Law and Religion Headlines

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Monday, 14 December 2020

New COVID-19 legislation and guidance to 19 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Belgian court reverses ban on houses of worship following Jewish petition
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Friday, 11 December 2020

Why the Virgin of Guadalupe is more than a religious icon to Catholics in Mexico
(Rebecca Janzen, The Conversation)

Welsh Government: guidance on singing over the Christmas period
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Buddhist temple attacks rise as COVID-19 amplifies anti-Asian American bias
(Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil, Religion News Service)

As COVID-19 surges, Catholics find new, socially distanced ways to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)

With vaccines on the horizon, faith leaders could play a crucial role in promoting their use
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

This year, American Jews are taking Hanukkah outside
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)

Ohio Christian schools sue over school closures: ‘Faith-based instruction is an act of worship’
(Ryan Foley, The Christian Post)

Catholic high schools in Michigan sue over coronavirus order keeping them closed
(Catholic News Agency)

Belgium allows 15 people at Mass in ‘slight easing’ of public worship ban
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

Only frequent church attendees avoided downward mental health trend in 2020
(Catholic News Agency)

When COVID-19 and religious freedom intersect, political partisans rush to take sides
(Asma T. Uddin and Andrew Lewis, USA Today)

Court continues injunction allowing medical abortion drug to be dispensed in pharmacy or by mail
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Abortion medication restrictions remain blocked during pandemic, judge rules
(Ann E. Marimow, The Washington Post)

During pandemic, German expert urges ban on singing in church at Christmas
(Catholic News Service)

Petitions of the week: Re-opening church doors and opening evidentiary doors
(Andrew Hamm, SCOTUSblog)

COVID can’t kill Christmas, survey finds: Canadians retain sense of spiritual importance of Christmas amid pandemic’s soul-destroying effects
(Cardus Religious Freedom Institute)

9th Circuit hears oral arguments in church's challenge to Nevada COVID rules
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Belgium seeks to ease virus rules on religious services
(Raf Casert, Associated Press)

Suit challenges Ohio County's COVID-19 school closure order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Religious high schools sue to reopen for in-person classes
(David Eggert, Associated Press)

New York Jews were ready to unite against anti-Semitism after 2 deadly attacks. Then COVID happened.
(Ben Sales, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Churches as vaccination centres
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

New COVID-19 legislation and guidance to 12 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

US Supreme Court urged to protect KY religious schools from shutdown
(Catholic News Agency)

Michigan Catholic schools sue over COVID order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Michigan Catholic schools say forced closure is unconstitutional, file lawsuit
(Gus Burns, M Live)

5 interfaith leaders answer: Does faith conflict with science during COVID-19?
(Jillian Cheney, Religion Unplugged)

COVID-19: 14 NGOs urge China, Iran and Russia to release all religious prisoners
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)

Weekly Highlight #135: Fierce and Important Debates about Ethics of Vaccines; Working to Organize Religious Actors
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Monday, 7 December 2020

Belgian Catholics organize legal challenge to public Mass ban
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

English bishops say AstraZeneca’s vaccine may be received without sin
(Catholic News Agency)

Swiss court suspends public worship ban in Geneva
(Catholic News Agency)

With pews emptied by COVID-19, a Catholic researcher asks, ‘What if they never come back?’
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

California Sikhs to hold caravan and rally in support of farmer protests in India
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)

Sunday, 6 December 2020

NSW Covid-19 rules for churches from 7 Dec 2020
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)

Friday, 4 December 2020

COVID vaccines are moral to use, say ethicists, Catholic bishops
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)

Did the Supreme Court’s ruling on restrictions at houses of worship herald a big shift? Maybe not
(Tony Mauro, Freedom Forum)

U.S. Supreme Court sides with challenge to California's COVID-19 religious service curbs
(Lawrence Hurley, Reuters)

Justices order review of California virus rules for churches
(Associated Press)

California church sees victory in order from high court
(Brian Melley, Associated Press)

Justices flip the script on COVID-19 worship bans, but top health official urges closures
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)

Justices tell lower court to take another look at California COVID-19 restrictions on indoor worship
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)

‘Biblical mandate.’ California churches ready to defy Newsom after Supreme Court ruling
(Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee)

Religious freedom in the age of a global pandemic
(Trey Daniel, Freedom Forum)

Oklahoma governor declares day of prayer as virus surges
(Ken Miller, Associated Press)

ECtHR Decides the First Case Regarding Covid-19 Measures
(Kushtrim Istrefi, ECHR Blog)

Inadmissibility of application lodged by individual complaining about handling of Covid-19 health crisis
(Press Release by the Registrar of the Court, European Court of Human Rights)

Season 2, Ep. 05: This Emotional Court (podcast)
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

