Religion & Law

7th-grader stands up for faith

Posted on March 30, 2011
One News Now: A California-based law group is considering legal action in a case where a teacher reportedly attacked Christianity during class time, calling Christians "zombie worshippers." . . .

US back to denying same sex couple visas

Posted on March 30, 2011
AP: . . . a review by lawyers from the Department of Homeland Security, it was concluded that a law prohibiting the government from recognizing same sex marriages must be followed, despite the Obama administration's decision to stop defending the constitutionality of the law in court ...

Outside factors could affect Wisconsin?s Supreme Court race

Posted on March 30, 2011
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The result: The two biggest and most important Democratic counties in the state likely will be turning out in larger than normal numbers for the Supreme Court contest because of two local elections that normally would never occur together and would not have occurred this April under the regular political calendar.

Louisiana: Parents protest Bishop?s revocation of corporal punishment at Catholic School

Posted on March 30, 2011
NOLA.com: More than 500 students, parents and other supporters of St. Augustine High School's policy of using corporal punishment marched Saturday morning on an Archdiocese of New Orleans office to press their message with Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who has called on school officials to abandon the 60-year practice.

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Iran Burns Bibles, Condemns Fla. Quran Burning

Posted on March 30, 2011
National Review: Iran?s official Fars news agency reports that the Iranian Foreign Ministry ?strongly condemned the recent insult to the Muslims? holy book in the US state of Florida . . . NRO readers may remember that Iran recently suspended Hohabet News after it reported that the Iranian government itself had seized and burned 600 New Testaments in Salmas ...

Pakistan: Two Christians killed, churches burned: extremists respond to Florida Koran burning

Posted on March 30, 2011
AsiaNews.it: In Hyderabad and Lahore, a mob of Islamic fundamentalists targeted the Christian places of worship. Desecrated several copies of the Bible. Anti-American slogans and demonstrations in different cities of Pakistan. The extremists pledge more violence, if Washington does not condemn pastor Jones to death...

KS: 2 anti-abortion bills go to Brownback

Posted on March 30, 2011
Wichita Eagle: bill blocking most abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy, based on disputed research that fetuses can feel pain, is on its way to Gov. Sam Brownback, who has indicated he will sign it. The House on Tuesday also approved a second bill requiring both parents to consent before a minor can have an abortion...

India: 14 arrested in Orissa for unlawful conversion

Posted on March 30, 2011
HinduStanTimes: "The police on Tuesday arrested 14 persons, mostly tribals, in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa on the charge of unlawful religious conversion."

Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt Invites Copts To Join Its New Political Party

Posted on March 30, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: Al Masyr Al Youm today reports that Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie has invited Coptic Christians to join the Freedom and Justice Party-- the new political party which the Brotherhood plans to form.

Muslim Center?s Zoning Claims Move Ahead, But Individual Capacity Claims Dismissed

Posted on March 30, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: In Irshad Learning Center v. County of DuPage, (ND IL, March 28, 2011), an Illinois federal district court dismissed individual capacity claims against county officials, but permitted plaintiffs to move ahead with most of their other challenges to the denial of a conditional use permit to use their property for Muslim religious purposes and educational activities.

Court Rules On Discovery Motions In Clergy Sex Abuse Case

Posted on March 28, 2011
Religion Clause Blog: In Dotson v. Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp., 2011 Conn. Super. LEXIS 386 (CT Super., Feb. 17, 2011), a Connecticut trial court ruled on a number of discovery motions filed by a priest, two Catholic churches and the Hartford Diocese in a lawsuit by a victim of alleged clergy sexual abuse...

ADF encourages governors to ignore activist groups, observe 2011 National Day of Prayer

Posted on March 28, 2011
The Alliance Defense Fund issued letters to be received by governors across the U.S. Monday urging them to observe and participate in the 60th Annual National Day of Prayer on May 5.

Supreme Court Grants Review In ?Ministerial Exception? Case

Posted on March 28, 2011
The U.S. Supreme Court today granted certiorari in a case involving the scope of the "ministerial exception" to federal anti-discrimination laws.

Jim Campbell on Drive Time with Bill Bunkley: Defending the Federal DOMA

Posted on March 28, 2011
ADF attorney Jim Campbell appeared on Drive Time with Bill Bunkley to discuss this: ADF: House on firm ground to defend DOMA. | MP3 audio 11:41 mins

Matt Bowman on KFUO with Roland Lettner: NYC can?t require CPCs to support abortion industry messaging

Posted on March 28, 2011
ADF attorney Matt Bowman appeared on KFUO with Roland Lettner to discuss this: New York City sued over law targeting pregnancy care centers. | MP3 audio 23:50 mins

Erik Stanley on the Janet Mefferd Show: Arizona church hit with tax bill it doesn?t owe

