF Alliance Alert Publication Schedule for July 3rd

Posted on July 02, 2009
The ADF Alliance Alert Categorical Email Digest will not be published and the number of web site posts, if any, will be greatly reduced on Friday, July 3, 2009. The normal publication schedule will resume on Monday, July 6, 2009. We wish all of our readers a Happy Fourth of July!

NEA to consider full support of homosexual ?marriage?

Posted on July 02, 2009
One News Now: The co-founder of the National Education Association (NEA) Conservative Educators Caucus says the NEA will consider adoption of a resolution supporting homosexual "marriage."

U.N. Population Agency Receives $50 Million in Taxpayer Money, Despite Its Involvement in China Where Government?s Population Control is Coercive

Posted on July 02, 2009
CNSNews: "The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) received $50 million from the United States government this year, despite its involvement in China, where the government's population program, according to the U.S. State Department, includes a 'coercive birth limitation policy" that in some cases results "in forced abortion or forced sterilization...

Issue of Covering Abortions Will Not Impede Health-Care Reform Legislation, Says ?Pro-Life? Democratic Sen. Bob Casey

Posted on July 02, 2009
CNSNews: "'It hasn?t been an impediment, and I don?t expect it to be and it shouldn?t be. There is no reason why in a health-care bill we have to have another debate about that issue (abortion),' Casey told CNSNews.com in a conference-call discussion about health-care reform in the Senate...

Has Pro Bono Become Recession-Proof?

Posted on July 02, 2009
David Bario writes at the American Lawyer: "Judging by firms' performance last year, those fears may have been unfounded. As a group, the nation's 200 highest-grossing firms devoted more hours to pro bono than ever. Nearly half of Am Law 200 lawyers committed 20 hours or more to pro bono last year, and on average, lawyers spent more than 60 hours on pro bono matters...

Obama Administration calls for universal access to abortion at UN meeting

Posted on July 02, 2009
Samantha Singson writing at the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM): "At United Nations (UN) headquarters this week, the Obama administration continued its push for ever increasing access to legal abortion around the world. The Obama team has introduced language that has thrown a high level negotiation into a roil...

?D.C. marriage opponents run out of options?

Posted on July 02, 2009
Carlos Santoscoy reports at On Top Magazine: "Jackson, backed by a team of Christian-based Alliance Defense Fund lawyers, also petitioned the court to stay the July 7 start of the law. On this issue, Retchin questioned her authority to rule, and therefore denied opponents ...

Proposition-8 goes to court again

Posted on July 02, 2009
Jake Jones writing in the Evangelical Examiner: "'In America, we respect the results of fair elections. This latest lawsuit is yet another attempt by those who want to redefine marriage to achieve what they have not been able to obtain,' said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum...

Moves against conscience protections threaten more than pro-life doctors and pharmacists

Posted on July 02, 2009
Amy Henry writing in World Magazine: "If Obama does rescind the Bush ­regulations?a decision is expected soon?the face of health care will have new wrinkles. 'Health care institutions with federal funding will believe they are not legally obligated to respect the conscience of health care staff, with the result being that pro-life doctors and pharmacists will be driven out of their professions,' predicted Steve Aden of the Alliance Defense Fund...

Ohio Supreme Court: ?Teen abortion records private?

Posted on July 02, 2009
How Appealing links to several reports and the ruling in Roe v. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, 2009 Ohio 2973: "The court's own news release on the ruling is headlined 'Plaintiff in Private Lawsuit Has No Right to Discover Confidential Medical Records of Non-Parties...

Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama

Posted on July 02, 2009
CNSNews: "Following a testy exchange during Wednesday?s briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press...

Peers admonish 9th Circuit Chief Judge over Web sex files

Posted on July 02, 2009
San Francisco Chronicle (AP): "However, the judges say the matter should end with the admonishment, combined with Kozinski's apology and other unspecified 'corrective action.'"

?Judge puts kibosh on DC gay ?Marriage? Referendum?

Posted on July 02, 2009
"'We are disappointed with the court's ruling, but our clients will proceed immediately with an initiative which will preserve marriage between one man and one woman in D.C.,' said Brian Raum, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, in a statement...

?Ted Olson going solo to CA Prop 8 hearing?

Posted on July 02, 2009
Andrew Longstreth reports at Law.com: "Of course, you know now that Judge Walker issued an order laying out his desire for an expedited trial. There will still be a hearing Thursday morning, but the topic will be how to best move the case forward, not whether to issue a preliminary injunction...

The Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings as a Non-Event

Posted on July 02, 2009
Tom Goldstein writes at the SCOTUS Blog: "Republicans have nothing significant to gain by making the hearing a media event, so they won?t. For her part, Judge Sotomayor is likely to adhere to the modern tradition of saying as little as necessary . . ...

Documents: Sotomayor Led Charge Against Bork

Posted on July 02, 2009
NewsMax: "A Puerto Rican civil rights organization advised by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor campaigned against seating conservative Robert Bork on the high court in the late 1980s, according to new documents that shed light on the group that's become a key focus of Republicans questioning Sotomayor's fitness to be a justice...

Church of England school bans girl from wearing crucifix ? but allows Sikh pupils to wear bangles

Posted on July 02, 2009
Daily Mail: "Lauren Grimshaw-Brown was told to take off a necklace with a cross on it because of health and safety fears. But the eight-year-old's furious mother has accused the school of double standards because they allow children following other faiths to wear jewellery on religious grounds...

?Cameron apologises to gays for Section 28: Law to ban promotion of homosexuality in schools was wrong, says Tory leader?

Posted on July 02, 2009
Daily Mail: "The Tory leader's latest remarks, during an appearance at a Gay Pride event, were attacked last night by traditionalists on the Right of his party . . . Former party chairman Lord Tebbit said he suspected the apology had been driven by 'focus group findings'...

ACLU targets Gideons in Texas school case

Posted on July 02, 2009
One News Now: "One of the complaints is that the Navasota school district permits the Gideons to distribute Bibles at its schools. Attorney Roger Byron of Liberty Legal Institute notes the Christian organization has been doing so for decades."

Law school pays students to stay away

Posted on July 02, 2009
National Law Journal: "The University of Miami School of Law saw a significant increase in its so-called yield rate ? the percentage of accepted students who enroll ? and has offered incentives for students to defer their starts until the fall of 2010...

UK: ?Schools alert over forced marriages?

Posted on July 02, 2009
Press Association: "Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant insisted every school should be looking at the issue as he acknowledged some may have been 'uncertain' about cultural sensitivities. The summer break is a peak time for incidents of young people being taken to south Asia in particular and forced by their families to marry...

GOP?s Coleman could eye Minn. governor run next

Posted on July 02, 2009
AP: "But it's a testament to Norm Coleman's political durability that just a day after he conceded the contest and gave Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate majority, many GOP insiders consider him an automatic front-runner if he enters the 2010 race to replace Republican Minnesota Gov...

Vietnam sees alarming rise in boy births vs girls

Posted on July 02, 2009
AP: "For every 100 girls born to Vietnamese families, there are 112 boys born, a disparity in the sex ratio that has been rapidly increasing in recent years, an official said Thursday."

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