Law and Religion Headlines

---

Wednesday, 22 May 2024

He feared coming out. Now this pastor wants to help Black churches become as welcoming as his own
(Darren Sands, Religion News Service)

Idaho: 6,000 doctors urge the Supreme Court to keep abortions in medical emergencies legal
(Shefali Luthra, The 19th)

US college investigates faculty over harassment of Muslim woman
(Daily Sabah)

South Africa: Hate Speech Act Discussion (video)
(YouTube Video, Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA))

Cuba: Why Cuba is getting worse for the Catholic Church
(Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar)

North Korea: Repatriated North Koreans who read the Bible or met with Christians sent to prison camps
(Open Doors)

Canadian archbishop fights for right of church hospice to refuse euthanasia
(Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald)

May/June 2024 Issue
(Liberty Magazine)

Ghana: Center for Women, Faith & Leadership hosts fellowship workshop in Ghana
(Institute for Global Engagement)

China is accelerating the forced urbanization of rural Tibetans, rights group says
(Associated Press)

Vatican makes fresh overture to China, reaffirms that Catholic Church is no threat to sovereignty
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)

Bishop of Shanghai defends China’s religious freedom record at Vatican conference
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

A Christian group allows Sunday morning access to a New Jersey beach it closed to honor God
(Wayne Parry, Associated Press)

New York's top court says that religious employer exemption from abortion coverage mandate is not too narrow
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Medicaid limit on reimbursing for family care did not violate Muslim family's free exercise rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Rabbi sues homeowners' association for blocking synagogue construction
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

New clergy arrests, information blackout spark consternation in Belarus
(Jonathan Luxmoore, OSV News)

Ukraine calls on Muslim countries to participate in the Peace Summit in Switzerland
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

Anticultism in France: Scientology, Religious Freedom, and the Future of New and Minority Religions
(Donald A. Westbrook, Cambridge University Press)

World leaders unite for peace, sustainability, and human dignity at the KAICIID Global Dialogue Forum
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Mexico: Our Lady of Guadalupe becomes point of contention in Mexican presidential debate
(Diego López Colín, Catholic News Agency)

Christian leaders across Africa oppose bill seeking to repeal Gambia's FGM ban
(Ekpali Saint, Religion Unplugged)

Animal welfare beats freedom of religion
(Theodor Schilling, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Philippine cardinal, govt slam grenade attack on chapel
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Southern Baptists and religious liberty
(Nathan A. Finn, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission)

Judicial discrimination in favor of the more religious parent
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)

Myanmar military bombings hit two churches
(Herald Malaysia)

Judge: Religious day cares in California must follow state laws, even while indignant
(Sam Ribakoff, Courthouse News Service)

Saudi Arabia: Women’s rights and the new Personal Status Law in Saudi Arabia
(Beata Polok and Zubair Abbasi, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)

Afghanistan: Is coexistence possible between a “religious government” and opposing beliefs?
(8AM Media)

Oklahoma bill may allow credit for religious instruction during school hours
(Lauren Henry, KTUL News)

Paganism in Poland: Native Faith on the rise
(Notes from Poland)

Support for legal abortion is widespread in many places, especially in Europe
(Jenell Fetterolf and Laura Clancy, Pew Research Center)

Tuesday, 21 May 2024

VIRTUAL EVENT, 21 May 2024 (12PM ET): Welcoming the Refugee: Religious Norms for Humanitarian Aid in Troubled Times
(Ruben Garcia, David Hollenbach, Cynthia Juárez Lange, Mario Marazziti, Katherine Marshall, Ruth Messinger, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

WEBINAR, 21 May 2024 (2PM EDT): Local Data Sovereignty: Cultivating Marginalized Access Towards Technological Stewardship
(G20 Interfaith Forum)

Monday, 20 May 2024

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash
(Al Jazeera)

Understanding religion, partisanship, and women voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election
(PRRI)

After years in a Syrian ISIS camp, a 10-person American family is back in the U.S.
(Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR)

Religious freedom in Texas?
(Courthouse News Service)

Building bridges: Latter-day Saints visit state legislatures across the southeast US
(Church Newsroom)

After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque
(David I. Klein, Religion News Service)

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomes appointments of new commissioners
(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)

What happens when efforts to honor fallen soldiers create religious freedom conflicts?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

Methodist group’s website no longer shows Sunday morning beach restrictions
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)

Kazakhstan: Crackdown on Baptists in Kazakhstan sparks fears of tighter religion laws
(Jack Bethel, Christian Daily)

Spain: Peaceful protesters fined for praying the rosary
(Bridget Ryder, The European Conservative)

RFI leads religious freedom training for U.S. Army War College students
(Religious Freedom Institute)

Canada: The progressive case for educational pluralism
(Ashley Berner, Cardus)

Canada: Still Christian(?): What Canadian Christians actually believe
(Andrew P.W. Bennett, Cardus)

