Religion & Law

UK: Two arrests over assisted suicide of disabled man

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Christian Institute: "Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a severely disabled man at the highly controversial Dignitas facility in Switzerland."

Justice Kennedy on blogs

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Volokh Conspiracy: "On August 19th, Justice Kennedy gave an address that included an interesting passing remark about the role of blogs . . . Justice Kennedy adds: 'I've found, what my clerks do now, when they have interesting cases ? They read blogs...

Coptic patriarch: Desire to divorce leads Catholics to convert to Islam

Posted on September 03, 2010
Patriarch Antonius Naguib, the head of the Coptic Catholic Church, interviewed at Aid to the Church in Need: "The easiest way to get out of a marriage, for a Christian whether its the man or the woman, is to become Muslim - for them it is easy to divorce and have the benefit of full rights against the other partner or spouse and full custody of the children...

Okla. Ten Commandments display could carve new church-state path

Posted on September 03, 2010
Baptist Press: "Seven years after Alabama removed a Ten Commandments monument from a government building under federal court-order, the state of Oklahoma is preparing to erect its own Ten Commandments monument on capitol grounds, and supporters say they have the backing of recent Supreme Court precedent ...

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Delaware Republicans attack Tea Party Senate candidate as unelectable ?liar?

Posted on September 03, 2010
CNSNews: "Delaware Republicans call Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell a liar who 'could not be elected dog catcher' in a fierce attack that underscores GOP fears of the tea party-backed candidate knocking off top recruit Rep. Mike Castle and winning the nomination...

LifeWay Survey: Millennials divided over same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on September 03, 2010
CitizenLink: "LifeWay Research released its latest survey on Millennials ? Americans born between 1980 and 1991 ?and found that 61 percent either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with same-sex marriage."

Ireland: No freedom of speech on life?s biggest question

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Iona Institute: "Increasing intolerance of religion in Irish public life is ?an indication of an incipient totalitarianism that would obliterate the most fundamental freedom there is,? according to one of Ireland's leading commentators. Writing in the Irish Times, John Waters said that Irish culture 'has decided that the declaration of religious conviction is always "offensive...

Ex-Planned Parenthood abortion business in California faces criminal IRS audit

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeNews: "The regional affiliate of Planned Parenthood where teenager Holly Patterson died from using the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug first lost its affiliation with Planned Parenthood in early August. Now, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate faces an audit form the criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service...

Federal judge blocks Neb. ban on flag mutilation

Posted on September 03, 2010
"A federal judge overturned Nebraska's ban on flag mutilation Thursday, clearing the way for Kansas church protesters to continue trampling on the U.S. flag when they protest at military funerals."

Legal representation helps asylum seekers succeed in court

Posted on September 03, 2010
Law.com: "Asylum seekers' rate of success in the nation's immigration courts is the highest it has been in 25 years and one significant factor is increased legal representation, new research has found. In fiscal year 1986, immigration judges denied almost nine out of 10 asylum requests...

Troubled abortion biz sees two abortion practitioners lose medical licenses

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeNews: "The troubled abortion business Steven Chase Brigham runs in four states got more bad news as two of the abortion practitioners he employees have lost their medical licenses. The Maryland medical licenses of George Shepard, Jr., of Delaware and Nicola I...

Public unions seek national monopoly

Posted on September 03, 2010
Washington Times: "Today, Big Government, not the private sector, is Big Labor's bread and butter. That's why union officials push relentlessly for higher taxes and bigger government and seem completely unconcerned that the policies they advocate will slash overall private-sector job growth in future years ...

WA: Thurston judge OKs release of initiative petitions

Posted on September 03, 2010
Washington Secretary of State / From Our Corner: "Judge Richard Hicks of Thurston County Superior Court has just lifted the ban on releasing initiative petitions under the state?s Public Records Act. His decision does not allow release of Referendum 71 petitions, however, since those are still the focus of a federal lawsuit brought by foes of same-sex marriage, and the federal judge has released a ban on release at this point...

Can federal courts pay non-citizen law clerks?

Posted on September 03, 2010
The Blog of LegalTimes: "The federal courts are grappling with the consequences of a little-noticed new law that bars the payment of federal salaries to non-U.S. citizens. The law could affect more than two dozen currently hired judicial law clerks who hail from nations including Canada and Australia...

HI: Senate confirms Recktenwald as new high court chief justice

Posted on September 03, 2010
Star Advertiser: "Gov. Linda Lingle's appointment of Associate Justice Mark Recktenwald as chief justice sailed through Senate confirmation yesterday, but she won't get to name his replacement on the five-member Hawaii Supreme Court."

Joel Oster: Christian beliefs ? a poison pill for public policy

Posted on September 03, 2010
ADF Attorney Joel Oster writing at Speak Up Movement / Church: "A recent decision by a federal district court in Connecticut has sent a very troubling message to those holding religious beliefs ? you are not full members of society, but second class citizens! ...

Audio: 7th Circuit backs Catholic group funding

Posted on September 03, 2010
CitizenLink / Family News in Focus features an audio report with quotations from ADF Attorney Jordan Lorence on the recent 7th Circuit ruling in Badger Catholic, Inc. v. Walsh. | Related ADF News Release.

Video: Carroll Conley discusses his new role with Maine Family Policy Council

Posted on September 03, 2010
CitizenLink: "Carroll Conley recently joined the Maine Family Policy Council as its new executive director. A native of Maine, Conley understands his audience and the issues; yet, he also brings a fresh perspective to the challenges he will face in defending the biblical concepts of family, faith and freedom...

David French: The Ground Zero mosque, the failure of education, and irreconcilable world views

Posted on September 03, 2010
ADF Attorney David French writing at Phi Beta Cons: "Reflexive hatred for America, contempt for ordinary Americans, appreciation for Islam, disgust for American conservatism, and acceptance of anti-Semitism as ultimately Israel?s fault are all characteristics of the modern American academic mindset...

Colorado abortionists launch campaign against Personhood ballot initiative

Posted on September 03, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion medical practitioners this week kicked off a campaign to snuff out the Colorado Personhood initiative, which aims to extend personhood to all human beings from the beginning of their biological development, as it heads to voters in November...

CA university upholds suspension of Muslim group

Posted on September 03, 2010
Associated Press: "The University of California, Irvine has upheld its decision to suspend a campus Muslim group after some of its members disrupted a speech by the Israeli ambassador at a campus event." For background information see this ADF Alliance Alert compound tag: http://www...

Sexual adaptation

Posted on September 03, 2010
Robert VerBruggen writing at National Review Online / Phi Beta Cons: "Democracy and capitalism are hardly 'natural,' but these institutions have done a great job of channeling humanity?s natural drives into productive and peaceful pursuits. So it is with monogamy...

Strip club law takes effect in Missouri

Posted on September 03, 2010
Courthouse News Service: "A Missouri appeals court refused to block a law that imposes tougher regulations on the state's adult-oriented businesses. As of Aug. 28, strip clubs and adult video stores must close at midnight and full nudity and video-viewing booths are not allowed behind closed doors...

Francis Collins, fervent Christian and director of the National Institutes of Health

Posted on September 03, 2010
Peter J. Boyer writing at The New Yorker: "The objection to [geneticist Francis Collins] was his faith?or, at least, the ardency of it. Collins is a believing Christian, which places him in the minority among his peers in the National Academy of Science ...

WA: Rossi leads Murray in new poll

Posted on September 03, 2010
MyNorthwest.com: "The latest Rasmussen Reports survey in Washington shows Rossi with 48 percent of the vote and Murray with 46 percent. Three percent prefer a different candidate, and three percent are undecided."

Australia: Greens will introduce same-sex ?marriage? legislation on first day of Parliament

Posted on September 03, 2010
Sydney Star Observer: "Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young today reassured people that the Greens? commitment to marriage equality was 'rock-solid', and said she would re-introduce a new Marriage Equality Bill on the first day of Parliament and push for a conscience vote...

Alliance Alert Publication Schedule

Posted on September 03, 2010
The ADF Alliance Alert Daily Categorical Email Digest will not be published on Monday, September 6th. Normal publication will resume on Tuesday, September 7th.

Court refuses to force Calif officials to defend Prop 8

Posted on September 02, 2010
Mercury News (AP): "A California court has refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a ruling that overturned the state's gay marriage ban."

Is Monogamy Unnatural?

Posted on September 02, 2010
Megan Mcardle writing at The Atlantic: "If we're evolved to be polyamorous, why do we also seem to be evolved to be extraordinarily possessive? . . . Lifetime monogamy may not be the evolved human template. But I'm pretty sure that carefree polyamory isn't either...

America 2010: Cabell County, WV schools removing swing sets for fear of litigation

Posted on September 02, 2010
WVRecord.com: "Elementary school playgrounds in Cabell County are losing their swing sets in part because of lawsuits over injuries. Cabell County school safety manager Tim Stewart said the removal process began two weeks ago at Meadows Elementary and may not be completed until Christmas break ...

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