Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 2 March 2022
Church openings approach pre-pandemic levels, but attendance levels stall, survey says
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
UK: COVID-19 legislation and guidance update, March
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
UK: COVID-19 and Lent: into a third year
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Monday, 28 February 2022
Researchers estimate 5.2 million children orphaned during pandemic
(Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service)
Ash Wednesday returns to Philippine churches
(Joseph Peter Calleja, Union of Catholic Asian News)
Catholic school parents ask D.C. mayor to drop mask mandate for religious schools
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Saudi Arabia allows vaccinated children under age 7 to enter Two Holy Mosques
(Tala Michel Issa, Al Arabiya)
Conscientious objection to vaccinations against covid?
(Grégor Puppinck, The European Centre for Law and Justice)
Friday, 25 February 2022
New lawsuit challenges CT repeal of religious exemption for school vaccines
(Julia Bergman, CT Insider)
Faith communities see urgent challenges and opportunities as children lose parents and caregivers to COVID-19
(Gerard J. McGlone and Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Could Novavax win over some religious vaccine skeptics?
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
For clergy, COVID-19 has brought both burnout and breakthrough
(Elizabeth E. Evans, Religion News Service)
Weekly Highlight #194: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Misinformation in Africa; declining church attendance
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
UK: Lifting COVID-19 restrictions in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland: update
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Air Force officers sue over religious exemption denials
(John Seewer, Associated Press)
Perspective: The sustaining power of faith in times of crisis
(Gérald Caussé, Deseret News)
Monday, 21 February 2022
Bill to consider churches essential in emergencies advances
(Associated Press)
5th Circuit: United Airlines employees irreparably injured by religious coercion over COVID vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court grants preliminary relief to service members in Navy SEAL 1 case
(Liberty Counsel)
Supreme Court denies injunction as school system postpones vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Canada: They’re targeted by Canada’s far-right. So why did they join the ‘freedom convoy’?
(Pallavi Pundir, VICE)
Canadian trucker protests echo U.S. Christian nationalism? Press says 'yes'
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
UK: Law and religion round-up – 20th February
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Friday, 18 February 2022
Canada: COVID restriction protests affecting Church in Canada
(John Lavenburg, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
US military has approved religious exemptions to vaccine mandate for 15 service members out of 16,000 requests
(Oren Liebermann and Ellie Kaufman, CNN)
Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Weekly Highlight #193: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Tackling polarization through dialogue and collaboration
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Air Force officer gets injunction against required COVID vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Officer wins first-in-the-nation injunction against Air Force enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate
(Thomas More Society)
Monday, 14 February 2022
Supreme Court rejects NYC teachers’ religious exemption appeal over vax mandate
(Jesse O'Neill, The New York Post)
Many faith leaders wary of religious exemptions for vaccine
(David Crary and Peter Smith, Associated Press)
Vaccine mandates: Many US faith leaders wary of religious exemptions for vaccine
(David Crary and Peter Smith, Sight)
Are vaccine exemptions actually religious?
(Russell P. Johnson, Sightings - The University of Chicago Divinity School)
Unvaccinated medical workers turn to religious exemptions
(Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press)
UK: Law and religion round-up – 13th February
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
GOP bill aims to halt government restrictions on houses of worship during a public health crisis
(Liam Adams, The Tennessean)
India, COVID-19, and religious secularism
(Daanyal Ebrahim, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Friday, 11 February 2022
62% of white Evangelicals have had at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine: poll
(Ryan Foley, The Christian Post)
Bill would let unvaccinated WVa workers get unemployment
(Leah Willingham, Associated Press)
Orthodox Jewish families & Catholic businessman sue New York mayor over unconstitutional vaccine passports
(Tom Ciesielka, Thomas More Society)
UK: COVID-19 legislation and guidance update, February
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Weekly Highlight #192: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Fighting for the vulnerable, adapting rituals, and caring for the dead
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Canada: Quebec bishops lament government’s COVID vaccine passport for mass attendance
(Jonah McKeown, National Catholic Register)
February 2022 newsletter
(The Association of Religion Data Archives)
Monday, 7 February 2022
Francis Collins on COVID-19 politics: ‘The culture war is literally killing people’
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
UK: Article 9 and the COVID-19 lockdown in England: Hussain again
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Friday, 4 February 2022
Movsesian on courts’ responses to COVID restrictions
(Mark Movsesian, Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Court grants service members emergency relief in Navy SEAL 1 v. Biden
(Liberty Counsel)
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Weekly Highlight #191: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Never-ending COVID-19 pandemic as Groundhog Day ad infinitum
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Italy military chaplain hits back at vaccine-mandate critic
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Arizona lawmakers look to curb government’s emergency powers
(Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press)
UK: COVID-19: Church in Wales guidance updates
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
China: On Lunar New Year, Chinese pray outside shut temples
(Sam McNeil, Religion News Service)
China: On Lunar New Year, Chinese offer prayers at temples
(Sam McNeil, Associated Press)
Monday, 31 January 2022
Canada: Charter challenge by 2 Ontario churches opposed to public health restrictions gets underway Monday
(Kate Dubinski, CBC News)
Court refuses to enjoin medical campus' vaccination mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pope Francis calls access to accurate information on coronavirus vaccines ‘a human right’
(Maria Luisa Paul and Adela Suliman, The Washington Post)
Peter’s Pence donations fell by around 15% in 2021, says Vatican
(Catholic News Agency)
Vatican projects budget deficit for 2022 as pandemic continues
(Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)
Religious disbelief: Paladino coasts to religious accommodation after refusing to show vax proof
(New York Daily News)
Friday, 28 January 2022
World remembers Holocaust as antisemitism rises in pandemic
(Vanessa Gera and Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press)
Mississippi bill sets religious exemption on COVID vaccine
(Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press)
The religious leaders caught in the vaccine wars
(Mansee Khurana, The Atlantic)
Would you change your religion for a religious exemption to the covid-19 vaccine?