Yemen: UN experts reiterate call for release of detained Bahá'ís
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Australia: People with dementia aren’t currently eligible for voluntary assisted dying. Should they be?
(Ben White, Casey Haining, Lindy Wilmott, and Rachel Feeney, The Conversation)

Myanmar: Comment by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Nigeria: UN experts demand release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Eco-theo-logical Hope: Subjectivity, Religions, and Human Rights—A Translational Approach
(Melisa Liana Vazquez, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion)

UCCRO met with a delegation headed by Morten Dahlin, Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark
(Institute for Religious Freedom, Ukraine)

Volume 39 - Issue 1 - January 2024
(Cambridge University Press, Journal of Law and Religion)

Georgia’s prime minister joins tens of thousands in a march to promote ‘family purity’
(Associated Press)

Civil rights commission holds briefing on prisoners' religious freedom
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Articles of interest - 20 May 2024
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Longer bus routes for parochial school students upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

India: Modi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric taps into Hindu replacement fears that trace back to colonial India
(Archana Venkatesh, The Conversation)

New report finds ‘surge’ in corporate attention to religious diversity
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)

DRC: After meeting president, Congo cardinal plays down church/state crisis
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Police in Rouen, France, shoot and kill man who set fire to a synagogue
(Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

King Charles new patron of Council of Christians and Jews
(Michelle Rosenberg, Jewish News)

Law and religion roundup – 19th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Churches affirm the place of Christian values in European politics and society
(Conference of European Churches)

Vietnamese church in land dispute dating back to 1975
(Radio Free Asia)

Brazil: Backlash to Anitta’s music video evokes a painful history in Brazil
(Orlando Mayorquín, The New York Times)

Brazil: Just like Anitta, terreiros of African-based religions in Rio suffer from attacks of religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Thayná Rodrigues and Giulia Ventura, O Globo)

Brazil: Authorities support religious freedom proposal in Jundiaí (Portuguese)
(Redação, Tribuna de Jundiaí)

ECHR rules Flanders ban on visible religious symbol in schools compatible with freedom of religion
(Miu Satake, Jurist)

Lawsuit dropped in wake of Biden rule restoring religious-freedom protections for people using federally funded social services
(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)

Sunday, 19 May 2024

EVENT, 17-19 May 2024: Faith in Action: Advancing Human Rights and Peace for All (Washington, DC, USA)
(Ecumenical Advocacy Days)

Friday, 17 May 2024

Inadmissibility decision concerning Belgium
(The European Court of Human Rights)

European Court upholds Belgium's school head scarf ban
(Reuters)

Article 9 and hijabs in school again: Mikyas
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Nigeria: Appeal court reduces sentence for President of the Nigerian Humanist Association
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Mexico: Displaced Protestants pressured by government to accept illegal agreement
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Cuba: Afro-Cuban drums, Muslim prayers, Buddhist mantras: Religious diversity blooms in once-atheist Cuba
(Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press)

EVENT, 15-17 May 2024: Politics as an Area for Expressing Christian Values in Everyday Life (Thessaloniki, Greece)
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))

Opinion: Brandon v. Royce
(Second Circuit Court of Appeals)

2nd Circuit reverses dismissal of Muslim inmate's complaint about Eid meal
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Apache stronghold seeks full-court rehearing to save sacred land
(University of Notre Dame Law School)

Advancing freedom of religion or belief through religiously inclusive education
(Knox Thames)

New book: Rethinking Law and Religion
(Russell Sandberg, Edward Elgar)

Widespread bullying of Sikh students isn’t just a Sikh problem
(Harman Singh, Religion News Service)

Lawmakers unveil statue of Billy Graham in US Capitol
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

Jews were excluded from California county’s death penalty juries for decades, new evidence reveals
(Jackie Hajdenberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Russia: Religious issues and persecution – Bimonthly Digest May 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Experts in The Hague discuss Russia's crimes against Ukraine's cultural heritage
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))

God & country: A look at white Christian nationalism that both enlightens and disappoints
(David Little, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)

KAICIID Global Dialogue Forum opens in Lisbon
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Faith and labor organizations forge new paths in just transitions
(World Council of Churches)

S5, Ep. 29: LGBTQ rights and religious freedom (podcast)
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

French evangelicals welcome new law to combat cults
(Evangelical Focus)

As conservatives put religion in schools, Satanists want in, too
(Tyler Kingkade, NBC News)

Azerbaijan: A beacon of religious tolerance
(S. Rob Sobhani, The Washington Times)

Madagascar’s Catholic bishops fault bill to castrate child rapists as “against human dignity”
(Jude Atemanke, ACI Africa)

German bishop urges Christians to combat anti-Gypsy prejudices
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Church Times)

Search

Go!

