Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 2 September 2022
Rushdie’s right to blasphemy, not free speech, was attacked at Chautauqua
(Samir Kalra, Religion News Service)
Is Christian republicanism the best cure for Christian nationalism?
(Jesse Smith, Religion News Service)
Pope’s September prayer intention: For abolition of the death penalty
(Vatican News)
Ethiopian bishops say ‘No more war!’ as fighting resumes
(Fredrick Nzwili, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Judge stalls call for ‘regime change’ at America’s oldest synagogue
(Andrew Silow-Carroll, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Australia: 'Death to Israel' student magazine angers Australian Jewish students
(Michael Starr, The Jerusalem Post)
Religious persecution is closer to home than most Americans realize
(Akhil Ramesh, The Hill)
The Church & National Conservatism
(Mark Tooley, Providence Mag)
World Council of Churches refuses to isolate Russian Orthodox Church delegation at its assembly
(Interfax-Religion)
Belarus: Closing "one of the last remaining opportunities to seek justice"
(Olga Glace, Forum 18 News Service)
Declining churches: Yes, theology is often part of the equation
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Churches stress the need for reconciliation, unity and peacebuilding in Ukraine
(Conference of European Churches)
Jon Rasmussen: Saying “Yes” to the path of dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
Iraq: Thousands in Iraq demand regime change after Shia factions clash
(Al Jazeera)
Sweden: Abortion remains a hot topic in Swedish election campaign
(Christian Network Europe)
Swedish Prime Minister considers returning to church
(Christian Network Europe)
Key considerations in defending religious freedom today
(Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)
Churches to continue support for abuse victims following successful two-year pilot
(The Church of England)
UK bishop supports effort to end two-child limit for welfare payments
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
“Church treasures”: an unnecessary classification?
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
UK: Interfaith Fun Run raises thousands for good causes
(Jewish News)
#VisitMyMosque: Hundreds of UK mosques to open doors for neighbors
(About Islam)
South Sudan: Clerics urge state to recognize plight of families of missing persons
(Odiwuor Opiyo, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
South Korea: Conscientious objectors: a legal battle against punitive alternative service
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Sen. Lankford demands answers from Pentagon, calls out ‘horrific’ treatment of Navy sailors
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
Fire chief loses his job for attending a leadership conference at a church
(Jorge Gomez, First Liberty)
COMECE publishes a contribution to the European Education Area
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
WCC journals on cutting edge of a changing world
(World Council of Churches)
Agencies join bishops' call for Afghan Adjustment Act
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Israel: World Vision Gaza director sentenced to 12 years in controversial terrorism case
(Steve Rabey, Religion Unplugged)
Gov. Wolf announces $4.2 million in federal funding to protect diverse communities targeted by hate crimes
(Governor of Pennsylvania)
Parents demand Fort Worth area districts remove ‘In God We Trust’ signs from schools
(Harriet Ramos, Star-Telegram)
Boy Scouts nears court approval of $2.3 billion bankruptcy settlement
(Dietrich Knauth, Reuters)
Netherlands: Some Dutch churches to skip Mass due to energy costs, priest shortage
(Reuters)
France: European Court of Human Rights undermines free speech protections in Down syndrome ruling
(ADF International)
Spain’s bishops criticize bill to allow abortions without parental consent
(Catholic News Service)
Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Opinion: Fellowship of Christian Athletes v. San Jose Unified School District Board of Education
(United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)
Catholic comments by Connecticut principal under scrutiny
(Susan Haigh, Associated Press)
Connecticut assistant principal placed on leave after admitting to anti-Catholic discrimination
(Caroline Downey, National Review)
The UK leadership race and the coverage of Rishi Sunak’s heritage
(Gouri Sharma, Al Jazeera)
Shechita UK chief ‘confident’ government listening over animal labelling concerns
(Lee Harpin, Jewish News)
UK: The Church of Social Justice
(BBC Sounds)
Ecclesiastical court judgments – August
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
National Lottery Heritage Fund: Consultation
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Colombian authorities dismantle Catholic chapel at airport, sparking controversy
(Catholic News Agency)
Faith-based and other relief efforts underway to assist Pakistan flood victims
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Pakistan: The cruelty of blasphemy laws
(Lois McLatchie, Spiked)
CEC president highlights churches’ vision for reconciliation and unity in Karlsruhe
(Conference of European Churches)
Weekly Highlight #219: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Post-COVID-19 “normal”? Concerns around discrimination
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Traditionalism Rising (forthcoming)
(Marc O. DeGirolami, Journal of Contemporary Legal issues)
Swedish court rules firing of Jewish doctor was antisemitic, illegal
(The Jerusalem Post)
Nurse practitioner says CVS fired her over abortion stance
(Matthew Barakat, Associated Press)
Indiana court sides with Catholic diocese in teacher firing
(Tom Davies, Associated Press)
Burkina Faso bishop says American nun freed by captors
(Arsene Kabore, Associated Press)
Unvaccinated cadets ordered off Coast Guard Academy campus
(Associated Press)
Japan PM apologizes for party’s church links, will cut ties
(Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press)
Iraqis heed cleric’s plea to leave streets after clashes
(Samya Kullab and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Vatican: Pope clearly condemns Russia’s ‘repugnant’ war
(Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press)
Iraq: Muqtada al-Sadr and Iraq’s propensity for an intra-Shia conflict
(Arwa Ibrahim, Al Jazeera)
Iraq: Explainer: What spurred the bloody armed clashes in Baghdad?
