Religion & Law

?America Traditional marriage is dead. Let?s celebrate?

Posted on March 09, 2011
Jill Filopovic writes at the Guardian: "A US report shows more liberated times have brought a new marriage model that is better for men, women and children."

Jail for woman who refused to let her children go to sex education

Posted on March 09, 2011
Noticias Diarias (Google translation from Spanish): Roger Kiska, who has been defending the case brought before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg by the Alliance Defense Fund Foundation, which specializes in protecting freedom of conscience, argues that "the parents, not governments ultimately responsible for the education of their children...

UK High Court: You can be Christian and still approve of homosexual sex

Posted on March 09, 2011
LifeSiteNews: "Following the decision of London?s High Court last week that a Christian couple could be banned from foster care due to their unwillingness to support the homosexual lifestyle, some commentators are pointing out that the decision amounts to a ruling on what is and is not authentic Christian doctrine...

Ethiopia Charges 130 in Church Burning Incidents

Posted on March 09, 2011
VOANews.com: "Several US-based Christian websites say Muslim extremists burned dozens of churches near Jimma in western Oromia region over past several days."

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Supreme Court rejects appeal in student fee case

Posted on March 09, 2011
USA Today: The Alliance Defense Fund praised the decision of the Supreme Court not to intervene in the Wisconsin case. "The constitutional rights of Christian student organizations should be recognized by university officials just as they recognize those rights for other student groups," said Jordan Lorence, senior counsel.

?Girl sues school district over Christmas party invitations?

Posted on March 09, 2011
The Morning Call: "The girl, identified in court papers only by the initials K.A., filed the suit through her father, Michael Ayers. She is represented by lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund in suburban Atlanta, a group providing legal defense of religious freedom and values...

Young evangelicals high on social issues, but lean toward socialism

Posted on March 09, 2011
One News Now: Ryan Messmore of The Heritage Foundation tells OneNewsNow, "What we found is that a lot of young evangelicals have a good passion about caring for people in need and we want to say 'Amen' to that passion. The problem is that that passion is often directed in bad policy initiatives and approaches...

71% Oppose Co-ed Roommates on College Campuses

Posted on March 09, 2011
Rassmusen: ". . . a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 71% of American Adults think men and women should not be allowed to live in the same dorm room while in college."

Jordan Lorence on Connecting Faith: Religious Freedom and Public Expression of Faith

Posted on March 09, 2011
ADF attorney Jordan Lorence appeared on Connecting Faith with Steve Stavem. | MP3 audio 47:19 mins

Christian parents jailed

Posted on March 09, 2011
One News Now: Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) legal counsel Roger Kiska tells OneNewsNow that the German school system has made it mandatory for nine- and ten-year-olds to participate in the programs, including an interactive play. "The purpose of the play, they say, is to prevent abuse," says Kiska, "but what they're teaching is that if it feels good, do it...

ABA Journal: 5th-Grader?s Church Christmas Party Fliers at Center of Discrimination Lawsuit

Posted on March 09, 2011
ABA Journal: ?Other students can hand out fliers for birthday parties, pizza parties, and Halloween parties,? ADF attorney David Cortman said, Fox News reports. According to Cortman, district policies forbid any student speech advertising Christianity.

The Progressive Case for Conscience Protection

Posted on March 09, 2011
Robert K. Vischer writes at Public Discourse: ?Conscience? is not a code word for abortion restrictions, and the liberty of conscience is too important to let it become the exclusive property of conservatives. Conscience is not the only value that matters in our health care debates, but there is a disturbing trend among progressives of acting as though it does not matter at all.

MN judge dismisses marriage challenge says U.S. Supreme Court has already decided the issue

Posted on March 09, 2011
This, of course, is binding precedent on this Court, and this Court is not free to ignore it." Dufresne wrote. She added that Marry Me Minnesota did not provide convincing evidence that she should ignore Baker vs. Nelson."

Republican-backed legislation bans abortion after 20 weeks in Minnesota

Posted on March 09, 2011
Pioneer Press: Under the proposed "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" introduced this week in both the House and Senate, abortions would be banned on fetuses older than 20 weeks, the age some ? but not all ? scientists believe the unborn can experience pain

WI Senate votes to dump collective bargaining for public workers; Dems still absent

Posted on March 09, 2011
The Senate - without Democrats present - abruptly voted Wednesday to eliminate almost all collective bargaining for most public workers.