Filter by Category

Events

International

Europe

United States

Filter by Topic

Abuse Adoption Blasphemy / Offense to Religion Children and Youth Church-State Relations Citizenship Constitutional Space COVID-19 COVID-19 Resources Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (abortion case) Ecclesiastical Abstention Education Environment Espinoza v. Montana (SCOTUS school funding case) Eugenics Extremism Family Law Freedom of Expression Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Fulton v. Philadelphia (faith-based adoption agencies and same-sex couples) G20 Interfaith Forum Gender Genocide George Floyd Health and Wellbeing Human Dignity Human Fraternity ICLRS Symposium Identity Interfaith Dialogue Jewish Law June Medical Services (SCOTUS abortion case) Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania Our Lady of Guadalupe School (SCOTUS ministerial exception case) Politics Poverty Property Race Religious Food Practices Religious Freedom Religious Holidays Religious Literacy Rule of Law Russia's Extremism Laws Slavery Social Service Spirituality Technology, Innovation, Infrastructure The Economy Ukrainian Autocephaly Violence Women / Equality Abortion Accreditation Activism Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton Affordable Care Act/HHS Mandate Al-Qaeda Annual International Law and Religion Symposium Anti-Christian Sentiment Anti-Islam Film Anti-Muslim Sentiment Anti-Semitism Apartheid Apostasy Articles & Speeches Asylum Australia Same-Sex Marriage Vote Bakery cases Billy Graham Blaine Amendments Boko Haram Bostock v. Clayton County (LGBT employment rights case) Boy Scouts Braidwood v. Becerra (Affordable Care Act) Brexit Calls for Papers / Contests Canada's Office of Religious Freedom Censorship Charlie Gard Case Charlie Hebdo Circumcision Climate Change Conscientious Objection Copenhagen Declaration (2018) Counter-terrorism Death Penalty Defamation Definition of Religion or Belief Democracy Derogation Desecration Discrimination Dissent ECHR/ECtHR ENDA ERISA Ethics Ethnic Cleansing EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief European Court of Justice Euthanasia/Assisted Dying Events Eweida and Others Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Faith Based Law Schools Family FIDELA First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) Franciscan Alliance v. Burwell (Texas Transgender Mandate Case) Freedom of Assembly Freedom of Movement Globalism Gloucester County School Board ("Transgender Bathroom case") Government Funding of Religion Government Obligations Ground Zero Cross Hate Crimes Hate Speech Headscarf / Veil / Burqa HHS Transgender Mandate Hobby Lobby case Holt v. Hobbs Honor Killing Human Genomics Debate Human Rights Human Trafficking Humanitarian Aid Immigration Inequality Inhumane Treatment Interfaith International Law ISIS / ISIL / Daesh / "Islamic State" Jehovah's Witnesses v. Wall (Canada) Jerusalem passports case Jurisdiction Justice Scalia Kelley v. Becerra (Affordable Care Act) Kentucky Clerk Case Lee v. Tam (trademark case) Legislation & Religion LGBTQi+ issues Magna Carta Malaysia Allah Case Margin of Appreciation Marrakesh Declaration Marriage / Divorce / Civil Union Masterpiece Cakeshop Case Mexico Massacre Middle East Migration Military Ministerial Exception Minorities Missionary/Proselytism Mt. Soledad Cross Multiculturalism Narratives Neutrality New Religious Movements Newsletter NIFLA v. Becerra (compelled-speech case) Oaths of Allegiance Obergefell v. Hodges Orlando Massacre Pan-Orthodox Council Parental Rights Parliament of the World's Religions Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Peacebuilding Pluralism Politics & Religion Pope Francis Pornography Prejudice Prisoner Free Exercise Prisoners Privacy Private and Family Life Proselytism / Evangelism Public Cross Cases Public Morals Public Prayer Publications Pussy Riot case Quebec Charter Plan Radicalization Refoulement Refugee/Migrant Crisis Registration Religion & Culture Religion & Government Religion in the Public Sphere Religious Accommodation Religious Autonomy Religious Clergy Religious Clothing Religious Conversion Religious Demographics Religious Demonstration Religious Diversity Religious Exemption Religious Free Exercise Religious Freedom & Business Religious Harmony Religious Hatred Religious Hostilities Religious Incitement Religious Intolerance Religious Oppression Religious Persecution Religious Registration Religious Symbols Religious Tolerance Reparations Restrictions on Religion RFAR RFRA Right to Effecitve Remedy Right to Fair Hearing Right to Life RLUIPA Roe v. Wade Romney Sacred Spaces Same-sex unions Secularism Security Social Justice Social Media Sovereignty Sterling v. United States (RFRA) Stormans v. Weisman (Pharmacists' Case) Surrogacy Sustainable Development Syria Tax / Finance and Religion Terrorism The Vatican Third-party intervention Title IX Torture or inhuman treatment Travel Ban Treaties Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer Trinity Western University Ukraine UN Human Rights Council UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief US Constitution US State Department Religious Freedom Reports USCIRF Utah Compromise Victims War Crimes Wedding vendor cases Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (Texas abortion case) Workplace / Employment Zubik v. Burwell ("Little Sisters of the Poor")

Filter by Country

Afghanistan African Union Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas, The Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Council of Europe Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia European Union Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao PDR Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherland Antilles Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan (Republic of China) Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Tibet Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Türkiye Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Nations United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe