Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 16 January 2021
WEBINAR, 16 January 2021 (1PM EST): Does Religious Freedom Matter in 2021? African American Perspectives on Religious Freedom.
(Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)
Friday, 15 January 2021
CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS, due 15 January 2021: Special Issue - "The Crisis of Religious Freedom in the Age of COVID-19 Pandemic"
(Prof. Adelaide Madera, Guest Editor, Laws)
Katrina Lantos Swett: Healing our nation through understanding human rights
(Katrina Lantos Swett, Deseret Magazine)
New law elevates anti-Semitism monitor to rank of ambassador
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Apache leaders sue to prevent Forest Service transfer of religious site
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Apache sue to protect religious freedom, save Oak Flat sacred area from destruction by foreign mining company (PDF)
(Apache Stronghold)
One in eight Christians worldwide live in countries where they may face persecution
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Religion Unplugged)
Anti-Semitism seen in Capitol attack raises alarms
(Elana Schor, Religion News Service)
Houston woman faces historic indictment over female genital cutting
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
Martin Luther King Jr. faith events continue in time of COVID-19 and Capitol chaos
(Adellle M. Banks and Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
60% rise in Christians killed worldwide in 2020: Open Doors report
(Jackson Elliott, The Christian Post)
USCIRF releases new report about key U.S. Government IRF vacancies for Biden Administration to fill
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Factsheet: Key U.S. Government IRF positions
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
8th Circuit hears oral arguments in Missouri vaccination exemption case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
2nd Circuit: Vermont may not exclude religious school students from dual enrollment program
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
The Polish case against the Virgin Mary
(Wojciech Kość, Politico)
Major regional differences in approved euthanasia requests
(NL Times)
Sudan moves in right direction on religious liberty, but progress is fragile
(Joshua Meservey, Providence)
Denmark will ask all faith groups to translate sermons into Danish language
(Evangelical Focus)
Victoria’s Conversion Practices Bill is as bad as they say it is
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Venezuela bishops call for change in political leadership
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholic bishop urges extension of last remaining U.S.-Russia arms pact
(Catholic News Service)
Christian Association of Nigeria: Quit threatening Catholic bishop
(Peter Ajayi Dada, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canadian high court declines to hear archdiocesan appeals on abuse claims
(Catholic News Service)
Facebook removes video commentary by Mexican cardinal
(David Agren, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
What these religious leaders would change about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout
(Mya Jaradat, Deseret News)
How to make the Islamic world less radical
(Yahya Cholil Staquf, The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)
North Dakota bill would force priests to violate confession seal in abuse cases
(Mary Farrow, Catholic News Agency)
Anti-evangelism law enforced against Orthodox cleric
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Jehovah's Witness loses appeal in Kirov
(Newsler, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
ECHR finds unproven accusations of Kiev in Russia's refusal to register religious organizations in Crimea
(Interfax-Religion)
Turkmenistan: Another second-time jailing, four more imminent?
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
New podcast: New York Times says 'Christian nationalism' tied to white 'evangelical power'
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
EU hypocrisy? Foie gras and factory farming continue, but kosher and halal traditions nixed
(Ira Rifkin, GetReligion)
Martin Luther King, Jr. on power and love
(Eric Patterson, Religious Freedom Institute)
International Journal of Religion features RFI scholar
(Religious Freedom Institute)
Religious Freedom Day 2021: A time to look back in order to move forward
(Religious Freedom Institute)
China’s religious suppression could spread if not challenged—crossroad’s interview with William L. Saunders, RFI senior fellow
(Religious Freedom Institute)
End of life care, “best interests” and Article 6 ECHR: update
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
National Register of Clergy
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
30 rabbis and community leaders back bill urging end to Uyghur persecution
(Jewish News)
Curbing religious tension in Myanmar: Part 2: Christians remain hopeful for the future
(International Christian Concern)
Colombia's government won its three year battle against the Church of Satan
(Joshua Collins, Vice)
India’s ‘love jihad’ laws: Another attempt to subjugate Muslims
(Apoorvanand, Al Jazeera)
'Love jihad' law seen trampling women's hard-earned freedoms in India
(Roli Srivastava, Reuters)
How one town is preserving the history of India’s oldest Jewish settlers
(Arathi Menon, Vice)
Advancing religious freedom abroad starts at home
(Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Maggie Siddiqi, Religion News Service Opinion)
We can’t have religious freedom without reproductive freedom
(Frederick Clarkson and Cari Jackson, Religion Dispatches)
Not an act of religious freedom
(Patrick Hornbeck, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
A New History of the Church in Wales: Governance and Ministry, Theology and Society
(Norman Doe, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
An analysis of the Capitol protests through Senate Chaplain Barry Black’s prayer
