British High Schooler Sues For Right To Wear "Chastity Ring"

In Britain, a 16-year old high school student, Lydia Playfoot, is filing suit against her West Sussex high school because it refuses to permit her to wear a "chastity ring". InTheNews today reports that teachers at the Millais School placed Lydia in "isolation" after she refused their request that she remove the ring that she began wearing after attending an event sponsored by The Silver Ring Thing, a religious organization that promotes abstinence until marriage among teenagers. The school has a "no jewellery" policy. Lydia claims the school's action violates the Human Rights Act protection of her right to practice her religion. The school, however, says that the ring is not an integral part of the Christian faith.

NM Coach Settles Religious Discrimination Suit Against Him

The Associated Press reports that New Mexico State University football coach Hal Mumme yesterday announced a settlement in a lawsuit brought against him and and the University charging religious discrimination and infringement of the free exercise of religion. The suit had been filed by four former Muslim football players who claimed that Mumme created an atmosphere hostile to Islam and pressed team members to recite the Lords Prayer after practice and before games. Both parties have agreed to keep the terms of the lawsuit settlement confidential for six months. (See prior related posting.)

OR Supreme Court To Hear Divorced Parents' Fight Over Son's Circumcision

According to a report yesterday by the Associated Press, the Oregon Supreme Court has agreed to review a case in which divorced parents are arguing over whether their 12-year old son who wishes to convert to Judaism can be circumcised. (See prior posting.) The father, James Boldt, who has custody of the boy and who has himself converted to Judaism, wants the boy to be circumcised. He claims that as custodial parent, he has the right to raise his son in his religion. The boy's mother says her son is afraid to tell his father that he objects to the procedure.

Alevi Seek Separate Recognition In Turkey

In Turkey, in a hearing earlier this week, the Cem Foundation appealed a refusal by the Prime Minister's Religious Affairs Directorate to recognize Alevism as a separate religious group. In the case, argued before Ankara's 6th Administrative Court, Alevi leaders want the government to register cem evleri as a house of prayer, allocate positions in the Religious Affairs Directorate to Alevi leaders and allocate funds for Alevi religious practices. The Religious Affairs Directorate argues, however, that Alevism is merely a sect within Islam, and is not a separate religious group. Today's Zaman reports on the case, and says that Alevi leaders plan to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if they lose in the Administrative Court.

MO Court Allows Workers Comp Despite Religious Refusal of Blood Transfusion

In Wilcut v. Innovative Warehousing, (MO Ct. App., June 19, 2007), a Missouri appellate court reversed a decision by the state's Labor and Industrial Relations commission that had denied death benefits under the Workers Compensation Law to a Jehovah's Witness who had died as the result of refusing a blood transfusion. Floyd Wilcut was a truck driver who had been seriously injured in an accident. His life could have been saved if he had not refused the transfusion on religious grounds. His employer, after initially beginning to pay benefits, terminated them arguing that under the statute, no benefits were payable because Wilcut's death was the result of his "unreasonable refusal" to submit to medical treatment. The Court of Appeals disagreed, holding that Wilcut's "refusal was not unreasonable in light of his beliefs."

ACLU Demands Removal of Jesus' Picture From Lousiana Courthouse

The lobby of the Slidell, Lousiana City Court prominently features a picture of Jesus, with an inscription under it reading "To know peace, obey these laws". Today's New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the ACLU of Louisiana has written court officials demanding that the picture be removed. The letter says that the picture violates the Establishment Clause, arguing that "The only possible purpose of the display in your courthouse is to convey a religious message." The ACLU says that it will file suit if the picture is not removed.

UPDATE: Slidell court officials say they need time to consult an independent constitutional expert on the legality of the Jesus portrait, and so will be unable to meet the one-week deadline for removing it set in the ACLU's letter. The Times-Picayune reports, however, that Joe Cook, state ACLU director, says a lawsuit will be filed if the deadline is not met.

UPDATE: Saturday's Times-Picayune shows a photo of the disputed portrait-- a 16th century Russian Orthodox icon showing Jesus holding a Bible with two quotations in Russian. They are from John 7:24 and Matthew 7:2 that call for judging fairly.

