Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
In Egypt, Fatwas Proliferate-- And Some Are Embarrassing
New Jersey Passes Bill Requiring Pharmacies To Fill All Prescriptions
Military Hearing Officer Rejects Testimony of Monk About Islam
Complaint Against Church For Political Meddling Dismissed In Mexico
Czech Government Will Submit Anti-Discrimination Law To Parliament
Monday, June 11, 2007
US Removes Religious Texts From Prison Chapel Libraries
Sikhs To Take French Ban On Turban In License Photo To European Court
Changes In the Offing For A NC District's Bible History Course
Egyptian Court Refuses To Disqualify Candidates For Using Religious References
VA Supreme Court Upholds Inmate's Religious Name Change Request
Drafting Committee Says Thai Monks Seeking Official Religion Should End Fast
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Recent Articles Of Interest
Chaim Saiman, Jesus' Legal Theory-A Rabbinic Interpretation, (June 2007, Villanova Law/Public Policy Research Paper No. 2007-12).
Jude Chua, What is a “Professional”? Ethics and Religion in the Sciences of the Artificial, (May 31, 2007).
Lloyd H.Mayer, Grasping Smoke: Enforcing the Ban on Political Activity By Charities, (First Amendment Law Review, Vol. 6, 2007).
From SmartCILP and elsewhere:
The Winter 2007 issue of Montana Law Review carries three articles on "Intelligent Design": David K. DeWolf, John G. West & Casey Luskin, Intelligent Design Will Survive; Peter Irons, Disaster in Dover; David K. DeWolf, John G. West & Casey Luskin, Rebuttal to Irons. (The articles are discussed at Dispatches from the Culture Wars blog.)
L. Scott Smith, From Promised Land to Tower of Babel: Religious Pluralism and the Future of the Liberal Experiment in America, 45 Brandeis Law Journal 527-572 (2007).
Cert. Petition Filed In 9th Circuit Case on Use of Library Meeting Room
PBS Church-State Documentary Questioned
Rabbi's Contract and ADA Claims Dismissed On 1st Amendment Grounds
Saturday, June 09, 2007
US President Meets Pope In Rome
While in Rome, Bush also met at the U.S. Embassy with members of the Sant Egido Community, a lay Roman Catholic organization that operates an AIDS program in ten African countries. The program is partly funded by the U.S. Listening to the group’s concerns, Bush said that he would look into making it easier for faith based groups to access US aid funds directly, instead of through foreign governments.I'll be glad to share some of the private conversation with His Holy Father. First, I'll give you an impression. I was talking to a very smart, loving man…. I was in awe, and it was a moving experience for me.
… He did express deep concern about the Christians inside Iraq, that he was concerned that the society that was evolving would not tolerate the Christian religion. And I assured him we're working hard to make sure that people lived up to the constitution, the modern constitution voted on by the people that would honor people from different walks of life and different attitudes.
… We talked about our attempts to help the people on Africa deal with HIV/AIDS and malaria and hunger. I reminded him that we made a significant commitment to that end…
And I talked to him about our attempts to feed the hungry, and I also reminded him that we've got poor people in our own neighborhood that need to be affected. He talked about immigration. He's watching the immigration debate very closely in America. And I told him I was a person who strongly supports comprehensive immigration reform; that, on the one hand, we'll enforce our law, on the other hand, we need to treat people with dignity. And we had a good discussion.…
Q The Pope has said Iraq was worrisome.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, he's worrisome [sic] about the Christians inside Iraq being mistreated by the Muslim majority. He's deeply concerned about that, and we spent a lot -- spent a fair amount of time talking about it.