Law and Religion Headlines

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Friday, 5 June 2020

Calls for action amid growing Covid-19 pressures on religious communities globally
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

Music, musicians, and the congregation: Churches during relaxation of lockdown – II
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church: A New Document of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
(Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, blogs.goarch.org)

Deadly tide: Infections are rising fast in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan
(The Economist)

How the pandemic is reshaping baptism rituals in churches across the country
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)

COVID-19: further guidance from the Church of England
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Advisory Opinion No. 2: a Slightly Bigger Rodent
(Laurens Lavrysen, Strasbourg Observers)

Madison Bishop Hying says he will 'stand on principle' in reopening lawsuit
(Christine Rousselle, Catholic News Agency)

Churches are eager to reopen after state eases restrictions; Rock Hill holds outdoor service
(Russell Ingold, Fontana Herald News)

Houses of worship play an essential role in hope and healing
(Emilie Kao, The Heritage Foundation)

Vatican roundup: Causes of saints, rising intolerance and crime, Astalli Center
(The Irish Catholic)

Trump admin. to Supreme Court: Let adoption agencies reject LGBT families
(Chris Johnson, Southern Florida Gay News)

Adoption agency should be able to reject gay couples, Trump administration argues
(Julie Moreau, NBC News)

Trump order on global religious liberty praised
(Tom Strode, Baptist Press)

Update: Health officials lift cap on worship size diocese saw as 'unjust'
(Catholic News Service)

Tony Perkins, Gayle Manchin, Nadine Maenza, Anurima Bhargava, Jim Carr, and Johnnie Moore reappointed to USCIRF
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

3rd Circuit, 2-1, affirms dismissal of church's challenge to Delaware COVID-19 limits
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Suit challenges prof's radical interpretation of Islam
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

First Amendment lawsuit filed over terrorism lesson at Scottsdale Community College
(Matthew Casey, Fronteras)

CAIR-Arizona files lawsuit against public college for permitting anti-Muslim professor to condemn religion and punish Muslim student in violation of First Amendment
(Council on American-Islamic Relations)

6th Circuit strikes down Kentucky abortion law
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Sixth Circuit rejects Kentucky’s second trimester abortion restrictions
(Kevin Koeninger, Courthouse News Service)

Suit challenges New Jersey's COVID-19 limit on worship services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

The gospel according to Xi: Beijing considers publishing official translations of holy texts like the Bible.
(Matthew Taylor King, The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)

UK Supreme Court paves way for funding commercial surrogacy
(The Iona Institute for Religion and Society)

Catholic schools in Spain call for respect of freedom of education
(Vatican News)

An interfaith dialogue on religious responses to COVID-19 in Bangladesh
(Sarah Thompson, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Burundi court upholds presidential election results questioned by bishops
(Eloge Willy Kaneza, Associated Press)

Amsterdam to contribute £4.4m for Holocaust museum makeover
(JTA, Jewish News)

Erdogan wants to convert the Hagia Sophia church into a mosque
(novinite.com)

Director of RFI's Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team speaks on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American Muslims
(Religious Freedom Institute)

RFI's Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team joins amicus brief on critical Supreme Court foster care case
(Religious Freedom Institute)

The President, the Archbishop, the JPII Shrine, and following the lead of the Knights of Columbus
(Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review)

Pope Francis dealing with issue of release of Ukrainian national guardsman convicted in Italy - Zelensky
(Interfax-Religion)

New podcast: Looking for progress after George Floyd killing? Look in pews, not political fights
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

The state of communion: Blaine Amendments and the future of religious liberty
(Cameron Hilditch, National Review)

A State is a State is a State? Some Thoughts on the Prosecutor’s Response to Amici Briefs on Territorial Jurisdiction – Part II
(Malcolm N Shaw, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

A State is a State is a State? Some Thoughts on the Prosecutor’s Response to Amici Briefs on Territorial Jurisdiction – Part I
(Malcolm N Shaw, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

'Palestinian Lives Matter,' shout Israeli protesters over killing of Iyad Hallak
(https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/06/israel-palestinians-arabs-east-jerusalem-iyad-al-hallak.html, Al-Monitor: Israel Pulse)

Elderly Turks furious over 'nonsense' lockdown
(Sibel Hurtas, Al-Monitor: Turkey Pulse)

The racism that killed George Floyd was built in Britain
(Afua Hirsch, The Guardian Opinion)

The pointlessness of American racial politics in Britain
(Charlie Peters, National Review Opinion)

"Out focus now is on healing," Mike Pence tells black faith leaders at listening session
(Michael Foust, Christina Headlines)

Oregon: Coronavirus restrictions ease for places of worship under threat of lawsuit
(Bethany Pyle, Christian Headlines)

President Trump's executive order allocates $50M for global religious freedom
(Amanda Casanova, Christian Headlines)

Professor removed from department chair position for stressing importance of biological sex
(Brandon Showalter, The Christian Post)

Mosques across America dedicate Friday sermons to confronting racism, police brutality
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)