(Samya Kullab, Associated Press)
St. Kitts law criminalizing gay sex found unconstitutional
(Dánica Coto, Associated Press)
Religious schools shun state funding despite Maine victory
(David Sharp, Associated Press)
Religious health care providers beat ACA restriction appeal
(Associated Press)
Religious discrimination claims against child protective services meet procedural hurdles
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
7th Circuit: Plaintiffs failed to show facts supporting free exercise objections to COVID vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Episode 99: Former federal Judge Thomas B. Griffith on the importance of religious liberty and political civility
(Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News)
Comparing Biden’s student debt plan with God’s own loan forgiveness
(Mark Silk, Religion News Service)
Erasing pro-life Christians of color
(Charles C. Camosy, RNS Column: Purple Catholicism)
New survey shows US Muslims have negative stereotypes about themselves
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Yeshiva University petitions Supreme Court to intervene in LGBTQ club dispute
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)
Eritrean government seizes church-owned technical school
(Fredrick Nzwili, Catholic News Service)
Iran: He captured rare images of Jewish life in Iran. Then he fled, fearing for his safety.
(Lauren Hakimi, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
NYPD to increase patrols in Williamsburg due to rise in antisemitic hate crimes
(Jacob Henry, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Mikhail Gorbachev dismantled the Iron Curtain — and allowed Russian Jews to live openly again
(Pinchas Goldschmidt, Forward)
Are Jewish colleges illegal in New York City?
(Dan McLaughlin, National Review)
'Christian nationalism' didn't cause January 6
(Daniel Strand, The American Conservative)
Mr. Blinken, don’t abandon Afghan religious minorities
(Nina Shea, National Review)
Fellowship of Christian Athletes wins an 'equal access' case, even if LATimes missed that
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Photographer can’t be forced to shoot same-sex weddings, federal judge rules
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Germany: Silent prayer OK outside abortion counseling office, German court rules
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Germany: Verdict: Prayer at abortion organizations should not be banned (Germany)
(Johann R. Porter, International Family News)
German president extends wishes for fruitful WCC 11th Assembly characterised by hope
(World Council of Churches)
Iran: Monthly news about Baha’is and Christians in August (31.08.2022)
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
End it now: Rwanda-Democratic Republic of the Congo crisis
(Jacques Bahati, The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN))
China: UN cites possible crimes vs. humanity in China’s Xinjiang
(Jamey Keaten and Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press)
Chinese Catholics warned over ‘foreign infiltration’
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Kenya: Clerics call for justice as court begins hearing of presidential petitions
(Arnold Neliba, Catholic Information Service for Africa)
US college launches centre to highlight Muslim American experience
(Middle East Eye)
Indian police hunt for culprits behind church vandalism
(Bijay Kumar Minj, Union of Catholic Asian News)
India: ‘Anti-Muslim in its soul’: A boycott hurts Bollywood’s Aamir Khan
(Suparna Sharma, Al Jazeera)
Salman Rushdie and the wider effects of blasphemy accusations
(Paul Marshall, Religion Unplugged)
Netherlands: Scientology obtains full public benefit recognition in the Netherlands
(The European Times)
6 months of Russia’s full-scale attack: 205 religious sites ruined in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican praised today's Vatican statement on the war in Ukraine
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Mass events on Rosh Hashanah banned in Uman
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Cabinet of Ministers approves proposals on personal sanctions against Patriarch Kirill and several members of the Russian Orthodox Church
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
A Black pastor was watering his neighbor's flowers. Then the police showed up
(Jonathan Franklin, National Public Radio)
Australia: Victorian Liberal Party branch stacking claims as Pentecostal church 'infiltrates' branches
(Bec Symons, Charlotte King, Andy Burns, ABC News Australia)
Australia: Bid to change Queensland law that allows religious schools to discriminate against gay teachers
(Eden Gillespie, The Guardian)
Email Subscription
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies maintains a Law and Religion Headlines service covering news about freedom of religion or belief internationally. All interested may subscribe to this service, free of charge, using the link below.
Subscribe