Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 6 January 2021
Religious leaders call for peace and blame Trump for violence at the U.S. Capitol
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
World church body condemns violence threatening United States
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Faith leaders react to mob at Capitol with prayers, calls for end to violence
(Religion News Service)
Freedom of religion or belief in Belgium: Some religions are more equal than others
(Jelle Creemers, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
France unveils draft law to fight Islamist radicalism
(Elaine Ganley, Japan Today)
French archbishop, others protest draft law against religious extremism
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Religious affiliation of new Congress survyed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
How Congress’ religious makeup differs from the rest of America
(Mya Jaradat, Deseret News)
117th Congress, like the old, is overwhelmingly Christian, heavily Protestant
(Yonat Shimron and Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 117th Congress
(Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life)
Rear Adm. Margaret Grun Kibben named as first woman to serve as House chaplain
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
Cleaver: 'Awoman' ending to prayer meant to recognize record number of women in Congress
(Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill)
‘Amen’ is not gendered, and ‘A-woman’ is nonsense, Hebrew scholar says
(Christine Rousselle, Catholic News Agency)
The U.S. Supreme Court and pandemic restrictions on religious worship
(Frederick Mark Gedicks, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
New restrictions in the Russian religious law: What should believers expect?
(Olga Sibireva, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Indonesian police kill 2 suspected militants in raid
(Niniek Karmini, Associated Press)
Indonesia police shoot dead two militants linked to Philippines church bombing
(Edrian Acla, Eagle News)
Indonesia Islamic council hopes for halal ruling before mass vaccination
(Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Stanley Widianto, Reuters)
C of E bishop warns of church closures due to Covid financial losses
(Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian)
Wave of arrests in Hong Kong targets pro-democracy politicians, activists
(Catholic News Agency)
The College of Cardinals in 2021: Who could vote in a future papal conclave
(Marco Mancini, Catholic News Agency)
5 reactions to Rev. Raphael Warnock’s historic election as Georgia’s first black senator
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority
(Steve Peoples, Bill Barrow, Russ Bynum, Religion News Service)
‘Christian’ crowdfunder hosts campaigns for Tarrio and other Proud Boys
(Roxanne Stone, Religion News Service)
Weekly highlight #137: The ethics of COVID: Vaccines, mortality, and morality
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
New report forecasts wave of Christian Nationalist bills to hit state legislatures in 2021
(American Atheists)
Why the persecution of Muslims should be on Biden’s agenda
(Knox Thames, Foreign Policy)
China brings its cruel crackdown on Uighur advocates to the U.S.
(The Editorial Board, The Washington Post Opinion)
Priests targeted by racist attacks by the faithful in Brazil (Portuguese)
(André Bernardo, Época)
Dozens of Nigerian Christians killed during Christmas
(Evangelical Focus)
Aid coordination headquarters established (Croatian)
(Evangelical Pentecostal Church in Croatia)
The catastrophe at Gjerdrum (Norwegian)
(The Norwegian Church)
CEC President's message for Taizé Prayer Meeting
(Pastor Christian Krieger, President of the Conference of European Churches, Taizé)
Algeria: Mocking the government and religion: 3 years in prison
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Anti-Jewish COVID theories top list of worst antisemitism outbreaks
(Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post)
Taiwan: Tai Ji Men: Fabricated case, arbitrary auction, illegal arrest
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Young Hartlepool Muslims from Nasir Mosque start year with community clean-up
(Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK)
Muslims launch campaign to help combat food poverty this Christmas
(Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK)
Young Muslims help combat loneliness by giving gifts to elderly care home residents in Milton Keynes
(Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK)
Letters sent to world leaders by Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community during covid-19 pandemic to be published for first time
(Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK)
Putin observes Christmas at 13th century island church
(Associated Press)
Greek churches open on Epiphany feast despite tight lockdown
(Demetris Nellas, Associated Press)
Spain tries to keep Epiphany tradition despite pandemic
(Associated Press)
Some Orthodox Christians ignore COVID warnings on Epiphany
(Associated Press)
Beleaguered Armenian PM stays away from church on Christmas
(Associated Press)
The most consequential Jew of 2020: Jared Kushner
(Jonathan S. Tobin, Jewish News Syndicate Opinion)
Turkmenistan: Conscientious objector jailed, awaiting second trial
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Life after Georgia: Questions about a pro-life Democrat in U.S. Senate and other issues ...
