Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Texas Atheist Group Releases Voters Guide
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Court Dismisses Church's Challenge To Closure Ordered By Synod
Texas Appoints 3 Anti-Evolutionists To Curriculum Review Panel
It's simply stunning that any state board members would even consider appointing authors of an anti-evolution textbook to a panel of scientists.... Texas universities boast some of the leading scientists in the world.... It’s appalling that some state board members turned to out-of-state ideologues to decide whether Texas kids get a 21st-century science education.[Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]
Consent Decrees In Two Christian Free Speech Cases
ADF has also announced a consent decree in a second case, Foht v. Village of Kewaskum, (ED WI, Oct. 14, 2008). Plaintiff, who was placing Christian literature on the door handles of residences was threatened with fines under a village ordinance banning various kinds of literature distribution. Subsequently the Village repealed the ordinance. In the consent order, the court found that the prior ordinance was facially unconstitutional, but dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice. The Village agreed to pay nominal damages and plaintiff''s attorneys fees.
Saudi Resigns From Municipal Council In Protst Over Eid Festivities
Fair Use Claim Filed In Dispute Over Anti-Muslim Remarks on YouTube
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Army Base Jewish Lay Leader Criticized For Reaction To Anti-Semitic Incident
He has a drill sergeant who has never seen a keepah in his life and treated him less than mommy and daddy would and made some derogatory comments about his faith. This whole thing is an issue of overreaction. Should his drill sergeants have known better? Yeah. But they didn’t. I was at a party where people talking about Jewing somebody down. It goes on. Does it make it right? No. But it’s basic training. You can’t control 100 or so soldiers. I mean everybody uses the “n” word now and then” to refer to African Americans....Block also interviewed the drill sergeants who were reprimanded for referring to Handman as "Juden," "kike" and "fucking Jew." Block said: "these are two absolutely contrite individuals who did not understand what they were saying. One of the drill sergeants spent time in Germany. Juden is the German word for Jew. To some Jews it may have a pejorative impact. But it’s a legitimate word in German."
Any young Jew who uses his minority status to play the system is villainous. There’s that element that I am being discriminated against.
Indian Government Claims Ram's Bridge Not Essential To Hindu Beliefs
Meanwhile, however, complying with an earlier suggestion by the court, the government has appointed a special committee to examine whether it would be possible to create an alternative and shorter sea route around India’s southern tip, and in that way avoid damage to the Rama Setu.
Suit Seeks To Have Ex-Gays Protected By DC Human Rights Act
Edmond Oklahoma Raises Concerns With Proposed Expenditure For Statue of Jesus
State Senator's Suit Against God Dismissed For Lack of Service
Cert. Filed In Coach's Attempt to Pray With His Team
UPDATE: Here is the Petition for Cert and the amicus brief in support of the petition filed by the American Football Coaches Association.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tax Lien Sale For Synagogue's Back Taxes Will Be Tomorrow On Sukkot
British Ministry Report Promotes Faith-Based Partnerships In Corrections
In response to the report, the British Humanist Association issued a statement expressing "extreme disappointment at the Government’s plans to further increase and promote 'faith' in the management of offenders, both in prisons and in the community."3.3 Faith-based organisations make up a substantial part of the third sector, with a long history of working with offenders in prisons, through the gate, and in the community. This includes work that is non-faith-based; access to spiritual care and support for offenders who are of faith; and support for offenders returning to communities where faith is a strong part of the fabric of that community and where faith organisations can help build trust and acceptance and support effective reintegration.
Faith-based organisations can offer an invaluable link into communities, including to those who are not part of other networks or accessing mainstream services and support. Because religion occupies a central place in the culture and identity of many minority ethnic and refugee communities, faith-based organisations can be the principal gateway and source of support to these communities....
Forced Conversions To Hinduism Reported In India's Orissa State
Suit Claims College Students Disciplined for Praying
Opposition To Westhampton Beach NY Eruv Continues From Community
The 18-page legal brief opposing the eruv puts forth a number of arguments as to why it would violate separation of church and state limitations, despite court cases elsewhere that have approved such arrangements. In part arguments focus on the fact that under Jewish religious law, the symbolic enclosure of space needs to be accompanied by a civil government proclamation, although that could come from the governor or state attorney general instead of the village board. The brief argues that village approval of the eruv along with a proclamation would be a government act carrying out religious law. It also contends that permitting the eruv would violate the principle of neutrality, and would be endorsement of an identified religious enclave with specific geographical boundaries. [Thanks to Steven H. Sholk for the lead.]
Recent Articles and Books of Interest
- Paul Horwitz, Religion and American Politics: Three Views of the Cathedral ,(October 2, 2008).
- George P. Smith, Biotechnology, Religion, Modern Science and Law: Shaping or Testing the New Modernity? The Curse of Itching Ears, (CUA Columbus School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2008-30 (2006).)
- Peace With Creation: Catholic Perspectives on Environmental Law. Keynote address by Archbishop Harry J. Flynn; welcome address by Sen. Amy Klobuchar; articles by William C. French, Keith Douglass Warner, John Copeland Nagle, Lucia A. Silecchia, John Hart, Andrew P. Morriss, Gregory R. Beabout, Jamison E. Colburn and Jerome M. Organ. 5 University of St. Thomas Law Journal 1-287 (2008).
Recent Books:
- John Garrard & Carol Garrard, Russian Orthodoxy Resurgent: Faith and Power in the New Russia, (Princeton University Press, 2008).
- Macel Falwell with Melanie Hemry, Jerry Falwell : His Life and Legacy, (Howard Books, 2008).