Religion & Law

Proposed federal law would be ?hate crime? against America

Posted on June 25, 2009
Robert H. Knight writing at Human Events: "The point is that the proposed federal 'hate crime' law before the Senate is less about righting wrongs than it is about elevating sexual preferences -- all of them -- to civil rights status so they can be used as a battering ram against people with traditional values...

Australia: Homosexual blood donor?s Red Cross suit dismissed

Posted on June 25, 2009
Christian Today Australia reports: "A homosexual man refused permission to donate blood has had his long-running discrimination complaint dismissed. The Australian Red Cross refused to accept Michael Cain's blood at Launceston in October 2004 because he had answered yes to a screening question about having had male-to-male sex in the previous 12 months...

CA: Modesto school board sides with Planned Parenthood against parental rights

Posted on June 25, 2009
California Catholic Daily: "A divided Modesto City School Board has voted to permit junior high and high school students to leave campus during the school day for 'confidential medical services,' including abortions, without the consent or knowledge of their parents...

Switzerland gov?t may ban euthanasia clinics

Posted on June 25, 2009
LifeNews reports: "The Switzerland government is considering a proposal that would ban the assisted suicide clinics run by the pro-euthanasia group Dignitas. The move would end the practice of so-called suicide tourism and move the European nation out of the category with Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg...

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The Koh Nomination and The Foreign Law Debate

Posted on June 25, 2009
Eric Posner writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: "Now that Harold Koh is on his way to confirmation, it may be possible to discuss why some people (not me) opposed his appointment while others pooh-poohed their objections and accused Koh?s critics of ad hominem attacks...

Kenya: ?Evangelicals Oppose Proposal For Separate Kadhi Court System?

Posted on June 25, 2009
Religion Clause Blog: Kenya's Daily Nation yesterday reported that the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) has threatened to mobilize its Pentecostal members to vote against the country's draft constitution when it is put to a referendum, if drafters move ahead with plans to provide in the constitution for a separate set of Kadhi Courts for Muslims.

Gov. Sanford?s Press Conference and Wife?s Response Contain Extensive Religious References

Posted on June 25, 2009
Religion Clause Blog carries excerpts from the Governor's comments including this: "And in this regard, let me throw one more apology out there, and that is to people of faith across South Carolina, or for that matter, across the nation, because I think that one of the big disappointments when, believe it or not, I've been a person of faith all my life, if somebody falls within the -- the fellowship of believers or the walk of faith, I think it makes it that much harder for believers to say, 'Well, where was that person coming from?' Or folks that weren't believers to say, 'Where, indeed, was that person coming from?' So one more apology in there...

Google access in China temporarily disrupted

Posted on June 25, 2009
AP: "Internet users in China were unable to access search giant Google Inc.'s main Web site or its Chinese service, and the company said Thursday it was investigating."

U.S. Supreme Court says strip search of child illegal

Posted on June 25, 2009
AP: "The Supreme Court says a school's strip search of an Arizona teenage girl accused of having prescription-strength ibuprofen was illegal." Safford Unified School Dist. #1 v. Redding , No. 08-479

Australia: Bill to redefine marriage introduced in Parliament

Posted on June 25, 2009
Herald Sun: "SAME-SEX couples will be allowed to marry if a Bill introduced in the Federal Parliament is passed. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced her private member's Bill, proposing to grant gay couples equal marriage rights, into the Upper House on Wednesday...

Ohio: ?University reverses; recognizes Christian student group?

Posted on June 25, 2009
One News Now: In early 2009, Campus Bible Fellowship was told by Wright State University it was no longer recognized as an official student organization and could no longer meet on campus . . . "It was essentially like telling a Christian student organization that it couldn't require Christians to lead the group or be voting members...

California: Lodi City Council invocations catch attention of more national groups

Posted on June 25, 2009
Lodi News-Sentinel: "Two more national groups have focused on the debate around prayers mentioning Jesus before Lodi City Council meetings . . . But the city might be able to make use of free legal services from the Alliance Defense Fund, Klingenschmitt said...

First online law grad admitted in Massachusetts

Posted on June 25, 2009
National Law Journal: "An online law school graduate who sued the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts for the opportunity to take that state's bar examination is now a newly minted Massachusetts lawyer."

Social Media Director at Alliance Defense Fund in Scottsdale, AZ.

Posted on June 25, 2009
Mashable's Weekly Social Media & Web Job Guide: ADF seeks a full-time Social Media Director responsible for developing and executing plans in social networking, video sharing, web communities and on other social media sites. Responsibilities include developing and executing quality web content and messaging that will drive appropriate traffic to specific ADF websites...

