When I called the political parties in Nevada to inquire as to whether or not there were measures being taken to help accommodate those observant Jews who wished to participate in the caucuses, I received mixed results. A young Jewish woman at the Nevada Democratic Party told me that they had tried to put caucus-sites near religious neighborhoods and synagogues so that people could walk; precinct captains would be educated about the need to write down information on behalf of observant Jews instead of asking them to sign-in and write themselves. A gentleman at the Nevada Republican Party told me that the party was not even aware of the problem, but promised to make an effort to educate precinct captains on the issue. Neither had an adequate answer as to why the caucuses had to take place on a Shabbat morning.The problem is more than theoretical in Nevada. The state, according to Just Engage, has a rapidly growing Jewish population estimated to total between 65,000 and 80,000.
Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Nevada Caucus Timing May Disenfranchise Observant Jews
Alberta Commission Begins Hearings On Publication of Muhammad Caricatures
Right Wing Austrian Politician Makes Scathing Anti-Muslim Remarks
White House Proclamation On Religious Freedom Day Issued From Saudi Arabia
In an era during which an unprecedented number of nations have embraced individual freedom, we have also witnessed the stubborn endurance of religious repression. Religious freedom belongs not to any one nation, but to the world, and my Administration continues to support freedom of worship at home and abroad.
Justice Ginsburg Reflects On Role of Her Jewish Heritage
New Dharma Stock Indexes Announced
Indigenous Group In Malaysia Sues Over Demolition of Church
Monday, January 14, 2008
Israel's Knesset Skeptical of Cabinet Decision On Religious Affairs Ministry
Another Opinion on Religion In the US Presidential Campaign
[I]n the better years of the previous century, candidates used religion mostly as an adjunct to the real meat of the political process, a tool to whip up support for policies. How times have changed. Think of it, perhaps, as a way to measure the powerful sense of unsettledness that has taken a firm hold on American society. Candidates increasingly keep their talk about religion separate from specific campaign issues. They promote faith as something important and valuable in and of itself in the election process. They invariably avow the deep roots of their religious faith and link it not with issues, but with certitude itself. Sometimes it seems that Democrats do this with even more grim regularity than Republicans....
So, when it comes to religion and politics, here's the most critical question: Should we turn the political arena into a stage to dramatize our quest for moral certainty?
USCIRF Says Bush Should Raise Religious Freedom Issues With Saudis
Recent Scholarly Articles of Interest
- Ashlie C. Warnick, Employment Discrimination by Religious Schools Participating in Voucher Programs, (January 9, 2008).
- Patricia Salkin & Amy Lavine, The Genesis of RLUIPA and Federalism: Evaluating the Creation of a Federal Statutory Right and its Impact on Local Government, (January 3, 2008).