Religion & Law

Home Schooling as Factor in Child Custody Decisions

Posted on January 14, 2009
Eugene Volokh has this post on the Volokh Conspiracy discussing bias against homeschooling and favoritism toward public schools in child custody rulings. Visit Site » Share This

NJ kids with Nazi-inspired names removed from home

Posted on January 14, 2009
AP:  “Holland Township Police Sgt. John Harris says workers from the state Division of Youth and Family Services on Tuesday removed 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell and his younger sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell from their home Tuesday...

ADF memo urges European Parliament to reject resolution on social policy

Posted on January 14, 2009
ADF submitted a legal memo to the EU urging it to vote against a resolution introduced by a communist. The resolution promotes same-sex ?partnerships,? abortion, and censorship of moral expressions on homosexual behavior.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Controversial New Religion Law

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Religion Clause Blog reports: “Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Monday signed a repressive new Religion Law according to reports by the Press Association and by Forum 18. The law streamlines government control over religion by banning private religious schools and providing for teaching of religion in public schools ...

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4th Circuit revives W.Va. video lottery ad restrictions

Posted on January 14, 2009
AP: A federal appeals court reinstated West Virginia’s video lottery advertising restrictions Tuesday, ruling that the state has a legitimate interest in raising money without contributing to compulsive gambling. A three-judge panel of the Richmond, Va...

High-Tech Marxism Comes to America

Posted on January 14, 2009
Beverly Eakman has this commentary on NewswithViews.com that begins: Deep down, most Americans once thought they were immune from blatant propaganda, government-sanctioned media-bias and psychiatric hospitals-cum-prisons ? hallmarks of Adolf Hitler?s Third Reich and Josef Stalin?s Communism...

Report: Senior Saudi cleric OKs girls to marry

Posted on January 14, 2009
AP: Saudi Arabia’s most senior cleric was quoted Wednesday as saying it is permissible for 10-year-old girls to marry and those who think they’re too young are doing the girls an injustice. The mufti’s comments showed the conservative clergy’s opposition to a drive by Saudi rights groups, including government ones, to define the age of marriage [...

Eight Traits Characterize Teens Who Abstain from Sex

Posted on January 14, 2009
Citizen Link reports: . . . according to government-supported research at the Heritage Foundation, one thing is clear: Teens who abstain from sex share some characteristics. The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement ...

Michigan schools dispute ACLU proselytizing charge

Posted on January 14, 2009
MLive.com reports: The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan alleges that South Haven Public Schools officials have allowed a lunchroom volunteer to promote religious activities to pupils during school hours . . . In a letter to Black, ACLU counsel James Rodbard said a family contacted the ACLU saying school officials have allowed a local [...

UK: MP brands dyslexia a ?fiction?

Posted on January 14, 2009
BBC: A Labour MP has claimed dyslexia is a myth invented by education chiefs to cover up poor teaching . . . “If dyslexia really existed then countries as diverse as Nicaragua and South Korea would not have been able to achieve literacy rates of nearly 100%...

State AGs Report: Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies

Posted on January 14, 2009
Technology can play a helpful role, but there is no one technological solution or specific combination of technological solutions to the problem of online safety for minors. Instead, a combination of technologies, in concert with parental oversight . ...

Lippman to become NY Chief Justice

Posted on January 14, 2009
NY Law Journal reports: “Jonathan Lippman, the seasoned administrative judge who has been presiding justice of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, 1st Department, since 2007, was tapped Tuesday by New York Gov. David A. Paterson to become the state’s next chief judge, said several sources who had been informed of the choice ...

Prop. 8 Court Battle Enters New Phase; PJI Files Legal Brief

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Pacific Justice Institute has issued this press release: The Pacific Justice Institute today filed its second legal brief in support of Proposition 8 as the California Supreme Court prepares to hear a new round of arguments for and against the measure...

BESE panel votes on La. school science guidelines

Posted on January 14, 2009
KATC.com reports: Supporters of teaching alternatives to evolution in Louisiana public school science classes convinced a state education panel Tuesday to forego a specific ban on the teaching of scientific creationism and intelligent design, two theories that have already been struck down by federal courts ...

Presidential Proclamation: Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2009

Posted on January 14, 2009
"I call on all Americans to reflect on the great blessing of religious liberty, endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities."

?Report Cites Political and Racial Bias At Justice; Watchdogs Say Ex-Official Broke Civil Service Laws?

Posted on January 14, 2009
How Appealing links to several reports and the DOJ report: An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring and Other Improper Personnel Actions in the Civil Rights Division. Washington Post: William Jordan, an attorney for Schlozman, blasted Justice Department watchdogs for reaching conclusions that were “unsupported” by the law...

Obama will end ?don?t ask? policy, aide says

Posted on January 14, 2009
"President Obama will end the 15-year-old 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that has prevented homosexual and bisexual men and women from serving openly within the U.S. military, a spokesman for the president-elect said . . ."

Library boots Christians but would welcome KKK

Posted on January 14, 2009
OneNewsNow.com reports: . . . Faith Center Church Evangelistic Ministries was using a local public library room for a meeting — which included a Bible message and prayer — until library officials threw them out. Alliance Defense Fund attorney Tim Chandler is handling the case ...

Kalamazoo City Commission repeals ?gay rights? law

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Chicago Tribune reports: “The American Family Association of Michigan submitted petitions with about 1,600 signatures seeking the law’s repeal. If officials found at least 1,273 signatures valid, the commission would have had to rescind the law or put it on the ballot...

Reason and Authority in the European Court of Justice

Posted on January 14, 2009
This Article makes the case for a discursive turn in European law. Contrary to the prevailing view, politicizing the judicial discourse of the European Court of Justice would strengthen, more than undermine, the Court's authority. This argument is made with reference to the ECJ's reason giving practice, specifically to the relation between the form and content of its decisions...

Can the Accommodationist Achieve Pluralism?

Posted on January 14, 2009
This paper is based on my brief remarks on a panel dedicated to ?reimagining the relationship between religion and law? and focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court's church and state jurisprudence. In particular, I ask whether an approach to the Establishment Clause known as accommodation is consonant with the larger concept of pluralism, particularly in the context of public religious symbols and displays, and offer some proposals and tentative conclusions.

Setting the Social Agenda: Deciding to Review High-Profile Cases at the Supreme Court

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Court's decisions on whether and when to review these more politically charged cases thus have significant ramifications for the Court and for the country's social agenda . . .

Fixing Free Exercise: A Compelling Need to Relieve the Current Burdens

Posted on January 14, 2009
Using the dispute between the native tribes of northern Arizona and the federal government over the development of the Peaks, this article will demonstrate how the Supreme Court's decision in Smith, as well as the subsequent activities of courts and legislative bodies, has disrupted well-settled law and has created a quagmire of confusion related to religious freedom.

Privacy and Funeral Protests

Posted on January 14, 2009
This Article examines the free speech implications of funeral protest statutes. Enacted in response to the Westboro Baptist Church, whose members protest at funerals to spread their anti-gay message, such statutes restrict a broad array of peaceful expressive activity...

San Francisco Assessor: Catholic Archdiocese owes millions

Posted on January 14, 2009
The San Francisco Chronicle reports: “San Francisco will try to collect up to $15 million in taxes from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which is refusing to pay certain taxes on properties the church is transferring from one Catholic nonprofit organization to another ...

Maine?s governor going squishy on marriage?

Posted on January 14, 2009
Maine Gov. Baldacci’s statement: ?I?m not prepared to say I support gay marriage today, but I will consider what I hear as the Legislature works to find the best way to address discrimination.? Visit Site » Share This

Homosexual agenda unveiled in Hillary confirmation hearing

Posted on January 14, 2009
GayPolitics.com provides an excerpt from the transcript of Hillary Clinton’s recent confirmation hearing for Secretary of State. It includes these excerpts: FEINGOLD: . . . Will you support changes to existing personnel policy in order to ensure that LGBT staff at State and USAID receive equal benefits and support? CLINTON: Senator, this issue was brought to my [...

Reportedly, 20% of teens do it: what is ?sexting??

Posted on January 14, 2009
Findlaw reports: Only one letter removed from the innocuous “texting” everyone is familiar with, the word “sexting” has been popping up in various news stories lately. In its various forms, sexting is the transmission of suggestive material via text messages ...

Pro-Life Law Firm and Illinois Solicitor General will Argue for Mandatory Parental Notice of Minors? Abortions

Posted on January 14, 2009
Thomas More Society reports on the Christian Newswire: “On Wednesday, January 14, the Chicago-based Thomas More Society . . .  will argue before the Federal Seventh Circuit, along with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Solicitor General, to defend Illinois’ long waning Parental Notice Law for Abortions...

?Virtual? Abortion Holocaust Memorial created in lieu of 81 mile wall

Posted on January 14, 2009
In 36 years, 50,000,000 children have died as a result of legalized abortion in the United States. There is no visible monument capable of handling the scope of these deaths. Georgia Right to Life wants to correct this injustice . . .

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