Teen sentenced for indecent MySpace photos

Posted on June 25, 2009
One News Now: Pat Trueman, special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, tells OneNewsNow the case ought to drive a point home to children. "Production and distribution of child pornography is a very serious offense," he says, "and in fact, depending on the number of items, under federal law you can get perhaps 20 years, maybe even longer in a federal penitentiary ...

Appeals court upholds ?partial birth abortion ban? for Virginia

Posted on June 25, 2009
Jake Jones writing at Examiner.com: "The Alliance Defense Fund is reporting that yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled to uphold the constitutionality of Virginia?s partial-birth abortion ban."

Delaware: ?State votes to end gay bias?

Posted on June 25, 2009
The News Journal: ". . . Speaking in favor of all three amendments was Tim Tracey, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative advocacy group whose mission is 'to aggressively defend religious liberty.'"

PA citizen group seeks to intervene in Foxwoods Casino licensing process

Posted on June 25, 2009
Eastern Pennsylvania Citizens Against Gambling (E.P.C.A.G.), filed today a petition with the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board for intervention in the petition of Foxwoods casino developers for extension of time in which to make slot machines available.

Pornography makes its way to iPhone

Posted on June 25, 2009
Roger Greer reports at CitizenLink: "Pressure from the public can have a huge impact on a business, according to Pat Trueman, special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. That's why families must continue to let Apple know how they feel about porn being available on the iPhone...

House panel pushes Obama?s D.C. abortion funding policy

Posted on June 25, 2009
LifeNews: "A House subcommittee today pushed forward President Barack Obama's agenda for funding abortions in the nation's capital. A panel put into legislation Obama's request to overturn the Dornan Amendment, which has prohibited taxpayer-funded abortions in Washington for years...

?Illinois appellate court gets first openly gay judge?

Posted on June 25, 2009
Windy City Times: "The Illinois Appellate Court has named openly gay Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sebastian Patti, 57, to fill a vacancy on the bench, according to ChicagoBusiness.com. He will succeed Leslie South effective Aug. 3."

MN: Trial set for woman who fled rather than testify against husband

Posted on June 25, 2009
Grand Forks Herald reports: "A judge has set a trial for the Frazee, Minn., grandmother who allegedly hid from authorities last year rather than face testifying against her husband in a criminal sexual assault trial."

White House to extend protection to transgender federal employees

Posted on June 25, 2009
Jim Rutenberg reports in the New York Times: "Lawyers for President Obama are quietly drafting first-of-their kind guidelines barring workplace discrimination against transgender federal employees, officials said Tuesday."

MD: Easton passes 9-month SOB moratorium

Posted on June 25, 2009
Associated Press: "The Easton Town Council has passed a nine-month moratorium on adult businesses in a step toward banning them entirely."

WHO doesn?t know how many mothers die from abortion

Posted on June 25, 2009
Dawn Eden reports at American United For Life: "Under WHO?s vague reporting rules, maternal deaths from abortion are typically listed within a wide category that can include deaths from ?spontaneous abortion? ? miscarriages ? as well as induced abortion...

Prison rape report issued

Posted on June 25, 2009
The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission issued a report on sexual abuse in prisons: "The problem of prison rape and other forms of sexual abuse is too serious and far-reaching, too devastating to the individuals and communities that it ultimately affects to be left to evolve unevenly...

Paul Suttell confirmed as RI chief justice

Posted on June 25, 2009
Boston Globe: "Suttell won the unanimous support of the state Senate in the final step of his confirmation process. He received a standing ovation and was confirmed without debate."

UK Bishops: ?Abortion is not a medicine?

Posted on June 25, 2009
The Catholic Herald reports: "In a submission to the Advertising Standards Authority the bishops also severely criticised proposals for contraception adverts aimed at children as young as 10, saying they would result in the sexualisation of young people and increase the problems of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases they were designed to solve...

?Homosexuals defame black church for exercising religious liberty?

Posted on June 25, 2009
Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission as issued this press release via Christian Newswire: "Manifested Glory Church, a non-denominational black church in Bridgeport, CT, has been under fire ever since a video appeared on the internet of the exorcism of a 16 year old young man who came to the church asking for help...

YouTube removes undercover Planned Parenthood video

Posted on June 25, 2009
Lila Rose of Live Action has issued this press release via Christian Newswire: "Without offering any specific explanation, the video-sharing site YouTube has removed a new video by the student group Live Action that shows dishonest counseling practices at Planned Parenthood...

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