UPDATE: On Monday, the ACLU agreed to extend its deadline for filing suit in order to give Slidell City Judge Jim Lamz more time to study the issue. (June 26 Times-Picayune).

Evidentiary Issues Raised In Defamation Suit Against Pastor

The Monterey County (CA) Herald reported yesterday on interesting evidentiary issues that are being raised at a defamation trial brought by Rayn Random, a former parishioner, against Rev. William Martin, pastor of Monterey's St. John's Chapel Episcopal Church. Random says the pastor told other church members that she sexually pursued, stalked and harassed him. Judge Susan Dauphine has ruled that Random will not be permitted to introduce evidence of ecclesiastic decisions at trial. So she may not offer evidence about being denied communion during an Ash Wednesday church service and eventually being told she was no longer welcome at the church. Less clear is whether she will be able to tell jurors that subsequently church officials called police and had her removed from church premises for trespassing. The judge said that action was not ecclesiastic, but left open the problem of how it could be explained to jurors without telling them that Random's church membership had been revoked.

Plaintiff In Famous Religious Liberty Case Dies

Roy R. Torcaso, plaintiff in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court religious liberty case, died in suburban Washington, DC on June 9, according to today's Wahsington Post. In the 1961 decision in Torcaso v. Watkins, the Supreme Court invalidated Maryland's requirement (then found in its state constitution) that Torcaso declare a belief in God in order to become a notary public.

New British Group Will Defend Muslim Conversion

Tomorrow in Britain, a new organization will be launched-- the Council of ex-Muslims of Britain. Today's London Telegraph reports that the group plans to plans to speak out against Islamic states that still punish Muslim apostates with death, as called for by Islamic law. Countries still imposing the death penalty for conversion are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Sudan and Afghanistan. The new group is sponsored by the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society.

Russian Court Rejects Challenge To Religious Organizations Law

In Russia, the Minsk City Court has rejected a challenge to the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations that requires congregations to obtain permission to hold religious services at residential premises. Protestant pastor, Antony Bokun, who was fined for holding an unauthorized service, argued that the law was inconsistent with both Russia's constitution and international law. Charter'97 yesterday reported on the decision.

San Diego Episcopal Diocese Sues To Regain Property Of Three Parishes

In its continuing battle with breakaway congregations, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego this week filed lawsuits against three parishes-- St. Anne's, Holy Trinity and St. John's-- to regain property of the churches. Episcopal News Service quotes diocese spokesman Canon Howard Smith, who said: "We have a fiduciary responsibility to care for all the assets of these congregations, including church records, historical documents and buildings." (See prior related posting.)

State's Use of Faith-Based Juvenile Detention Facility Challenged In Court

The Freedom From Religion Foundation announced yesterday that it has filed a federal lawsuit against the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as against a county social services department, claiming that their referral of children to the religiously-based Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch violates the Establishment Clause. Children are committed without their consent to the Ranch by county social service agencies or the North Dakota Department of Juvenile Services. The referring public agencies pay for the care of those they send to the Ranch, using taxpayer funds. The complaint in Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Bjergaard (full text) , filed on behalf of North Dakota taxpayers, says that the Lutheran-sponsored Ranch attempts to modify the behavior of children by directing them to find faith in Jesus Christ. It alleges that "Christian beliefs and standards are integrated into the fabric of treatment services provided by the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch."

Battles Over Chreches On Public Property Begin Early This Year

The "Christmas wars" are beginning early this year. Yesterday's New York Sun reports that in Queens, New York, City Council member Tony Avella is asking the New York City Department of Education to change its policy so that nativity scenes can be displayed in schools. Avella is scheduled to disclose the exact language of his proposal on Sunday at City Hall. At that time he will hold a press conference along with representatives from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Liberties and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. Current school policy permits only secular Christmas symbols, but permits menorahs for Hanukkah and the star and crescent for Ramadan.[CORRECTED] (See prior related posting.)

