Law and Religion Headlines


Monday, 16 May 2022

Catholic doctrine has always rejected abortion: But what about Catholics in pews today?
(Ryan Burge, GetReligion)

Does religious freedom law give you a right to abortion?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

How overturning Roe threatens LGBTQ+ rights — faith leaders need to defend them
(Serene Jones and Fred Davie, The Hill)

Will overturning Roe finally allow Catholics to pursue a consistent ethic of life?
(Steven P. Millies, Religion News Service)

After Christendom: Catholicism in a more secular future
(Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt, Commonweal)

New saints feature Muslim-Catholic pioneer, priest-journalist killed by Nazis
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

In tiny Malta, the Catholic Church still has a shot at getting secularism right
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Biden approves plan to redeploy US troops to Somalia
(Deutsche Welle)

Orthodox Christian churches are drawing in far-right American converts
(Odette Yousef, National Public Radio)

What Harvard taught us about how anti-Semitism can go unchallenged
(Jonathon S. Tobin, Jewish News Syndicate)

Patriarch Kirill calls Orban one of few European politicians who stands up for Christian values
(Interfax-Religion)

Concerning the new converts to Eastern Orthodoxy: Are they MAGA clones or worse?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

UK: The Schools Bill 2022: some initial observations
(Law & Religion UK)

UK: Law and religion round-up – 15th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Secular revolutions and religious counterrevolutions
(David P. Gushee, Baptist News Global)

Church leaders slam Israeli police attack on Abu Akleh’s funeral
(Al Jazeera)

Killing of Palestinian-American journalist sparks call for independent investigation
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

UK: Government halts ALL contact with National Union of Students over antisemitism fears
(Jewish News)

Neither a flatterer nor a Lockean be: Peter Augustine Lawler as a Catholic political philosopher
(Daniel J. Mahoney, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Mauritania: The discreet witness of a tiny Catholic flock in an Islamic republic
(Clémence Cluzel, La Croix International)

Australia: A good Catholic meddles in politics
(Michael Dyer, La Croix International)

Qur’an and Torah on religious pluralism is God’s will – OpEd
(Allen S. Maller, Eurasia Review)

Trio that defrauded churches with bogus building loans sentenced to years in prison
(Steve Rabey, Religion Unplugged)

Urban ministry conference discusses pros and cons of federal and state funding
(Audrey Jackson, Religion Unplugged)

UK MPs call for independent probe into Abu Akleh killing
(Al Jazeera)

Bridging humanity – the notion of clash of civilisations to build alliances and strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations and people
(Religions for Peace)

How Mary Whitehouse waged war on pornography
(Jonathon Van Maren, First Things)

Catholic school asserts ‘ministerial exemption’ in lawsuit over firing of gay guidance counselor
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)

Catholic high school defends right to pass faith to next generation
(Becket)

Sri Lankans celebrate Buddhist festival at protest site
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Korean diocese launches restaurant to serve poor
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Vietnam bishops visit pagodas during vesak to promote harmony
(Union of Catholic Asian News)

Nigeria: Religion and blasphemy: A critical perspective
(Toyyib Musa-Omoloja, The Niche)

Nigerian bishop urges calm after carnage over blasphemy case
(Justine John Dyikuk, Union of Catholic Asian News)

UK: Mosque for children, teenagers planned at Nelson Library in England
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))

Are Jews a race under U.S. law?
(Eugene Volokh, Tablet Magazine)

WCC Inter-Orthodox Pre-Assembly: “the call for unity, reconciliation, justice, and peace remains our mission today"
(World Council of Churches)

Pakistan: Sikh community on target in Peshawar, Pakistan
(Hindustan News Hub)

Religious liberty rights of students, teachers are not the same
(Holly Hollman, Bloomberg Law)

Afghanistan: Taliban say no Christians live in Afghanistan; US groups concerned
(Voice of America)

Open Doors’ CEO David Curry appointed to US Commission on International Religious Freedom
(Religion News Service)

‘Reprehensible’: Oz condemns GOP opponent’s tweet on Islam
(Steve Peoples, Associated Press)

American Muslim organizations unite to reject ADL’s ‘slander’ and support Palestinian human rights
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)

Sunday, 15 May 2022

EVENT, 15-18 May 2022: 9th Conference on Law and Religion in Africa: Law, Religion, Health, and Healing in Africa
(ACLARS)

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS, due 15 May 2022: KAICIID Fellows Programme 2023
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Friday, 13 May 2022

Some Catholic abortion foes are uneasy about overturning Roe
(David Crary, Associated Press)

Overturning Roe is a huge win for evangelicals. It won’t end their political game.
(Marcia Pally, Religion News Service)

Podcast: A growing post-Roe divide between 'Jesusland' and the 'United States of Canada'?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

While polls show ambivalence, SCOTUS striking down Roe would let each state decide
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)

Why some Black churches aren’t elated about the possible end of Roe
(Clyde McGrady and Lateshia Beachum, The Washington Post)

What is 'personhood'? The ethics question that needs a closer look in abortion debates
(Nancy S. Jecker, The Conversation)

New York bishops pledge support for mothers in statement on abortion
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