(John E. King, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Meet Fscire, our key partner in 2021
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
International religious freedom in the Biden Administration (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Luke M. Pérez, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Biden, Brexit, and the invisible border (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Méadhbh McIvor, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Changing faces on freedom of religion or belief (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Robert J. Joustra, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Freedom of religion or belief and the indivisibility of human rights (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Göran Gunner and Linde Lindkvist, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
International religious freedom’s Christian “soft spot”: Causes, consequences, and solutions (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Gregorio Bettiza, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Rethinking international freedom of religion or belief policies (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Nazila Ghanea, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
The paradox of free religion (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
The virtue of religion: Rethinking America’s approach to international religious freedom (Responding to: Rethinking U.S. policy on international religious freedom)
(Edward A. David, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Treat religion equally during pandemic, United Kingdom's NSS urges human rights body
(National Secular Society, National Secular Society)
UK Special Envoy: ‘Freedom of religion is about respecting people’s inherent worth’
(The Christian Institute)
Mormon leaders condemn ‘lawless behavior’ at US Capitol
(Brady McCombs, Associated Press)
Thursday, 14 January 2021
WEBINAR, 14 January 2021 (12:30PM EST): On Civil Islam, Education, Sharia Law and Ethics, and Democratization
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Executions don’t deter murder, despite the Trump administration’s push
(David P. Barash, The Conversation)
Amid scheduled executions, bills introduced to end federal use of death penalty
(Matt Hadro and Kate Scanlon, Catholic News Agency)
Bishops seek end to death penalty at federal, state levels
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
VIRTUAL EVENT, 13 January 2021 (Roma, GMT+01:00): From Freedom of Worship to Freedom of Religion or Belief
(Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale)
Honner v France: Damage Prevention and/or Damage Control?
(Alice Margaria, Strasbourg Observers)
America's history of political violence
(Darel E. Paul, First Things)
Evangelicals and Critical Race Theory
(Carl R. Trueman, First Things)
Individualization of religious beliefs, secularization and religion-state relations
(Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
WEBINAR, 13 January 2021 (19.00 (GMT+3)): Mechanisms to combat antisemitism in the world and in Turkey
(İnanç Özgürlüğü Girişimi / Freedom of Belief Initiative)
Secularization is (also) individualization
(Paolo Costa, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
In search for a language for individualized religiosity
(Stanislav Panin, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Individual spirituality and establishment
(Jeremy Patrick, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
How religions in Italy can continue to function during the pandemic
(Pierluigi Consorti, Simone Baldetti, Fabio Balsamo, and other doctors, DiReSom)
PayPal blocks Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Religious freedom and civil disobedience in the United States
(Barry W. Bussey, Canadian Centre for Christian Charities)
Nigerian Archdiocese still doesn't know why their bishop was kidnapped
(Timothy Nerozzi, Religion Unplugged)
Q&A with Rev. Paul Abernathy, an Orthodox priest combatting vaccine skepticism
(Mladen Aleksic, Religion Unplugged)
Desecration trial opens over LGBT rainbow put on Polish icon
(Monika Scislowska and Czarek Sokolowski, Associated Press)
Polish Supreme Court set to test commitment to rule of law in extradition row
(Safeguard Defenders)
DOE says Bostock decision does not apply to Title IX
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Title IX protections apply only to ‘biological sex,’ Education Department memo says
(Mark Walsh, Education Week)
Supreme Court wrestles with Georgia college free speech case
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Colorado Supreme Court: Same-sex common law marriages before Obergefell are valid
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court allows enforcement of FDA rule on medical abortions while appeals are pending
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
National Association of Realtors bans hate speech by its members
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Weekly highlight #138: Vaccination is center stage and researchers dig deeper into religion and COVID details
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
International conference “Person in a Post-Religious Society”
(Conference of European Churches)
After tragic Norway landslide, “God is providing light in the shadow”
(Susan Kim, World Council of Churches)
New report reveals continued violations of FoRB as government exploits COVID-19 pandemic
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
First Christian arrested under new ‘anti-conversion’ law in U.P., India
(Morning Star News)
Supreme Court considers vindication for silenced student
(Becket: Press Release)
Ash Wednesday 2021: Vatican offers guidance on ash distribution amid COVID-19 pandemic
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)
Supreme Court debates whether college's free speech violation merits symbolic damages
(Catholic News Agency)
Religious news from around the web January 11, 2021
(World Religion News)
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