(Dwight M. Kealy, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Religions for Peace and United Religions Initiative sign a memorandum of understanding
(Religions for Peace)
Wednesday, 26 January 2022
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, UN rights chief says COVID-19 conspiracies blaming Jews abound
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Navy SEALs seek to make vax challenge a class action
(Katie Buehler, Law 360)
Groups raise concerns over 19 federal agencies’ plans to track religious objectors to COVID-19 vaccines
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
Weekly Highlight #190: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Restrictions on gatherings continue to pose challenges
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Challenge to Indiana University vaccine mandate nixed again
(Tom Davies, Associated Press)
10th Circuit affirms dismissal of churches challenge to Colorado COVID restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Brazil’s bishops accuses president of ‘sabotaging’ child vaccination
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Singapore churches seek concessions for unvaccinated worshippers
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
UK: COVID-19: Church of England updated advice
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Concerns Regarding COVID-19, Church Governance, and Liberty of Conscience
(Adventist News Network)
Monday, 24 January 2022
Defeat the Mandates protesters: We're not 'anti-vaxxers,' this is about coercion
(Brandon Showalter, The Christian Post)
Friday, 21 January 2022
Perspective: Divided court considers religious exemptions to vaccine mandates
(Richard Foltin, Freedom Forum)
UK: COVID-19: Plan B guidance to be lifted in England
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
UK: COVID-19 legislation and guidance update, January (II)
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Weekly Highlight #189: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Deja vu: Superspreader festivals and increasing prevention measures
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Ask this: Why did many flocks survive or thrive in pandemic, while others were hit hard?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Omicron is taking a toll on pagans, who depend on conferences for community
(Heather Greene, Religion News Service)
Monday, 17 January 2022
Israeli ultra-Orthodox leaders push for children to get vaccinated
(Israel Hershkovitz, Al-Monitor: Israeli Press)
At many churches, pandemic hits collection plates, budgets
(Holly Meyer and Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press)
Split en banc 9th Circuit denies review of refusal to enjoin school vaccine mandate that lacks religious exemption
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Australia: 'Profoundly disappointed' Serbian Orthodox Church calls on Australia to revoke Novak Djokovic's deportation
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Friday, 14 January 2022
Financial woes drive more Thais to suicide
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
United States: Expect a momentous year ahead for the Supreme Court
(Erwin Chemerinsky, ABA Journal)
As COVID cases surge, religious leaders say faith is no barrier to getting vaccine
(Nicolette White, New Jersey Herald)
India: Thousands gather at Hindu festival in India as virus surges
(Biswajeet Banerjee, Associated Press)
Court dismisses Louisiana pastor’s virus restrictions suit
(Kevin McGill, Associated Press)
7th Circuit: Church's suit against rescinded COVID order is moot
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Air Force officer asks Federal Court for relief from compulsory COVID-19 vaccines
(Thomas More Society)
6th Circuit tells district court to reconsider injunction denial against school mask order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
UK: COVID-19: Church in Wales update
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
What will be the top religion stories of 2022? Here are a few leading possibilities
(Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Unplugged)
Weekly Highlight #188: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: A push for moral imperatives to vaccinate
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Italian Episcopal Conference: Suggestions on some measures to deal with the covid emergency
(DiReSoM: Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali/ Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies)
"Spiritual distress" from employer's vaccine mandate is not "irreparable injury"
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Michigan federal court denies employee’s attempt to stave off termination for failing to receive covid-19 vaccine on religious grounds
(Mikle S. Jew, The National Law Review)
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