Meanwhile, according to today's Royal Oak (MI) Daily Tribune, residents of Berkley, Michigan, are seeking the return to property outside city hall of a nativity scene that was removed last year. Residents are circulating a petition to place an amendment to the city charter on the November ballot that would reverse the decision made last year to remove the creche from city property and display it on a rotating basis at local churches.

Brownback Apoligizes For Staffer's Anti-Mormon E-Mail

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback has apologized to fellow-candidate Mitt Romney for an e-mail sent out by one of Brownback's staffers claiming that Mormons are not truly Christians. Yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune reports that Brownback's southeast field director in Iowa, Emma Nemecek, used her perosnal AOL account to send the e-mail to a dozen people. Brownback also plans to apologize to leaders of the LDS Church for the incident. Both Rudy Giuliani and John McCain apologized earlier this year when their staffers distributed or made anti-Mormon comments.

Detroit Area Church Sues Housing Commission For Discrimination

The New Life Family Church is suing the River Rouge, Michigan Housing Commission for religious discrimination after the Commission voted last week to stop renting the city's Hyacinth Court Community Center to the start-up congregation for it to use for Sunday worship services. Today's Detroit News reports that the Commission ignored the advice of its general counsel and decided that it did not want the Center used for religious worship. However, the church is not immediately without a place to congregate. A Wayne County Circuit Court issued a temporary restraining order on June 15, permitting the church to remain in the Center pending a hearing on a preliminary injunction set for June 28. Lawyers representing the church have also issued a press release on the case.

Indian Candidate Creates Controversy By Opposing Veils

Dawn reports today that Muslim leaders in India are calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to drop his support of the moderate Hindu governor of Rajasthan, Pratibha Patil, for election to the largely ceremonial post of president. Patil angered Muslims when, last week end, she urged women to end the practice of wearing the veil. She said the practice of wearing it started in the 16th century when women were trying to save themselves from Mughal invaders. Many historians say the practice actually began earlier than that. The presidential election is in July, and nominations can be made until June 30.

Taking of Church Property By Eminent Domain Upheld

A Broward County, Florida Circuit judge has ruled that the county can use its eminent domain power to take property leased by a church for the county to use to build a drug treatment center. Yesterday's Miami Herald reports that the county decided on the land before the church leased the then-vacant property, but church signed its lease with an option to buy just before the county filed its eminent domain petition in court. The court concluded that the taking did not violate Florida's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, holding that the church's exercise of religion will not be substantially burdened by being forced to move.

Tomorrow Is National Day of Prayer For Native American Sites

Tomorrow, June 21, has been designated by the Morning Star Institute as the 2007 National Day of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places. In Washington, DC, the day will be marked by an observance on the Capitol grounds. Indian Country Today reports that the annual event was begun five years ago as a way to seek Congressional legislation that would create a cause of action to protect Native American sacred places. Events marking the day will also be held at a number of locations around the country.

North "Dakota City Moves 10 Commandments Monument

Fargo, North Dakota city commissioners voted 3-2 on Monday night to remove a 10 Commandments monument from public property next to city hall and instead place it on private land. The Fargo Forum reports today that the move follows Council's unanimous rejection of an offer from the Red River Freethinkers to put up a monument near the Ten Commandments that would contain a quote from a 1796 US-Tripoli treaty: "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." Voting to move the 10 Commandments monument, Councilman Mike Williams said: "Religion is too important for politics, and that's why we need to make a change here."

UPDATE: Today's Fargo Forum reports that religious activists are circulating an initiative petition that would add a section to Fargo's City Code requiring the 10 Commandments monument to remain on public property where it has stood for many years. Meanwhile the city is accepting proposals from private parties who would like to have the monument placed on their land. It will decide on a location on July16.

Italian Prosecutors Investigating "Da Vinci Code" Film

In Italy earlier this year, a group of clergy filed a complaint against the film, The Da Vinci Code. The Washington Post reported yesterday that the state prosecutor's office now says it will open a criminal investigation into the film to determine whether it is "obscene" from a religious perspective. If the film, originally released over a year ago, is found to violate Art. 528 of Italy's Penal Code, defendants could face jail time and fines. However the defendants cannot be extradited from abroad to face these charges.