Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
9-11 Families Argue Free Exercise In Claim For Access To Debris
Friday, February 22, 2008
Report Says Anti-Semitism At UC Irvine Is Real
A press release by the Task Force further outlines its conclusions and recommendations. Students agree that the situation today is less volatile that it was two years ago.The acts of anti-Semitism are real and well documented. Jewish students have been harassed. Hate speech has been unrelenting. For one week each year, UCI, a Public University has been turned into a vehicle to promote historical distortions, partially through the use of hateful anti-Semitic symbolisms, while the administration has remained silent or when pressed, issued generalizations about hate speech that does not name the hate speakers. This leads to the impression that there is equivalent hate speech from the Jewish students when there is not. Furthermore, such hate speech and gross distortions have an effect on non-Jewish students as well. These students can easily be led to accept the anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist conclusions portrayed by the Muslim Student Union and the invited hate speakers.
University Student Senate Prayer Questioned
Muslim Student Groups Debate Membership Restrictions
Italian Judge Sentenced For Refusing To Work While Crucifix Is In His Courtroom
Texas Sect Leader Released After Bond Is Reduced
Amish Fined For Refusing To Put Reflectors or Lights On Buggies
Thursday, February 21, 2008
NY Archdiocese Campaigns Against Reproductive Health Law
Native Hawaiian Group Sues Army Over Access To Religious Sites
NFL Reverses Position on Church Super Bowl Parties
Jordan Expels A Number Of Foreign Evangelical Christians
School Board Debates Religious Absence Procedure
Turkish Parliament Passes Bill Returning Properties To Religious Foundations
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Supreme Court Denies Review In Two Cases of Interest
The Court also denied a petition for a writ of mandamus and/or prohibition in In re Westboro Baptist Church, Inc., (Case No. 07-626). The unusual petition to the Court was filed by the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church and its leaders. They were seeking to overturn a $10.9 million federal jury verdict awarded to the father of a deceased Marine whose funeral was picketed by Westboro members. (See prior posting.) Apparently the damage award has not deterred Westboro members. Yesterday's Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald reported that three members of the church showed up to picket two different funerals for victims of last week's shooting at Northern Illinois University. [Thanks to Steve Sheinberg for the lead.]
Florida Adopts New Science Standards Calling For Teaching of Evolution
British Tribunal Rules Church Organist Is Protected By Employment Rights Act
Students' Rights To Wear Religious Attire Debated In Mauritius
Saudi Religious Police Defend Arrest of Businesswoman
In their posting, the religious police said: "It's not allowed for any woman to travel alone and sit with a strange man and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married. All of these are against the law.... First, for a woman to work with men is against the law and against religion. Second, the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives." The religious police say they will sue two newspaper columnists who defended Yara. The Mutaween say the columnists are spreading lies that give the wrong idea of Saudi Arabia.