With the U.S. Supreme Court still scheduled this term to hear the
Trinity Lutheran case on government grants to religious institutions, this story from Britain presents an interesting comparative law example. Britain's
Heritage Lottery Fund distributes a share of the income from the National Lottery to projects for preserving and making accessible Britain's heritage. Yesterday the Fund
announced a large 5-year grant for a "Bats In Churches" project, explaining in part:
The UK has internationally important populations of bats which are at risk due to decreases in precious woodland habitats. Churches offer alternative sanctuaries for maternity roosts and hibernation. However, bats in churches can cause serious problems as bat droppings can restrict activities, damage historic artifacts and put a strain on the volunteers who look after the buildings.
Thanks to input from skilled professionals who will work with volunteers, solutions to these problems will be shared with hundreds of churches.
[Thanks to Law & Religion UK for the lead.]
