Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
International Catholic Group Issues Report On Religious Freedom
ACN's Oct. 29 press release on the report says that religious worship is under attack in more than 60 countries. It concludes: "violations of freedom of worship take place increasingly less for ideological reasons and increasingly more often because of power games. The attempt to stop religious freedom is addressed above all at impoverishing States, maintaining the population in conditions of slavery. In other nations ... such as for example China, fear of opening to freedom of worship coincides with the fear of encouraging other freedoms."
The organization has also issued a shorter report (112 pages) titled Persecuted and Forgotten?, focusing on religious persecution in 30 countries.
11th Circuit Upholds County Legislative Prayers With Sectarian References
The appellate court, however, agreed with the district court that the prayer policy of the Planning Commission during 2003-04 was unconstitutional because it excluded certain faiths from the list of potential invitees. It agreed that nominal damages could be awarded for the violation. The majority opinion was written by Judge William Pryor who, before joining the court, was attorney general of Alabama. In that role he was part of a high profile church-state controversy involving the removal of Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Judge Middlebrooks dissenting argued that the prayer policies of the county violate the Lemon test because they have both a religious purpose and effect and involve excessive entanglement of the state with religion. He argued further that the Marsh exception for legislative prayer should be limited to "invocations before the United States Congress and the state legislatures." He added:
I concur with the majority that judges, as representatives of the government, have no business editing or evaluating the content of prayer. However, I also believe that sponsorship of prayer by these commissions presents a similar, although less direct, danger. When state sponsored prayer is a perfunctory and sterile exercise marking the beginning of a commission agenda, religion becomes the casualty.Americans United issued a press release criticizing the decision. Yesterday's Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer reported on the decision. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]
RLUIPA Does Not Protect Church Against Watershed Ordinance Restrictions
NY High Court Upholds Rules On Free Water For Churches
First Execution by Shariah Court In Somalian Port City Carried Out
City Sued Over National Day of Prayer Observance
Court Holds Ministerial Exception Inapplicable To Quaker Directorship Positions
A Pennsylvania federal district court rejected AFSC's assertion of the "ministerial exception" as a defense in the lawsuit. First it found that defendant had waived the defense. However, even if it was not waived, the exception would not apply because the positions at issue were not pastoral or ministerial in nature. The court denied defendant's motion for summary judgment, holding that there was sufficient evidence for a jury to find that the reasons given for not hiring plaintiff were pretextual.
Appeal to 9th Circuit Filed In Arizona Town Sign Ordinance Case
Pope Speaks On Separation of Church and State
The Catholic Church is eager to share the richness of the Gospel's social message.... She carries out this mission fully aware of the respective autonomy and competence of Church and State. Indeed, we may say that the distinction between religion and politics is a specific achievement of Christianity and one of its fundamental historical and cultural contributions.
The Church is equally convinced that State and religion are called to support each other as they together serve the personal and social well-being of all. This harmonious cooperation between Church and State requires ecclesial and civic leaders to carry out their public duties with undaunted concern for the common good.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Legal Charges Against Anti-Scientology Group Members
Real Estate Agents Increasingly Use Faith Advertising
Court Rejects Challenge To Sikh Temple Election
Exclusion of Juror Wearing Dreadlocks Held Impermissible Under Batson
Fordham's Award To Justice Breyer Protested Because of His Abortion Votes
McCain Campaign In Nevada Handing Out Christian Voter Guides
FBI Releases 2007 Hate Crime Statistics
Monday, October 27, 2008
Conservative Religious Groups Working In Favor of California's Marriage Amendment
Group Urges Changes On 10th Anniversary of International Religious Freedom Act
UPDATE: To mark the anniversary, Pew Forum carries an interview with Allen Hertzke, author of a 2004 book on the birth and development of the international religious freedom movement, Freeing God's Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights.· Create ongoing program funding within the Office of International Religious Freedom to support deserving local organizations that monitor religious freedom abuses in their countries.
· Strengthen the role of the Office of International Religious Freedom in the State Department by having it report directly to the Secretary as was congressional intent, rather than remaining under the rubric of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
· Ensure the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom enjoys the full diplomatic and negotiating privileges of his rank, and has a more central role in shaping U.S. foreign policy, as called for in the act.
· Follow the recommendations of the act by naming a director-level individual in the National Security Council to oversee strategic religious liberty issues within the White House.
· Allow the federal U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to dissolve as scheduled in 2011, and hold in the meantime a Congressional oversight hearing to assess its performance.