Religion & Law

Infanticide law upheld by Ontario?s top court

Posted on March 18, 2011
CBC: "The Ontario Court of Appeal denied an appeal by the Crown in the case of a Guelph, Ont., woman convicted of infanticide after smothering two of her children. The case marks the first time a Canadian appellate court has examined infanticide provisions in the Criminal Code in detail...

Canada: Free sperm donor model faces hurdles

Posted on March 18, 2011
CBC: Canada might not have enough sperm donors without turning to other countries, a new report on the country's ban on paying donors suggests. The federal government banned the sale of human eggs and sperm under Canada's Assisted Human Reproductive Act in 2004.

Lithuania Proposes Ban on Gender Reassignment in Defiance of EU Court

Posted on March 18, 2011
Care2.net: "Lithuanian lawmakers recently introduced a draft proposal that would amend the country's Civil Code to prohibit gender reassignment surgery, in defiance of a 2007 European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling."

Center for Reproductive Rights and UNFPA Launch New Briefing Paper on Family Planning and Human Rights

Posted on March 18, 2011
Center for Reproductive Rights: The briefing paper examines the many barriers that women and young people face when trying to obtain family planning information and services?from high service costs to physical inaccessibility to discriminatory treatment by healthcare providers...

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Nepal Supreme Court: Abortion Is a Right

Posted on March 18, 2011
Center for Reproductive Rights: "In a recent decision in the case of Lakshmi Dhikta v. Nepal, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that the country?s government must guarantee access to safe and affordable abortion services. Specifically, it affirmed the need for a comprehensive abortion law and emphasized the government?s obligation to ensure that no woman is denied a legal abortion just because she cannot pay for it...

Appeals court rules N.J. woman must adopt boy conceived through in vitro to be considered mother

Posted on March 18, 2011
NJ.com: "Cofsky says that?s discrimination. Under the state?s parentage laws, a husband is always presumed to be the father of a baby even if his sperm isn?t used for conception, he said. But a wife who doesn?t use her egg or her body for the pregnancy is never the presumed to be the mother...

Same-sex marriage campaign is aimed at Iowa conservatives

Posted on March 18, 2011
Des Moines Register: The public face of the effort will be Jeff Angelo, a Republican former state senator from Creston who sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa five years ago.

GLSEN promotes two bullying bills in Congress

Posted on March 18, 2011
Metro Weekly: "The two main pieces of legislation that advocates such as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) have been pushing are the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) and the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA). The SSIA would amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to include bullying- and harassment-prevention programs, including ones based on sexual orientation or gender identity...

Planned Parenthood of Central Texas Closes Two Centers

Posted on March 18, 2011
LifeNews: Planned Parenthood of Central Texas is closing two of its centers that make abortion referrals to its main location. The affiliate of the national abortion business did not give any reasons for closing the locations in Groesbeck and Marlin, Texas

Harassment of Turkish Christians continues

Posted on March 18, 2011
Baptist Press: Though the horrific murders of three employees of a Bible publishing firm in Malatya, Turkey, in 2007 have not been replicated, a report by the Turkish Association of Protestant Churches contends that harassment continues to be a daily problem for Protestant Christians and churches in the country.

Southern Baptist leaders stand against proposed ?gender identity? law in Nash.

Posted on March 18, 2011
Baptist Press: Three prominent Southern Baptist leaders are publicly opposing a proposed Nashville law that would require city contractors to add non-discrimination policies based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Missouri House Latest to Pass Post-Viability Abortion Ban

Posted on March 18, 2011
LifeNews: "Today, the chamber approved HB 213, the Late-Term Abortions sponsored by Rep. Tim Jones ? a measure that prohibits abortions on unborn children after viability."

Jews warned about visiting southern Sweden

Posted on March 18, 2011
TheLocal.se: A US-based Jewish group has issued a travel warning urging Jews to exercise "extreme caution" when traveling in southern Sweden.

Arizona Senate votes down immigration bills

Posted on March 18, 2011
Reuters: "The Arizona Senate on Thursday rejected five immigration bills, placing a major stumbling block in the way of state conservatives' hopes to pass more laws cracking down on illegal immigrants."

