Combining the two axis scores will place a person in one of the four political quadrants. Radical Reformers see a strong prophetic role for the church and combine this with a robust call for political engagement to seek social and political change. In contrast, Quiet Critics steer away from a direct role for the church in politics, instead emphasizing the church's purity by maintaining a separation from the state. From this perspective, the church best shares the gospel by being an alternative community that models Christian love.
Those who emphasize the link between God and nation are generally more supportive of the system and want to foster connections between church and state. As a result, Thumpin' Theocrats sound the call for renewing a Christian America by recapturing its godly heritage. Private Patriots also connect religious practice with support of the nation, but their application of faith to politics is as an outgrowth of personal piety rather than church involvement.
Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Church-State Quiz Designed For Christian Leaders
United Arab Emirates Law Reduces Work Hours During Ramadan
Irish Cardinal Says EU Referendum Defeat Was Reaction To Anti-Religious Culture
FLDS Members Challenge Trustee's Power Over UEP Trust Property
Monday, August 25, 2008
Dems' Convention Opens With Interfaith Event and Some Controversy
A protester with a bullhorn and a sign that read "Allah is not God" was not admitted to the gathering. Meanwhile, Fox News reports that controversy also arose over the Democrat's invitation to Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to speak as part of the gathering. ISNA has been heavily involved in interfaith relations and has met with key Bush administration officials. Some critics however claim that the organization has ties to radical groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
In one additional development, AP and the Washington Post report that young evangelist Cameron Strang, editor of Relevant Magazine and a registered Republican, backed out of delivering the invocation at Monday night's convention session when he found out it would be on the main stage and broadcast nationally. He changed his mind because he feared his appearance would be interpreted as an endorsement of Obama. He will instead take part in a lower profile religious caucus later in the week.
UPDATE: Here, from the Denver Post, is a video of excerpts from the interfaith serice.
HHS Issues Proposed Rules To Protect Conscience Rights of Health Care Workers
Reporters at a White House press briefing on Friday (full text) raised the question of whether the proposed regulations were broad enough to cover pharmacists. The proposed rules appear to omit a controversial definition of "abortion" that appeared in an earlier draft that was circulated to members of Congress. That earlier draft included a specific definition that encompassed prescribing, dispensing or administering drugs preventing implantation of a fertilized egg as abortion. The new proposal has no definition of abortion in it. (See prior posting.)
Recent Articles and Recent Book of Interest
- Raghav Sharma, Rajarshi Sen & Adarsh Ramanujan, Affirmative Action for Muslims in the Indian Jurisprudential, Social, Economical and Political Context: A Constitutional Conundrum?, (June 17, 2008).
- Brigham Daniels, Revitalizing Zion: Nineteenth-Century Mormonism and Today's Urban Sprawl, (Journal of Land, Resources & Environmental Law, Forthcoming.)
- Emily Prescott Esq., Allyson Hauck Esq. & Dana Barton Esq., When Firmly Held Religious Beliefs Conflict With the Right to Wedded Bliss, California Public Employee Relations (CPER) Papers, Working Paper 25 (August 2008).
From SmartCILP:
- Thomas C. Kohler, The Kenneth M. Piper Lecture. Religion In the Workplace: Faith, Action, and the Religious Foundations of American Employment Law, 83 Chicago-Kent Law Review 975-991 (2008).
- Martha Minow, The Government Can't, May, or Must Fund Religious Schools: Three Riddles of Constitutional Change for Laurence Tribe, 42 Tulsa Law Review 911-937 (2007).
- David Ownby, Falun Gong and the Future of China, (Oxford Univ. Press, March 2008), reviewed by the New York Times.
Campus Poster With Suggestive Picture of Jesus Tests Harassment Rules
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Church of England Issues Guides To Prevent Bogus Marriages By Immigrants
Meanwhile the issue was complicated last month when the House of Lords issued a decision in R (on the application of Baiai and others) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, (House of Lords, July 30, 2008) holding that the licensing rules that led to automatic denial of Home Office approval for immigrants whose visas were about to expire or who were not legally in the country are invalid. The Law Lords held that these overbroad rules violate Section 12 of the European Convention on Human rights that protects the right to marry. That decision was covered by the July 30 London Daily Mail. (See prior related posting.)
