Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 27 May 2024
Louisiana wants the Ten Commandments in schools but which version?
(Steven Lubet, The Hill)
Ecumenical Patriarch: In the sphere of Orthodoxy, there is no uniform attitude towards human rights
(Orthodox Times)
Australia: Michaelia Cash calls for focus on antisemitism in Labor’s new hate speech law
(Paul Karp, The Guardian)
Australia: Richard Marles urges for social cohesion after high school targeted with anti Semitic graffiti
(Eleanor Campbell, News.com.au)
Faith, family and hatred of progressive policies: The power of Latino evangelicals spreads across the United States
(Nicholas Dale Leal, El País)
4th International Conference on Religious Freedom begins in Athens
(Constantine S. Sirigos, The National Herald)
India: Delhi voters, scarred by Hindu-Muslim riots, want peace
(Shivam Patel, Reuters)
Cape Verde: Religious freedom, free and transparent elections and political freedom are the most respected human rights in Cape Verde (Portuguese)
(Edisângela Tavares, Expresso das Ilhas)
Brazil: Culture, music, diversity and tolerance (Portuguese)
(Babalawo Ivanir dos Santos, O Dia)
Brazil: Jandira Chamber approves project on the inviolability of religious freedom in the municipality (Portuguese)
(Redação, O Reporter Regional)
Where does the idea of religious freedom come from? (Portuguese)
(José Brissos-Lino, Visão)
Brazil: Municipal laws guarantee freedom of worship and combat religious intolerance (Portuguese)
(Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro)
Friday, 24 May 2024
Sri Lanka: President highlights Theravada Buddhism’s solutions for modern world challenges at state Vesak ceremony 2024
(The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka)
Statement by President Joe Biden on Vesak
(The White House)
On the occasion of Vesak Day
(Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Department of State)
Americans strongly support defending human rights globally
(Shibley Telhami, The Brookings Institution)
Eritrea: Twenty years is too long: The Eritrean government must release imprisoned church leaders
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Churches' challenges to day care licensing dismissed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Archbishop renews call for Gaza ceasefire as he addresses Kirk General Assembly
(The Church of Scotland)
Bishops’ foreword – called to be peacemakers (on arms control)
(Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales)
A Russian Jehovah’s Witness was sentenced to 8 years in prison
(Willy Fautré, The European Times)
Seeing like a church, seeing like a state: the church-state relation in religious asylum adjudications
(Jaeeun Kim, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Israel: IDF probing report of soldier throwing Quran into fire in Gaza
(i24 News)
WCC, Right Livelihood meet to deepen collaborative work toward a better world
(World Council of Churches)
COMECE regrets conversion of Church of Saint Savior in Chora into a mosque: “Another major blow to Interreligious Dialogue”
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
What is happening to conscientious objectors in Europe?
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
German church struggles with radical right-wing AfD party
(Christian Network Europe)
Yemen: One year on, Huthis must release Baha’is arbitrarily detained over their religion and end persecution of minorities
(Amnesty International)
The quest for religious reform goes global
(James M. Dorsey, Modern Diplomacy)
Canada: Eliminating religion as a hate speech defence an idea worth exploring, says antisemitism envoy
(Stephanie Taylor, CBC News)
After brief legal battle with National Park Service, Knights of Columbus in Virginia get permit for Memorial Day worship service
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
School of Divinity to launch initiative on Religion, Pluralism, and American Public Life
(Wake Forest University)
North Korean defectors repatriated by China face persecution
(Julian Ryall, Deutsche Welle)
From schools to the Olympics, how France’s staunch secularism affects religion in public life
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)
France is proud of its secularism. But struggles grow in this approach to faith, school, integration
(Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)
Why Poland’s new government is challenged by abortion
(Patrice McMahon, The Conversation)
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
EVENT, 21-22 May 2024: "Dare to Overcome" National Faith@Work ERG Conference (Washington, DC, USA)
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 22 May 2024 (9:30AM ET): Harmony in Diversity | EP. 9 "Christian Orthodox" with Dr. Elizabeta Kitanovic
(European Union and United Nations Offices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Scotland: Religion and ethnic group results published
(National Records of Scotland)
Majority of people in Scotland have no religion, census shows
(Severin Carrell, The Guardian)
Archbishops call for respect and kindness in heat of debate
(The Church of England)
An unfortunate sequence of events: Re St Bartholomew Bristol
(Shirani Herbert, Law & Religion UK)
CVS reaches settlement with nurse practitioner in religious discrimination case
(Kim Roberts, The Texan)
Nicaragua: Protestant, Catholic, critic, ally: No-one is safe in Nicaragua
(Anna Lee Stangl, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Oak Flat Apache sacred site case goes to the U.S. Supreme Court
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights)
Elder Dube addresses international conference on religious freedom in home country
(Church Newsroom)
Religion a major factor in social service contribution, new Sutherland report says
(Utah Policy)
Have the nones jumped the shark? Maybe.
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Court orders D.C. transit authority to accept and run unconsitutionally rejected ads
(ACLU of DC)
Thou shalt post praying George Washington ads, federal judge tells D.C. Metro
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
They set out to host a Memorial Day Mass. Now, they’re suing the National Park Service
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
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)
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