Law and Religion Headlines

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Thursday, 7 May 2020

Pandemic piety
(William B. Lawrence, Sightings: The Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago Divinity School)

You might have the right to gather, but you can choose otherwise
(Benjamin Marcus, Freedom Forum Institute)

New report finds nonreligious people face stigma and discrimination
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)

Church's challenge to California stay-at-home orders is rejected
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Churches sue Michigan governor over COVID-19 orders despite their exemption from penalties
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Churches sue Whitmer, claim coronavirus orders hinder religious gatherings despite exceptions
(Gus Burns, M Live)

Kentucky governor sued by church and state AG over covid-19 restrictions on services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Nicholasville church files lawsuit against Beshear over in-person services
(WKYT News)

Church sues Maine governor over COVID-19 restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Orrington church sues Janet Mills over order barring in-person worship services
(Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News)

Yesterday's National Day of Prayer proclamation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Proclamation on National Day of Prayer, 2020
(The White House)

Italy to soon celebrate first public masses since coronavirus outbreak
(Melissa Butz, New Evangelization Television TV)

10 arrested in Argentina for clandestine Mass violating corona-lockdown rules
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Many causes to recent decline in American religiosity; but U.S. more religious now than at Founding
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Bishop warns police against ‘heavy-handedness’ in enforcing lockdown measures in UK
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Catholic leaders in England decry racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Beyond the public gatherings debate: religious freedom during covid-19
(Chelsea Langston Bombino, Religion Unplugged)

Muslim doctors fight COVID-19 — and Islamophobia — on the front lines
(Rowaida Abdelaziz, Huffington Post)

Kazakhstan: Conviction annulled, yet still jailed on trial
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)

There are religion angles with a presidential run by Michigan Libertarian Justin Amash
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)

Sadiq Khan joins Chief Rabbi Mirvis and other faith leaders for virtual Iftar
(Mathilde Frot, Jewish News)

Public Masses in Italy to resume May 18, ending bitter Church-state rift
(Philip Pullella, Reuters)

USCIRF 2020: Why India should introspect
(Prakhar Raghuvanshi, Modern Diplomacy)

Turkey investigates those who object to homophobia
(The Economist)

Under this doctor’s care, most COVID-19 patients are recovering. Here’s his unusual approach.
(Kevin Pham, The Daily Signal)

Wednesday, 6 May 2020

COVID-19 restrictions & (re)definition of gender roles in Nigeria
(Azizat Omotoyosi Amoloye-Adebayo, Institute for African Women in Law)

Making great advances in building safer communities for people of all beliefs
(Hardwired)

Lantos Foundation Statement : Saudi Arabia abolishes flogging
(Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice)

Illegally adopted constitutional changes will create a vacuum of state power in Russia
((vote postponed due to pandemic), Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice)

Transgender man correctly registered as “mother” on child’s birth certificate
(Charlotte Gilmartin, UK Human Rights Blog)

Learning lessons the hard way – Article 2 duties to investigate the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic
(Paul Bowen QC, UK Human Rights Blog)

The European Convention on Human Rights does not apply to visa applications submitted to embassies and consulates
(Registrar of the Court, European Court of Human Rights Press Release)

Grand Chamber decision in the case M.N. and Others v. Belgium - refusal to grant visas to Syrians who hoped to claim asylum
(European Court of Human Rights)

Grateful Irish honour their Famine debt to Choctaw tribe
(Independent.ie)

Sewer cleaners wanted in Pakistan: Only Christians need apply
(Zia ur-Rehman and Maria Abi-Habib, The New York Times)

Indiscriminate Covid-19 location tracking (Part II): Can pandemic-related derogations be an opportunity to circumvent Strasbourg’s scrutiny?
(Ilia Siatitsa and Ioannis Kouvakas, Strasbourg Observers)

Indiscriminate Covid-19 location tracking (Part I): Necessary in a democratic society?
(Ilia Siatitsa and Ioannis Kouvakas, Strasbourg Observers)

When will worship places open again? The cases of Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland
(Joel Foster, Evangelical Focus Europe)

‘Tell me your story, but hurry up because I have to expel you’ – Asady and Others v. Slovakia: how to (quickly) conduct individual interviews and (not) apply the ND & NT “own culpable conduct” test to collective expulsions
(Francesco Luigi Gatta, Strasbourg Observers)

Mistaken identity: How Chinese look at the Uyghurs
(Michelle Lee, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)

DOJ sides with Virginia church in lawsuit over governor’s coronavirus orders
(Carol Kuruvilla, Huffington Post)

Opinion: Share your stimulus check with refugees in Houston
(Rt. Rev C Andrew Doyle, Rabbi Oren J. Hayon, Sheikh Joe Bradford, and Venerable Hung-I, Houston Chronicle)

Few Americans say their house of worship is open, but a quarter say their faith has grown amid pandemic
(Claire Gecewicz, Pew Research Center Fact Tank)