Times Features Science Teacher's Methods on Evolution
Founder of Florida Citizens for Science, Campbell strongly backed changes in Florida's science standards adopted earlier this year that specifically mention evolution. (See prior posting.) Defending against charges that the new standards do not include alternative explanations for life's diversity, Campbell replied: "We also failed to include astrology, alchemy and the concept of the moon being made of green cheese. Because those aren't science, either."
Court Dismisses Minister's Suit Against Church Placement Agency
South Carolina High School Football Coaches Often Mix Religion With Coaching
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Kentucky County Tries To Delay Paying Attorneys Fees In 10 Commandments Case
Palm Beach Neighborhood Dislikes Jewish Synagogue Meeting In Private Home
Biden's Views On Religion and Church-State Issues Are Examined
Melissa Rogers has posted a number of excerpts from Biden statements on ther role of religion in public life. Other have pointed to an excerpt on YouTube of a 2007 Biden interview at the Commonwealth Club of California in which Biden discusses his views on separation of church and state. In it, Biden focuses on a quote from Jon Meacham's American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, And the Making of a Nation: "Religion shapes the life of the nation without strangling it."
Religiously-Grounded Substance Abuse Programs Eschew Government Funding
Meanwhile, Thursday's Forward reports on Beit T'Shuvah, the country's only Jewish residential program for drug and alcohol abuse. The Los Angeles program explicitly does not seek government funding because its treatment methodology is filled with religious content-- a 12-step program combined with Jewish spirituality. Residents study Torah each morning at 7 am, and are required to attend weekly Friday night and Saturday morning religious services
School District Cuts Off All Community Flyers To End Bias Against Religious Messages
Friday, August 22, 2008
Challenge To Pledge of Allegiance Partially Dismissed By NH Federal Court
Suing the U.S. Congress, the United States government, and three school districts, plaintiffs alleged some 16 bases on which recitation of the Pledge should be found unconstitutional or otherwise invalid. These included Establishment Clause and Free Exercise claims, as well as claims that the school district exposed children to emotional harm by requiring their presence in the classroom while the pledge is recited and a claim that the Pledge violates public policy by fostering national divisiveness. Several other parties intervened as defendants to support recitation of the Pledge.
In this decision, the court dismissed claims against the United States Congress. Relying on the "Speech or Debate" clause of the Constitution, it held that courts lack jurisdiction to direct Congress to enact or amend legislation. The court also dismissed the United States as a defendant, finding that plaintiffs lacked taxpayer standing. The United States however remains a party as an Intervenor, as do the state of new Hampshire, the Knights of Columbus and several New Hampshire school students and parents who intervened. (See prior related posting.)
3rd Circuit Rejects Free Exercise Challenge To PA Home-Schooling Regulation
The court also rejected plaintiffs' claim that a "hybrid right" calling for stricter scrutiny was involved. Rejecting the federal constitutional claims, the court remanded the state law claim to state court.Act 169 is a neutral law of general applicability. It neither targets religious practice nor selectively imposes burdens on religiously motivated conduct. Instead, it imposes the same requirements on parents who home-school for secular reasons as on parents who do so for religious reasons. Furthermore, nothing in the record suggests Commonwealth school officials discriminate against religiously motivated home education programs (e.g., denying approval of home education programs because they include faith-based curriculum materials).... The Commonwealth has a legitimate interest in ensuring children taught under home education programs are achieving minimum educational standards and are demonstrating sustained progress in their educational program.
In a concurring opinion, Chief Judge Scirica reached the merits of the state Religious Freedom Protection Act claim and found that: "Based upon the plain language of the RFPA, Parents have failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that they have been compelled or will likely be compelled to violate a specific tenet of their religious faith."
The Home School Legal Defense Association that represented the parents said it is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]
Virginia Episcopal Diocese Loses On Two More Issues In Property Disputes
In its second opinion (full text), the court rejected claims by ECUSA and the Diocese that Virginia's Division Statute violates the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court concluded that the Contracts Clause protects only those contractual rights that existed before the Division Statute was first enacted in 1867. It is not enough that a congregation was in existence prior to 1867; the protection of property rights the diocese or ECUSA had in a church's property extends only to specific parcels of property acquired before 1867. Any property acquired after that date would have been acquired subject to ownership provisions in the Division Statute. Since in 1867 under Virginia law denominational bodies or dioceses could not hold title to, or obtain enforceable contractual rights in, property, the Contracts Clause does not protect any rights of the diocese or ECUSA in church properties.
Yesterday's Washington Times reported on the decision.