Why American evangelicals are so tempted by the easy assurance of conspiracy theories
(D.L. Mayfield, Religion News Service)

UK government doubles down on N Ireland abortion regulations
(Catholic News Agency)

Churches in China must preach 'patriotism' to reopen after coronavirus
(Catholic News Agency)

Catholic bishops urge US Senate to pass a delayed immigration reform bill
(Catholic News Agency)

El Salvador pro-life groups decry 'misleading' CBS report amid abortion fight
(Catholic News Agency)

Madison changes church reopening rules after Catholic bishop threatens lawsuit
(Christine Rousselle, Catholic News Agency)

COVID-19 compounds economic crises in Yemen, Jordan, Palestine
(Al-Monitor)

Facebook closes accounts linked to Kurdish intelligence in Iraq
(Adam Lucente, Al-Monitor: Iraq Pulse)

In Hong Kong, the spirit of Tiananmen lives on
(Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)

Thursday, 4 June 2020

Plaintiff in Supreme Court’s religious liberty altering Smith decision asks justices to protect faith-based adoption agencies
(First Liberty)

WEBINAR RECORDING: Balancing in the Face of the COVID-19 Crisis: Adapting and Reimagining Faith-Inspired Programs
(Olivia Wilkinson, Moderator, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs | World Faiths Development Dialogue)

The virus, churches and religious liberty
(Fr. Raymond de Souza, The Catholic Register)

Can churches reopen like businesses? In Minnesota, yes. In Nevada, no.
(Megan Fowler, Christianity Today)

Which rights take precedence in a pandemic turned civil crisis?
(Jonathan S. Tobin, Jewish News Syndicate)

Faith leaders in metro Detroit call for justice and peace
(Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press)

The politics of religious freedom – Covid-19 edition
(Asma T. Uddin, Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)

Religious freedom in the age of COVID-19
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Balancing religious freedoms and public health protections during the covid-19 pandemic (Responding to: Religious freedom in the age of covid-19)
(James G. Hodge, Jr., Hanna Reinke Claudia Reeves, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Covid-19 and the assembly of believers: From rights to responsibility (Responding to: Religious freedom in the age of covid-19)
(Robin Fretwell Wilson, Sara Buitrón, Marie Joe Noon Brian A. Smith, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Does religion matter during a pandemic? (Responding to: Religious freedom in the age of covid-19)
(Christopher Ogolla, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

The role of religious liberty in (the development of) social distancing law (Responding to: Religious freedom in the age of covid-19)
(Lindsay F. Wiley, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Christian group challenges England's liberalization of abortion rules in COVID-19 crisis
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

UK's DIY abortions
(Christian Concern)

DAILY HIGHLIGHT #78: Rising Stigma amid the Pandemic: India’s Muslim Community
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

Southern Baptists see 13th year of membership decline
(Travis Loller, Associated Press)

Eyebrows raised as Swiss bishop taps woman for senior job
(Nadine Achoui-Lesage and Jamey Keaten, Associated Press)

IS claims Kabul mosque attack that killed prayer leader
(Associated Press)

World Council of Churches postpones its assembly to 2022 due to COVID-19
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Social media and applications to the ECtHR: Connecting people in the name of human rights?
(Francesco Luigi Gatta, Strasbourg Observers)

Would America be better off without religion?
(Casey Chalk, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Supreme Court increases severity of penalty for convicted Jehovah's Witness
(Krymskii Protsess, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))

‘We need a miracle,’ retired Hong Kong cardinal says on security law
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Scottish bishops present plan for reopening churches to government
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

DAILY HIGHLIGHT #79: Responses to COVID-19 in Latino Churches
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)

China makes preaching patriotism compulsory to reopen churches
(Catholic News Service, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Reopening policies unfairly target church services in Madison, Wis.
(Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review)

Howard County, Maryland, officials tried to ban Mass: Why wasn't that a news story?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

Got news? Some members of Class of COVID-19 heard faith talk at commencement
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

Irish Gaelic on memorials? Re St Giles, Exhall
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

Ecclesiastical court judgments – May
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Court in Crimea jails second Jehovah's Witness for six years
(Reuters)

No crowding, no physical offerings: Indian Health Ministry announces SOPs for religious places
(The Wire)

Religious institutions of Uzbekistan, Malaysia sign cooperation agreements
(AKI Press)

Myanmar jails doctor for insulting monks over sex education
(Reuters)

Ghana: With so many Christians in government, why does corruption persist?
(Vatican News)

Berlin passes first German state anti-discrimination law
(Rebecca Staudenmaier, Deutsche Welle)

Without annual meeting, amid decline, Southern Baptists continue debate on race, women’s roles
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)

On 4 June We Remember…
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)

Atlanta's Jacob Rothschild helped lay path for today’s activist rabbis
(Dave Schechter, Religion Unplugged)

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

Church's challenge to St Louis COVID-19 order dismissed as moot
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Will the Yazidis survive in the Middle East?
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)

George Floyd left a gospel legacy in Houston
(Christianity Today)

Faith at the barricades: A weekend of religious protest and prayer in photos
(Religion News Service)

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