ACLU sends Nacogdoches ISD letter cautioning against handing out Bibles

Posted on March 09, 2011
KYTX.com: "The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Texas in a letter today urged the Nacogdoches Independent School District (NISD) to remain neutral on matters of religion and avoid situations like the one at Mike Moses Middle School, where Gideons International reportedly distributed Bibles to students in the cafeteria...

MN: Case raises agonizing end-of-life questions

Posted on March 09, 2011
Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Whether Barnes is dying is in dispute, with his wife, Lana, and doctors from Methodist Hospital due to resume arguments over his medical care Wednesday in Hennepin County Probate Court. No matter who prevails, the dispute has re-opened unsettling and widely debated questions about end-of-life care ...

Senate Rejects House Bill De-Funding Planned Parenthood

Posted on March 09, 2011
LifeNews: The Senate rejected, on a 44-56 vote, the House-approved long-term budget bill that contains the Pence Amendment de-funding the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Lawmakers needed 60 votes to pass the bill under the rules of the Senate and did not come close to the number needed to do so.

Ted Olson: Children Don?t Need Mothers?or Fathers

Posted on March 09, 2011
CNSNews (includes video): Former Bush Administration Solicitor General Ted Olson, who represented the plaintiffs who sued California to overturn that state's ballot-approved constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, told CNSNews...

Muslims attack Coptic community, a priest and three deacons missing

Posted on March 09, 2011
Europe News: A priest and three deacons are missing following an attack last night by about 4,000 Muslims in the town of Soul (30 kilometres south of Cairo) against the local Coptic community.

ACLU will file suit over high school prayer banner in Cranston

Posted on March 09, 2011
Providence Journal: "Tuesday, Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, said lawyers are to meet ?over the next few days,? and a lawsuit is forthcoming."

Ireland: Major battle brewing over marriage

Posted on March 09, 2011
National Catholic Register: "Ireland?s new governing coalition adopted a legislative agenda that looks likely to put it on a collision course with Catholic leaders and other faith groups on gay marriage and plans to reduce Church influence in schools...

Human trafficking: UK urged to join EU action

Posted on March 09, 2011
EuroNews: "Britain is being urged to join European efforts to tackle human trafficking. London has so far been reluctant to opt into an EU directive that seeks to create common, Europe-wide legislation and send a united message to traffickers."

UK: Man who helped his wife to take her own life is spared court thanks to new Starmer guidelines on assisted suicide

Posted on March 09, 2011
Daily Mail: A husband helped his disabled wife commit suicide and filmed her doing it to show no one had killed her.

Florida House moves forward with bill that would redirect ?Choose Life? funds from pregnant women to Choose Life, Inc.

Posted on March 09, 2011
Washington Independent: A bill that would drastically alter the allocation of funds made from Florida?s ?Choose Life? plates cleared the Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday, in an 11-4 vote. Critics of the law fear changes to the ?Choose Life? system would allow money spent on the plates to be used to fund crisis pregnancy centers, anti-abortion advertising and even ?Choose Life? programs in other states...

CT: ACLU Seeks Permanent Injunction Against Holding Graduation in Church

Posted on March 09, 2011
NBCConnecticut: The legal battle over whether to hold a public school graduation ceremony at a church continued on Tuesday.

Senate Rejects GOP House Spending Bill

Posted on March 09, 2011
The American Spectator: "The Senate has just rejected the budget bill that passed the Republican majority House, 44 to 56, with 60 votes needed for passage."

Jordan Lorence: On Marriage, President Obama Can Learn From A Minneapolis Judge

Posted on March 09, 2011
"This decision by Judge Dufresne provides a clear lesson to President Obama that there are a number of reasonable legal arguments that the Department of Justice can make to defend a marriage law like DOMA."

Eight members of the Maryland House of Delegates claim to be ?gay?

Posted on March 09, 2011
Gazette.net: "Including [Peter Murphy (D-Charles County)], there are eight openly gay lawmakers in Annapolis. The other House members are: Del. Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City) of Baltimore City, Del. Anne R. Kaiser (D-Montgomery) of Burtonsville, Del...

Edmonton, Alberta: School trustees to adopt sexual orientation discrimination policy

Posted on March 09, 2011
CBC.ca: "School trustees agreed Tuesday to develop a policy of zero tolerance for sexual discrimination.."

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