No more murder charge for women in Louisiana abortion bill
(Kevin McGill, Religion News Service)

Biden's abortion stance and Catholic faith have never been more at odds
(Brian Bennett , Time)

Anti-abortion groups warn lawmakers against criminalizing having an abortion
(Alison Durkee, Forbes)

Why pro-abortion activists desecrate churches
(Carl R. Trueman, First Things)

Abortion: a Christian nationalist ‘smokescreen’?
(Collin Bastian, Juicy Ecumenism, Institute on Religion and Democracy)

Why post-Roe abortion bans must exempt religious Jews
(Jay Michaelson, Religion News Service)

Hong Kong police bail Catholic cardinal arrested on national security charge
(James Pomfret and Jessie Pang, Reuters)

Hong Kong police release 90-year-old cardinal Joseph Zen on bail after arrest under China's security law
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

China cracks down on activism in Hong Kong's churches
(Theodora Yu, The Washington Post)

China: USCIRF calls for Panchen Lama’s release
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

China: No escape: The true story of China’s genocide of the Uyghurs
(YouTube Video, Hudson Institute)

Zen arrest suggests China just doesn’t get the Catholic Church
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

EVENT, 13 May 2022 (12PM ET): Putin vs. Zelensky: Religion, Holy War, and Just War in the Current Crisis
(Eric Patterson, Faith & Law)

For some people, religious leaders might be most effective at communicating the importance of COVID-19 vaccination
(Filip Viskupič and David Wiltse, The Conversation)

Why the world has a lot to learn about conservation – and trust – from Indigenous societies
(John Ziker, The Conversation)

Burma: USCIRF releases new report on Burma
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

USCIRF releases new report on refugees fleeing religious persecution
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Huy urges United Nations to protect U.S. Indigenous prisoner religious freedoms
(Indian Country Today)

New book: Jacob’s Younger Brother: Christian-Jewish Relations after Vatican II
(Karma Ben-Johanan, Harvard University Press)

Australia: Election 2022 seat explorer: how Australian electorates diverge on religion, country of birth and language
(Katharine Murphy, Josh Nicholas and Johanna Lewis, The Guardian)

Australia: ‘Sadness’ at Sydney diocese’s anti-same-sex marriage clause for schools
(Muriel Porter, Church Times)

Australia: Whatever the outcome in this election, the religious freedom issue is not going away
(Adam Wesselinoff -, Catholic Weekly)

UK: American judges have chosen life — so should Britain
(David Alton, The Critic)

Colombia: The rocky road to peace II: additional challenges at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia
(Andrés Morales, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Colombian bishops lament court's approval of assisted suicide
(Eduardo Berdejo, Catholic News Agency)

Colombia legalizes assisted suicide in historic ruling
(Adriaan Alsema, Colombia Reports)

Bartholomew: It is the duty of the Orthodox Church to serve the cause of peace
(Orthodox Times)

Croatia’s chamber of medicine defends conscientious objectors in abortion case
(N1)

Mexico: Protestant Christian families forced to participate in religious majority festival for fourth consecutive year
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)

Mexico: Essay: Telling the untold stories of Indigenous religious minority women in Mexico
(Ellis Heasley, Sight)

Jail Birds - A history of incarcerated cardinals
(The Pillar)

Kashmiri Hindus protest killing of minority community member
(Aijaz Hussain, Associated Press)

India: Owaisi calls Karnataka's anti-conversion law 'draconian violation of freedom of religion'
(Ajay Sharma, Republic World)

India: Karnataka Cabinet decides to take ordinance route to clear Anti-conversion Bill
(The Hindu)

World faith leaders convene in Saudi Arabia for first time in ground-breaking conference to build bridges with Muslim leaders
(x, Religion News Service)

Should Raleigh schools close on Diwali? Hindu leader says it’s ‘not fair’ to be open.
(T. Keung Hui, The News & Observer)

Nigeria: Edo govt. condemns religious intolerance and killing of female student in Sokoto
(Eubaldus Enahoro, Nigerian Observer)

Nigeria: Student accused of blasphemy is burnt to death
(Chinedu Asadu, Associated Press)

‘Nigeria world’s scariest country to be a Christian’
(Emeka Okonkwo, CAJ News)

Nigeria: Mob kills student over ‘blasphemy’ in northern Nigerian college
(Al Jazeera)

Ethiopia: After days of unrest sparked by religious clashes, Ethiopians are beginning to get back to normal life
(Anthony Akaeze  , Baptist News Global)

Ethiopia: Inter-religious clashes in Ethiopia
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)

Syria: USCIRF welcomes the U.S. Government’s issuance of a general license Including Northeast Syria
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Burma: Pursuing justice and accountability: Next steps for the Rohingya community of Burma
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Iran: USCIRF calls on Iran to remove restrictions on Golrokh Iraee following release from prison
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

South Africa: ACDP condemns 'evil and ungodly' draft guidelines on gender identity in Cape schools
(Independent Online)

Interfaith group asks Starbucks to drop vegan milk surcharge
(Associated Press)

Report: Austria sees record number of antisemitic incidents
(Associated Press)

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