Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 28 October 2023
Louisiana’s ‘In God We Trust’ law tests limits of religion in public schools
(Frank S. Ravitch, The Conversation)
The Christian nationalism of Speaker Mike Johnson
(Andrew Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, Time)
Belarusian group warns of new religious controls
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Church Times)
Japan, religion, and the dissolution of the Unification Church: A conversation
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
States must counter discrimination based on religion or belief at all levels: UN expert
(Devdiscourse)
Baldwin introduces resolution calling for end to religious and political persecution in India
(Tammy Baldwin, Member of Congress)
Argentina takes next step in officially honoring evangelicals. They want more.
(Morgan Lee, Christianity Today)
The treasure of religious freedom
(Eric Patterson, World)
Brazil: Why is the Brazilian State secular? (Portuguese)
(Coordenação, Estratégia Concursos)
Portugal: Human Rights: Holy See warned of the “painful reality” of “lack of religious freedom, wars and violence” (Portuguese)
(CB, ECCLESIA Agency)
Brazil: District Day to Combat Religious Intolerance: event reflects on the right to freedom of belief (Portuguese)
(Ana Beatriz Cabral Cavalcante, Agência de Notícias UniCEUB)
Friday, 27 October 2023
Threats to American democracy ahead of an unprecedented presidential election
(PRRI)
Countries should back ICC investigation on Israel-Palestine
(Balkees Jarrah)
Bringing light without God: Humanist chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas
(Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt, Religion News Service)
Christians in Pakistan are struggling to survive barbaric persecution
(David Curry, Religion News Service)
In the Hindu diaspora, dancers and feminists celebrate the modern cultural significance of Navaratri
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Hijab-wearing woman faces suspected racist attack in UK's Yorkshire
(Daily Sabah)
Thursday, 26 October 2023
VIRTUAL EVENT, 26 October 2023 (9AM CST): RPLP Fellows Meeting: The Born Again Dyula: Between Religious Conversion and Ethnic Allegiance in Cote-d’Ivoire
(Religion and Public Life Program, Rice University)
CALL FOR PAPERS, deadline 26 October 2023: What can we learn about bridging divides in America today?
(BYU Law, The University of Utah, Equality Utah, 1st Amendment Partnership, Fairness For All Initiative, Braver Angels, Tolerance Means Dialogues)
Wednesday, 25 October 2023
COMECE President assures Jerusalem Patriarch of EU Bishops’ closeness and support
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
Israel: Ultra-Orthodox Jews are supporting Israel’s war efforts - here's how
(MAARIV, The Jerusalem Post)
Hearing wrap up: Biden administration must increase efforts to protect religious freedoms globally
(Committee On Oversight and Accountability, U.S. House of Representatives)
On key anniversary, religious freedom more important than ever
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)
USCIRF condemns Nicaragua’s expulsion of arbitrarily detained priests
(United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The evil of holy wars
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Italy: Milan’s Jews on high alert after death threats written in nightclub and chanted at pro-Palestinian rally
(Orge Castellano, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
As Pope Francis calls for another day of fasting and prayer for peace in Middle East, faith leaders respond
(Christine Rousselle, Fox News)
Interfaith potluck aimed to soothe tensions over Israel-Hamas war
(Larry Seward, CBS News)
Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures
(Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press)
Antisemitic incidents have spiked in New York since Hamas attack on Israel, new data shows
(Luke Tress, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Turkish police arrest 33 Daesh/ISIS terror suspects
(Muhammed Nuri Erdogan, Anadolu Agency)
FFRF calls out Miss. school district for promoting religion
(Freedom From Religion Foundation)
Vatican summit tackles women’s ordination with a nod from Pope Francis
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Archbishop Welby, patriarchs of Jerusalem urge ceasefire, condemn church bombing
(Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)
Oklahoma attorney general sues to stop US’s first public religious school
(Sean Murphy, Religion News Service)
A Detroit synagogue president was fatally stabbed outside her home. Police don’t have a motive
(Associated Press)
Police say there’s no evidence of a hate crime in the killing of a Detroit synagogue leader
(Sophia Tareen, Associated Press)
How the Israel-Hamas War impacts regional relations
(Hesham Youssef, The United States Institute of Peace)
Israel still blocking aid to civilians in Gaza
(Sari Bashi, Human Rights Watch)
Palestinian Americans on the Israel-Hamas war: 'We're not even allowed to grieve'
(Sandhya Dirks, NPR)
American Jews and Palestinians face fear and hatred
(Madeline Halpert, BBC News)
Kenyan Catholic priest marries after joining splinter group
Ukraine parliament advances bill seen to ban Russia-linked Orthodox church from country
(Tyler Arnold, National Catholic Register)
Myanmar: UN expert reports on Myanmar’s ‘raging fire of brutality’
(John Sifton, Human Rights Watch)
New Zealand opens inquest into Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51
(Al Jazeera)
Germany: Christian school shuttered by German government appeals to European Court of Human Rights
(Jon Brown, The Christian Post)
Canada: Obligatory oaths of allegiance and freedom of religion: Wirring
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Catholic bishop calls on UK prime minister to fight climate crisis
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Britain’s fastest-growing Christian services held in Chinese
(Kaya Burgess, The Times)