6th Circuit finds no “hint of hostility toward religion” in Kentucky governor’s COVID-19 order halting in-person schools
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

What to make of the Court's church attendance ruling
(Sean Trende, Real Clear Politics)

COVID-19: revised Regulations for Wales
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Churches won’t be restricted amid pandemic, ‘God is bigger than gov't’: Mississippi gov.
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)

End COVID lockdowns, say over 49,000 doctors and scientists
(Jackson Elliott, The Christian Post)

Oklahoma governor proclaims day of fasting, prayer as coronavirus cases spike
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)

No Christmas cheer in Bethlehem this year amid coronavirus pandemic
(Aziza Nofal, Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East)

Faith leaders pair with health officials to save India’s largest slum from COVID-19
(Priyadarshini Sen, Religion News Service)

Court suspends Geneva worship ban, religious gatherings resume
(ADF International)

Why these religious schools believe they deserve to be open
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)

COVID-19: New Church of England guidance
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

When believers become invisible
(Jonathon Van Maren, Convivium)

Wednesday, 2 December 2020

The pandemic is making visible how important religious liberty is to Orthodox Jews in America
(Shira Hanau, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

March for Life gears up for pandemic conditions
(Catholic News Agency)

U.S. bishops’ internal memo: Catholics can take Covid-19 vaccines
(Michael J. O'Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review)

Italian bishops confident Christmas liturgies will proceed as normal
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

The nonsense of the pandemic’s unreasonable religious restrictions
(Deseret News Faith)

Justice Neil Gorsuch suggested New York’s COVID restrictions hold back Orthodox Jewish women. The truth is far more complicated.
(Lorelei Laird, Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Opinion)

The Supreme Court was right to block Cuomo’s religious restrictions
(Michael W. McConnell and Max Raskin, The New York Times Opinion)

To this Supreme Court, religious freedom trumps public health — even amid COVID-19 plague
(Laurence H. Tribe and Michael C. Dorf, USA Today)

First Liberty Institute, Kentucky AG ask U.S. Supreme Court to allow in-person classes at faith-based K-12 schools
(First Liberty)

Christian school asks Supreme Court to reinstate District Court's injunction against Kentucky's COVID order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

COVID-19: Communal worship from 2 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Geneva COVID-19 worship ban challenged
(ADF International)

Weekly highlight #134: Court battles and clergy roles in stopping the spread of COVID-19
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Monday, 30 November 2020

Vatican dicastery urges youngsters to share wisdom of elderly people facing Christmas alone
(Catholic News Agency)

Immaculate Conception: Pope Francis cancels traditional act of veneration due to pandemic
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)

Archbishop Cordileone: New COVID church closures violate right to worship
(Catholic News Agency)

French Catholic bishops win appeal against 30-person Mass limit
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)

Supreme Court Sides with Churches: 'Even in a Pandemic, the Constitution Cannot Be Put Away'
(Michael Foust, Christian Headlines)

Supreme Court Turns Down Petition From Pastor Facing Criminal Charges Over In-Person Gatherings
(Andrea Morris, CBN News)

Justice Alito refuses to enjoin Louisiana's COVID restrictions on churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Alito slaps down megachurch pastor’s lawsuit that claimed obeying God meant ignoring COVID-19 orders
(Aaron Keller, Law & Crime)

French Council of State says capacity limits on worship services are too strict
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

France must review COVID-19 crowd limits on church attendance
(Gilles Guillaume, Antony Paone, Reuters)

Federal judges uphold Kentucky governor’s virus school order
(Associated Press)

6th Circuit rejects preliminary injunction against Kentucky's closure of religious schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Court orders France to rethink 30-person limit on worship
(Associated Press)

Cuomo’s discriminatory lockdown orders stopped by midnight order from Supreme Court
(Becket: Press Release)

The Supreme Court emerges as a microcosm of America
(Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine)

Fireworks over religious liberty: The Supreme Court says Cuomo’s restrictions on worship violate the First Amendment.
(The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)

New Supreme Court majority halts enforcement of New York COVID-19 targeted restrictions on houses of worship pending appeal
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

Getting beyond politics on Brooklyn’s religious freedom fight
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Archbishop calls latest California church closures ‘blatant discrimination’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

New COVID-19 legislation and guidance to 5 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Police block Canadian churchgoers from drive-in worship service: 'heartbreaking'
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)

US Court ruling on religious services irrelevant, says NY governor, but decision shows future inclination
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

F grades spike by 83% due to school closures in response to COVID-19
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)

Does the UK's lockdown breach the right to freedom of religion?
(Dominic Ruck Keene, UK Human Rights Blog)

Tequila bar in Nottingham attempts to reclassify business as a religion in hopes of remaining open during the pandemic
(Michael Bartiromo, Fox News)

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