Four abortion bills under consideration in Kansas Legislature

Posted on March 18, 2011
KC Star: "Among the four abortion-related bills being heard in the committee is one that includes restrictions that would make abortions illegal after 22 weeks of gestation, the age at which a fetus could survive outside of the womb."

Washington Post-ABC ?Poll: Majority now favors same-sex marriage?

Posted on March 18, 2011
Washington Post: "Now, 53 percent say gay marriage should be legal, marking the first time in Post-ABC polling that a majority has said so."

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa): State Senate Majority leader right to block vote

Posted on March 18, 2011
QC Times: "U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Thursday that Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal is right to block a vote in the state Senate on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage."

Embryo Adoption: Ethical? Mt. Sonai Hospital in Toronto offers new option

Posted on March 18, 2011
Discovery News: "The Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, plans to make another option easier: the donation of frozen embryos to other couples through an anonymous embryo donation program at its Center for Fertility and Reproductive Health."

Scots equality chiefs call for homosexual marriage

Posted on March 18, 2011
Christian Institute:

Religion Clause Blog: European Court?s Grand Chamber Upholds Italy?s Placement of Crucifixes In State Schools

Posted on March 18, 2011
Religion Clause Blog discusses today's ruling.

Italy wins crucifix case at European court

Posted on March 18, 2011
Christian Institute: Roger Kiska of the Alliance Defense Fund said: ?The European Court of Human Rights shouldn?t overstep its authority and force a member nation to abandon traditions and beliefs that it has a sovereign right to protect if it so chooses...

European Court of Human Rights: Crosses can stay in Italy?s classrooms

Posted on March 18, 2011
Crosses will continue to remain in Italy?s classrooms as a result of a judgment issued Friday by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. The court reversed a lower chamber?s 2009 ruling in favor of an ?offended? parent who wanted crucifixes removed from the country?s public schools but did not prevail in Italian courts.

Liberal Wisconsin judge temporarily blocks implementation of law curtailing public worker union rights

Posted on March 18, 2011
"A Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the state?s new and contentious collective bargaining law from taking effect, a measure that drew tens of thousands of protesters to the state Capitol and sent some Democrats fleeing to Illinois in an attempt to block a vote on it...

Civil liberties group supports B.C. polygamists

Posted on March 18, 2011
Vancouver Sun: Canada's anti-polygamy law offends fundamental freedoms protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, argues the B.C. Civil Liberties Association."

Facebook wedding photo leads to polygamy charge

Posted on March 18, 2011
CNET: "Apparently, hell hath no fury like a woman bigamized. So you will be stunned into a permanently single life when I tell you that Barton Jr. has been charged with polygamy. Michigan, unlike certain areas of Utah, tends to look down on polygamy. The maximum sentence is four years (and/or a $5,000 fine ...

State round-up: Pro-life laws advance in Illinois, New Hampshire and Idaho

Posted on March 18, 2011
LifeSite News carries this roundup and report on the various states.

Vatican warns United Nations against radical

Posted on March 18, 2011
LifeSiteNews: The annual UN women?s commission ended a week late with opposite sides forming over how to treat gender. While the theme of the meeting was the non-controversial issue of women in science and technology, negotiations were unexpectedly fraught with ideological disagreements over the concept of gender, and the usual debate over issues related to sexuality.

German mother jailed for refusing government sex ed appeals to human rights court

Posted on March 18, 2011
LifeSiteNews: Parents, not the government, are the ones ultimately responsible for making educational choices for their children, and jailing them for standing on this universal right is simply unconscionable,? said ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska in a press release...

Anti-homeschool decision upheld by court

Posted on March 18, 2011
Baptist Press: Joseph Infranco, senior counsel for ADF, said, "Although we strongly disagree with the court's decision for this family and do not believe the trial court should have considered religion as it did, we appreciate that the Supreme Court limited its decision to the facts of this case...

Child placement law contested: Unmarried Ark. couples can?t adopt, be foster parents

Posted on March 18, 2011
Washington Times: That is why the court should uphold Act 1, a 2008 voter-passed law that excludes cohabiting heterosexual and homosexual couples from being foster or adoptive parents, said Byron J. Babione, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund...

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