In South Africa, prosecutions intensify as bogus faith groups raid bird species for rituals
(Audrey Simango, Baptist news Global)
Kazakhstan: The 21st secretariat of the Congress of leaders of world and traditional religions
(The World Fellowship of Buddhists)
Occupied Ukraine: Detained, fined, ordered "deported"
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Ukraine: The head of the UGCC calls on the world Congress of Ukrainians to be messengers of truth about Ukraine's struggle
(Ukraine and World, Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
APPG attends forum on Korean unification
(Twitter, Lord David Alton)
Kenya: Religious leaders open Peacebuilding Architecture Review
(Twitter, Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK))
India: Lessons on why we humans must unite
(A. K. Merchant, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
India: Animal sacrifice in Assam's Kamakhya Temple: A clash between tradition and animal rights
(Bikash Chetry, India Today)
India: In Hinduism’s celebration of Durga, lessons for how to navigate global conflicts
(Murali Balaji, Religion News Service)
Ethiopia: Bishops in Ethiopia warn the country may be on brink of return to war
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Years of interfaith progress jeopardized in an instant
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)
Upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case could be a huge religion-beat sleeper story
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
China: The Christian exodus from China
(William Huang, MercatorNet)
China: UN member countries condemn China’s crimes against humanity
(Louis Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch)
Consent decree entered in RLUIPA suit charging discrimination against Orthodox Jews
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Synod of encounter? Addressing divisions in the global Catholic Church
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
RFRA and the new Thoreaus
(Mark L. Movsesian, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Battle over Bibles: Q&A with Arizona school board mom canceled over scripture verse
(Jovan Tripkovic, Religion Unplugged)
Czechia: Divorce in Czechia to become easier and quicker
(Anna Fodor, Czech Radio)
Lenis v. Greece: Extreme homophobia not protected under freedom of expression
(Tobias Mortier, Strasbourg Observers)
Ghana: Christian leaders in Ghana are trying to reshape government – it may not end well
(The Conversation)
Religion, geopolitics, and the current conflicts (Spanish podcast)
(Duna Radio)
Image privacy in religious worship Brazil: (Portuguese)
(Carolina de Castro Wanderley, Conjur)
Tuesday, 24 October 2023
EVENT, 24 October 2023 (2PM ET): 2023 Lantos Prize Ceremony (Washington, DC, USA)
(The Lantos Foundation)
Monday, 23 October 2023
Christian pre-school may get state aid without complying with non-discrimination rules which violate its beliefs
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
CO school free to participate in universal preschool program consistent with religious beliefs
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Religious liberty groups praise districts rejecting public school chaplains
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
May school choice programs restrict religious schools' ability to select teachers based on religion, sex, etc.?
(Eugene Volokh, Reason)
Do religious schools have a right to exemption from state's pronoun policies?
(Eugene Volokh, Reason)
Oklahoma Attorney General sues to stop nation’s first religious charter school
(Peter Greene, Forbes)
Sweden must strengthen dialogue with faith communities to combat religious or belief intolerance: UN expert
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Nazila Ghanea, upholding religious freedom must be a key priority in Sweden
(The European Times)
WCC stands in solidarity with Jerusalem heads of churches in urgent call to protect places of refuge
(World Council of Churches)
Plug-In: The crucial role of religion in the dangerous Israel-Hamas war
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Spain-Israel tensions flare and multiple Spanish synagogues are hit with anti-Israel graffiti
(Orge Castellano, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel: The war has forced Israel’s Arab citizens to explain that no, they are not Hamas
(Ivana Kottasová and Adi Kopelwitz, CNN)
Pope Francis calls US President Joe Biden to discuss peace
(Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
EVENT, 23 October 2023 (3PM ET): 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (Washington, DC, USA)
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS, deadline 23 October 2023: Arab Region Dialogue Initiatives
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
ADF qualified to provide training on anti-religious discrimination in workplace
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Religious rights group says it's qualified to train Southwest Airlines lawyers
(Nate Raymond, Reuters)
Vegetarian or vegan? What about lab-grown beef? Hindus follow scriptures for diet advice
(Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service)
Canada: More than 2 dozen faith leaders in Ottawa sign joint statement condemning hate
(Ted Raymond, CTV News)
We are seeing urgent signs of more mutual mass atrocities to come in Israel and Gaza
(Omar Shakir, Yasmine Ahmed, Akshaya Kumar, Human Rights Watch)
International humanitarian law applies to all states
(Tom Porteous, Human Rights Watch)
Israel: Unlawful Gaza blockade deadly for children
(Human Rights Watch)
What Israel can learn from America’s counterterrorism missteps
(Sarah Yager, Human Rights Watch)
Pro-Palestine demonstrations rock Muslim world after Friday prayers
(TRT World)
Childlessness as a pro-environmental behaviour: A challenge to the Abrahamic procreative teachings
(Sandra Maurice, London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
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