Supreme Court will broadcast contraceptive mandate case arguments today in real time
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Little Sisters of the Poor at the Supreme Court, again
(Nathan Berkeley, Religious Freedom Institute)

Religious objectors v. birth control back at Supreme Court
(Nina Totenberg, National Public Radio (NPR))

With split delayed, United Methodists face a year in limbo
(David Crary, Associated Press)

U.S. district judge rules Pritzker’s stay-at-home order constitutional
(Ben Pope, Chicago Sun Times)

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees stuck at sea with 'zero hope'
(Hannah Beech, The New York Times)

Court refuses to dismiss Catholic school teacher's suit on church autonomy grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

USCIRF releases new report on religious freedom conditions in Laos
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Mother to take major pro-life case to European Court of Human Rights
(Right to Life)

Ealing prayer ban challenge to be filed at European Court of Human Rights
(ADF International)

Pro-life leaders ask for FDA crackdown on illegal sale of abortion drugs
(Catholic News Agency)

Dreadlocks-wearing inmate who sued is released from solitary
(Mark Scolforo, Associated Press)

Pope backs migrant farm workers as Italy mulls legalization
(Associated Press)

Justices wary of ‘Obamacare’ birth control coverage changes
(Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)

National Day of Prayer, reshaped by pandemic, includes interfaith and online events
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)

BJC, others press Congress to prohibit discrimination in future COVID-19 response legislation
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

How far can the government go to help religious objectors? The Supreme Court hears arguments on this tricky question
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)

From Catholic worker to DSA: John Cort’s long road to socialism
(Gary Dorrien, Commonweal)

Catholic groups urge Congress to concentrate on poor, marginalized during pandemic
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

To balance public health and religious freedom, we need something better than Bill de Blasio’s dumb tweets
(Michael A. Helfand, Tablet)

Argument analysis: After marathon argument, little consensus on future of birth-control mandate exemptions
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)

Educational seminar: Preview of Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
(Katie Bart, SCOTUSblog)

Global religious persecution devaluing religious liberty
(Bill Donohue, Newsmax)

A theologian government minister in Frace
(Society of St. Pius X)

The state of minorities in the Islamic State
(Amjad Ayub Mirza, Big News Network)

Census 2021: Alliance urges executive to withdraw religion question
(Stephen Walker, BBC News)

Mubarak Bala: Speak out against religious tyranny in Kano
(Leo Igwe, News Intervention)

Model of humanitarian aid for persecuted Christians must change, experts say
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Bringing my whole self to work: A Catholic perspective
(Laura DeMaria, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)

Nuns vs. the Coronavirus
(Emma Green, The Atlantic)

Scientific research on the coronavirus is being released in a torrent. Will that change how science is published?
(The Economist)

For microfinance lenders, covid-19 is an existential threat. Yet, in the post-pandemic world, the world’s poor will need them more than ever
(The Economist)

Oral Argument in Little Sisters of the Poor Act II: A RFRA runs through it
(Kevin C. Walsh, Mirror of Justice Blog)

Supreme Court likely to agree with schools in closely watched religious freedom cases, expert predicts
(Rick Garnett, Notre Dame News)

Tuesday, 5 May 2020

EVENT, 12:00 pm EDT, 5 May 2020: The Papacy Confronts Coronavirus: A conversation with Austen Ivereigh, Webinar
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)

Religion Photos of the Week - 2 May 2020
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)

Religion Photos of the Week - 24 April 2020
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)

Colorado: Religious nonprofits in 'evangelical mecca' face unprecedented challenges
(Steve Rabey, Religion Unplugged)

What is the 'pro-life' choice in deciding whether to reopen America?
(Richard Ostling, Religion Unplugged)

How an evil virus points to the crushing weight of the Fall ... and also to the glorious hope of the Resurrection
(David French, Dispatch: The French Press)

Covid-19 denial diarist
(Rod Dreher, The American Conservative)

Coronavirus: New York, March 25
(R.R. Reno, First Things)

South African court upholds covid-19 ban over objections of mosque and its imams
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Why the court ruled that the ban on religious gatherings is not unconstitutional
(Tanveer Jeewa, Ground Up)

Trump on COVID-19 restrictions on worship services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Remarks by President Trump in a Fox News virtual town hall (regarding covid-19 restrictions)
(The White House)

USCIRF commends the criminalization of FGM in Sudan
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

Rome's parks buzz as Italy eases COVID-19 restrictions, with Masses coming soon
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

Bishops back phased approach to church access
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

CoE law changes for next General Synod meetings
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)

Love in a COVID-19 climate (UK)
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

The New Yorker profiles a disgraced missionary and comes to a surprising conclusion
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)

Sacraments in age of social distancing: How will bishops walk that church-state tightrope?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

Australian Catholic leaders join appeal to protect migrants during COVID-19 crisis
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

Sacristan sentenced to life in prison for murder of Indian shrine rector
(Catholic News Service)

Belgium’s Brothers of Charity cut ties to their homes over euthanasia
(Simon Caldwell, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)

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