Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Friday, February 15, 2008
"In God We Trust" License Plates Proposed In 4 States
UPDATE: In Kentucky, two different groups are contending for the revenues from "In God We Trust" specialty plates. Saturday's Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana (ROCK)-- a non-profit that raises awareness of harm from pornography and the sex trade-- applied to the state Transportation Cabinet in November for creation of the specialty plates. However, six weeks later Rep. Jim Gooch filed House Bill 207 to create the same plate, with money to go to help homeless and needy veterans.
Suits Seek To Validate Pennsylvania Marriages By Clergy Without Churches
Canadian Sikh Argues For Religious Exemption From Cycle Helmet Law
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Danish Police Arrest 3 For Plotting To Kill Cartoonist; Drawing Reprinted By Papers
UPDATE: Several nights of vandalism by youths in Copenhagen has been attributed in part to the reprinting of the controversial cartoon by Danish papers, as well as to other causes such as police harassment. (International Herald Tribune, Feb. 17). Meanwhile, a group of Danish parlimentarians have cancelled their planned trip to Iran this week after Iran insisted that they first apoligize for Danish newspapers' activities. (Australian Broadcasting Corp., Feb. 17.) And on Friday, protests in the Gaza Strip and Pakistan focused on reprinting of the cartoon by Danish papers. (AP, Feb. 16.)
Indiana Democrat May Become Second Muslim Member of Congress
Canada's Human Rights Commission Investigating Catholic Magazine
Rights Group Wants Saudis To Commute Death Sentence of Convicted "Witch"
IRS Launches Investigation of Pastor's Huckabee Endorsement
UPDATE: On Feb. 14, following the institution of the IRS investigation, Rev. Wiley Drake sent his followers an e-mail again calling for Imprecatory Prayer against AU, the ACLU and "others who attack God's people." In a Feb. 15 press release, AU executive director Barry Lynn said: "Trying to turn God into some sort of heavenly hit man is repugnant."
Florida Attorney General Will Create Advisory Group on Muslims
Ontario Premier Urges Alternatives To Lord's Prayer At Legislative Openings
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
District Court Issues Wide-Ranging Prisoner RLUIPA Opinion
The court held that RLUIPA does not create a private right of action for damages against state officials in their individual capacities, but that the state's acceptance of federal prisoner funds waived its sovereign immunity so that a prisoner can recover monetary damages in "official capacity" suits against prison officials. However under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, a plaintiff who has not suffered physical injury may recover only nominal compensatory damages and nominal attorneys' fees. The court concluded that RLUIPA is a valid exercise of Congress' power under the Spending Clause of the Constitution.
The court permitted plaintiff to proceed only on his claims for access to a Sukkah; additional time for study of Hebrew, Talmud and Kaballah; and access to a tape player in his cell for religious language studies. Among the remaining issues for trial in these claims is the sincerity of Sisney's religious beliefs.
German Administrative Court Permits Surviellance of Scientology Groups to Continue
Court Refuses To Reconsider Decision Upholding Anti-Gay T-Shirt Ban
Controversy Over British Mosque's Proposed Broadcast of Call To Prayer
Britain's Muslim Council says that increasingly Muslims are receiving the call to prayer by high-tech alternatives-- a special FM frequency or by a text message on their cell phones.
William & Mary President Resigns After Contract Non-Renewal
Nichol added: "[T]he Board of Visitors offered both my wife and me substantial economic incentives if we would agree 'not to characterize [the non-renewal decision] as based on ideological grounds' or make any other statement about my departure without their approval. Some members may have intended this as a gesture of generosity to ease my transition. But the stipulation of censorship made it seem like something else entirely. We, of course, rejected the offer."I altered the way a Christian cross was displayed in a public facility, on a public university campus, in a chapel used regularly for secular College events -- both voluntary and mandatory -- in order to help Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and other religious minorities feel more meaningfully included as members of our broad community. The decision was likely required by any effective notion of separation of church and state. And it was certainly motivated by the desire to extend the College’s welcome more generously to all. We are charged, as state actors, to respect and accommodate all religions, and to endorse none. The decision did no more.
The Board of Visitor's in a statement, however, said that its decision "was not in any way based on ideology or any single public controversy." It added that "so there is no doubt, the Board will not allow any change in the compromise reached on the placement of the Wren Cross." The Board also announced that Law School Dean W. Taylor Reveley will serve as acting president unitl a successor is found.
Today's Washington Post reports on the resignation. [Thanks to Chip Lupu for the lead.]
Colorado Marriage Amendment Challenged On Establishment Clause Grounds
Custody Cases Increasingly Involve Religious Issues
4th Circuit Finds Employer Adequately Accommodated Religious Observances
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury Explains His Views On Sharia and British Law
Today's London Times surveys reaction to Williams' latest statements.The lecture was written as an opening contribution to a series on Islam and English Law.... [I]t posed the question to the legal establishment of whether attempts to accommodate aspects of Islamic law would create an area where the law of the land doesn't run.... I concluded that nothing should be recognised which had that effect. We are not talking about parallel jurisdictions; and I tried to make clear that there could be no 'blank cheques' in this regard, in particular as regards ... the status and liberties of women. The law of the land still guarantees for all the basic components of human dignity.
So the question remains of whether certain additional choices could and should be made available under the law of the United Kingdom for resolving disputes and regulating transactions.... If ... this were thought to be a useful direction in which to move, there would be plenty of work still to be done, with the greatest care, on what would and would not be possible and appropriate areas for such co-operation.