Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Settlement Reached In Lawsuit Challenging FaithGuard Homeowners' Insurance
Mississippi Supreme Court Rules In Challenge By Members of Church Damaged By Katrina
White House and State Department Messages Mark Eid-ul-Fitr
Friday, September 18, 2009
Bankruptcy Judge Accommodates Hindu Temple In Chapter 11
President Reaches Out Internationally With Rosh Hashanah Greetings
Let us work to extend the rights and freedoms so many of us enjoy to all the world's citizens – to speak and worship freely; to live free from violence and oppression; to make of our lives what we will. And let us work to achieve lasting peace and security for the state of Israel, so that the Jewish state is fully accepted by its neighbors, and its children can live their dreams free from fear.
Jewish Newspaper Interviews Scalia On Religion and State
My court has a series of opinions that say that the Constitution requires neutrality on the part of government, not just between denominations ... but neutrality between religion and non-religion. I do not believe that. That is not the American tradition.He also remarked:
I am not sure how Orthodox Jews feel about the Establishment Clause, but I assume they do not like driving G-d out of public life.
State Department Hosts Iftar
I think that American embassies have been holding Iftars for decades. Our diplomatic posts have held hundreds of events to celebrate Ramadan this year alone. And I am proud that we have so many Muslims serving in our Foreign Service and our Civil Service who are playing an important role in advancing our nation’s foreign policy interests and strengthening the bonds of cooperation and understanding with Muslims at home and abroad.Pakistan's The News reported on the dinner.
Creationist Views of Florida Mayoral Candidate Debated
EEOC Sues Clothing Chain Over "Look Policy" Barring Head Coverings
School Principal, Athletic Director Acquitted of Contempt In Prayer Case
National Groups Want Bush Administration's RFRA Memo Withdrawn
The OLC Memo wrongly asserts that RFRA is “reasonably construed” to require that a federal agency categorically exempt a religious organization from an explicit federal nondiscrimination provision tied to a grant program. Although the OLC Memo’s conclusion is focused on one Justice Department program, its overly-broad and questionable interpretation of RFRA has been cited by other Federal agencies and extended to other programs and grants. The guidance in the OLC Memo is not justified under applicable legal standards and threatens to tilt policy toward an unwarranted end that would damage civil rights and religious liberty....
We accordingly request that the Obama Administration publicly announce its intention to review the OLC Memo, and that at the end of that review, withdraw the OLC Memo and expressly disavow its erroneous interpretation of RFRA....
The Anti Defamation League (one of the signatories) issued a press release calling attention to the letter. [Thanks to Michael Lieberman for the lead.]
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Court Says Congregation Cannot Disaffiliate From National Church Body
Today Is Constitution Day, As Contempt Trial In School Prayer Case Begins
City Council Acts To Keep Invocations Non-Sectarian
Florida Church's Lawsuit Challenges Zoning Denial
Do Government Economic Incentives Trigger Church-State Limits For Grocery?
Dutch Supreme Court Says Football Chant Violated Ban on Insulting of Religious Group
The chants are now banned in stadiums, but it was one of those chants by a fan in the street nearby that led to the conviction upheld this week. A supporter of the Hague football club ADO was arrested in 2006 for chanting: "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas." The Supreme Court upheld his sentence of 80 hours of community service and two years' probation. According to Dutch News, the court rejected his defense that the chant was merely a way to provoke Ajax fans, and was not intended to be anti-Semitic.
Treatment Of Muslims By French Army Criticized
Teacher Awarded Qualified Immunity In Suit For Remark Against Creationism
Public officials must be able to do their jobs without fear that every misstep, however slight, will subject them to liability and the paralysis which goes with such a fear. Thus, the doctrine of qualified immunity looks to whether there was a clearly established right in issue.... The law as it existed in the fall of 2007 did not make clear that a single statement in an area of the law which lacks precision could violate the Constitution. The decision here on the merits advances the clarity of Farnan’s right to be free of anti-religious comments, but the extent of the advance and the results of future applications of the doctrine of qualified immunity in this area are for another day and another court.The court's disposition of the case also bars future claims by plaintiff for attorneys' fees and costs. The OC Register reported on the decision and indicated that plaintiffs plan an appeal to the 9th Circuit.