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Most Britons say their country is Christian, but participation is low: survey
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
A teenager in Zimbabwe is using taekwondo to fight child marriage
(Al Jazeera)
Wadi-e-Hussain: A graveyard for Pakistan’s Shia victims
(Syeda Sana Batool, Al Jazeera)
Pakistani Shiites continue sit-in over killing of 11 miners
(Abdul Sattar and Munir Ahmed, Associated Press)
Pakistani court orders rebuilding of destroyed Hindu temple
(Associated Press)
Christian lay leader arrested on blasphemy charges in Pakistan
(Morning Star News)
Leveraging religious values to drive climate resilient development in Africa
(Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
The shocking state of Christian persecution in South Sudan
(Juma Peter, Religion Unplugged)
Priest complains after Hindu ritual performed outside Catholic church in Goa
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
India deals another blow to religious freedom
(Mission Network News)
Right to religion not higher than right to life, temple rituals may be conducted without compromising COVID-19 protocol: Madras High Court
(Meera Emmanuel, Bar and Bench)
Supreme Court to examine state laws on religious conversion due to interfaith marriage
(Press Trust of India, Business Standard)
Alberta man charged with hate crime for disrupting Mass
(Andrew Ehrkamp, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canadian church latest to clash with authorities over COVID-19
(Charlie Butts, One News Now)
Poland: Church cancels lease of liberal Catholic magazine
(Associated Press)
9th Circuit hears oral arguments in Harvest Rock Church appeal
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Stalking suit against Church of Scientology and actor must go to arbitration
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Danny Masterson lawsuit will go through Church of Scientology arbitration
(Emily Kirkpatrick, Vanity Fair)
How the shofar emerged as a weapon of spiritual warfare for some evangelicals
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Agency)
Religions for Peace condemns mob attack on US Capitol
(Religions for Peace)
Tuesday, 5 January 2021
How U.S. pandemic restrictions became a constitutional battlefield
(John Fabian Witt and Kiki Manzur, Foreign Affairs)
Washington D.C. church sues proud boys for tearing up Black Lives Matter sign
(Joe Walsh, Forbes)
South Africa tightens restrictions on religious funeral services during pandemic
(Kgothatso Madisa, Sowetan Live)
Montenegro's President rejects changes to controversial religion law
(RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
Monday, 4 January 2021
Trade deals and human rights: the scramble for high moral ground in dealing with China
(Ruth Ingram, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
Dr. Gulshan Abbas sentenced to 20 years in jail: the CCP is punishing her sister Rushan, for her campaign on behalf of the persecuted Uyghurs
(Ruth Ingram, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
3 states, 3 anti-conversion laws: what’s similar, what’s different
(Apurva Vishwanath, The Indian Express)
Kochi, India: Church declares interfaith marriage invalid
(Sandeep Thomas, The Times of India)
The term ‘Judeo-Christian’ has been misused for political ends – a new ‘Abrahamic’ identity offers an alternative
(Toby Greene, The Conversation)
2020 in review: A year without precedent
(The Bahá’í World News Service)
The year of smashing statues
(Convivium: Canada's Premier Hub for Faith in Common Life)
Yes, this is a religion question: Year in, year out, why is January 1st New Year’s Day?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
2020 Parliament of World Religions Annual Report
(Parliament of World Religions)
20 Catholic missionaries killed in 2020
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
How the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation ended up in Congress’s $900 billion relief bill
(Paul O'Donnell, The Washington Post)
Relief after misfortune: A centuries-old Islamic literary genre may still offer consolation today
(Asma Afsaruddin, Sightings: The Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago Divinity School)
For Sri Lankan Muslims, the coronavirus isn’t the only thing they’re hoping to see the back of in 2021
(CSWPress, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
6th Circuit: County COVID order closing all high schools infringes parochial schools' rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Sixth Circuit declares closure of religious schools in Toledo violates Free Exercise Clause
(Josh Blackman, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Articles of interest - 4 January 2021
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Armenian churches under attack by Azerbaijanians and Turkey
(Uzay Bulut, Blitz)
Top Nigerian prelate calls for ‘new beginning’ amid national woes
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholic bishop released five days after kidnapping in Nigeria
(Angelus News)
Algerian jailed for 3 years for political protest memes
(Agence France-Presse, Courthouse News Service)
Algeria: Two Kabyl Christians sentenced to heavy prison terms
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Faith leaders urge Congress to honor election result
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
Greek Church tells priests to ignore pandemic closure order
(Nicholas Paphitis, Associated Press)
IS gunmen kill 11 minority Shiite coal miners in SW Pakistan
(Abdul Sattar, Associated Press)
Pakistani Shiites rally against killing of coal miners by IS
(Abdul Sattar, Associated Press)
Sheriff: Pastor dead, 2 hurt in shooting at Texas church
(Associated Press)
Senate race thrusts ‘Black America’s church’ into spotlight
(Aaron Mo, Associated Press)
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