Posted on March 28, 2011
ADF attorney Erik Stanley appeared on the Janet Mefferd Show to discuss this: ADF files suit to protect Ariz. church from foreclosure based on $50K illegal tax bill | MP3 audio 19:17 mins

Jeremy Tedesco on the Paul Edwards Program: The case of Julea Ward

Posted on March 28, 2011
ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco appeared on the Paul Edwards Program to discuss this: ADF to appeal ruling that allows Eastern Michigan U. to expel Christian students for holding to beliefs. | MP3 audio 11:06 mins

Dale Schowengerdt on the Roland Lettner Show: Federal DOMA under attack

Posted on March 28, 2011
ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt appeared on KFUO with Roland Lettner to discuss attacks against the Federal Defense of Marriage Act and the President's refusal to defend the Act. | MP3 audio 21:45 mins

Kingsborough faces lawsuit by Republican Club

Posted on March 28, 2011
Theticker.org: After numerous instances where he felt he was being censored due to the subject matter of his fliers and events, Hayon and fellow members have filed a lawsuit against the school with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund . . . "The March 9 agreement was a short term resolution that addressed the immediate concerns that the plaintiffs had ? that had provoked their request for a hasty injunction hearing with the court...

Germany Jails Christian Parents Over Sex Education Row

Posted on March 28, 2011
BosNewsLife.com: "Parents, not the government, are ultimately responsible for making educational choices for their children, and jailing them for exercising this universal right is ridiculous," argued ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska. The imprisoned Eduard Wiens "was well within his rights under the European Convention of Human Rights to opt to teach his children a view of sexuality that is in accord with his own religious beliefs, instead of sending them to classes and an interactive play that they found to be objectionable," Kiska added.

?Wisconsin Gov. Walker fires lawyer defending gay rights?

Posted on March 28, 2011
ChicagoPride.com: "Republican Gov. Scott Walker has removed the attorney representing Wisconsin in a lawsuit challenging that state's domestic partner registry . . . Wisconsin Family Action is also getting legal help from the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization based in Arizona...

?Scott Walker Takes Aim At Gays?

Posted on March 28, 2011
LezGetReal: The challenge to the law was brought by Wisconsin Family Action, which is receiving help from the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund.

Germany Jails Christian Parents Over Sex Education Row

Posted on March 28, 2011
WorthyNews.com: "Parents, not the government, are ultimately responsible for making educational choices for their children, and jailing them for exercising this universal right is ridiculous," argued ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska. The imprisoned Eduard Wiens "was well within his rights under the European Convention of Human Rights to opt to teach his children a view of sexuality that is in accord with his own religious beliefs, instead of sending them to classes and an interactive play that they found to be objectionable," Kiska added...

Weingarten for the Union Defense

Posted on March 28, 2011
Jason L. Riley writes at the Wall Street Journal: But the real strength of the AFT, NEA and their state and local affiliates lies in their ability to obstruct. They have been particularly effective at blocking poor people from leaving bad public schools...

Emails: Insiders worried over political ?meddling?

Posted on March 28, 2011
AP: "Insiders at the Homeland Security Department warned for months that senior Obama administration appointees were improperly delaying the releases of government files on politically sensitive topics as sought by citizens, journalists and watchdog groups under the Freedom of Information Act, according to uncensored emails newly obtained by The Associated Press...

Heritage Foundation: What Would Democrats Cut?

Posted on March 28, 2011
Heritage Foundation Morning Bell: The threat of a government shutdown would not exist had the Democratically controlled 111th Congress passed a budget for this fiscal year. In fact, not only did they fail to pass a budget, but for the for the first time in the history of the budget-making process, last year?s Congress failed to even vote on a budget...

PFOX: Apple Computer Co. Discriminating Against Ex-Gays

Posted on March 28, 2011
"Apparently Apple is afraid of real diversity and tolerance," said Christopher Doyle, former homosexual and PFOX board member. "Individuals with unwanted same-sex attraction deserve support from the same technology that gays benefit from - why are ex-gays being singled out for blatant sexual orientation discrimination? If Apple is dropping its ex-gay apps, it must also drop its gay apps...

Centrist senators don?t want to talk about Planned Parenthood

Posted on March 28, 2011
The Hill: "The hot-button issue is one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of any bipartisan deal on a spending bill that would fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year."

Marriage and Procreation: The Intrinsic Connection

Posted on March 28, 2011
In this essay we will show how to answer the argument denying an intrinsic link between marriage and procreation, and we will explain why the state is obliged, for the sake of moral truth and the common good, to recognize and protect marriage as a man-woman community naturally oriented to procreation.

Argument preview: Politics and public money

Posted on March 28, 2011
SCOTUS Blog: The Court holds oral argument Monday on the constitutionality of Arizona?s system for using public funds to subsidize some state political candidates, a case with nationwide implications.

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