Law and Religion Headlines
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Trump judicial pick opposed by LGBT community confirmed
(Jake Holland, Bloomberg Law)
Controversial nominee confirmed for Texas federal bench
(Tim Ryan, Courthouse News Service)
Senate confirms controversial nominee for Texas federal court seat
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Lawsuit: School’s transgender policy violated teacher’s religious beliefs
(Marilyn Odendahl, Indiana Lawyer)
Christian music teacher sues over school's transgender policy
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Ex-Scientology member sues church and its leader alleging abuse, human trafficking
(Alex Johnson, NBC News)
Former Scientology adherent sues claiming false imprisonment, human trafficking and more
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Robert George: The man behind the State Department’s new “natural law” focus
(Kathryn Joyce, New Republic)
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Role of religion at issue in disputed Sudanese transition
(RFI Afrique via Religion Watch, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion)
Blasphemy to be abolished in Greece under new criminal code
(Humanists UK, politics.co.uk)
New state law requires professors reschedule exams for fasting Muslim students who ask
(Katie Anderson, The College Fix)
With hymns and prayers, Christians help drive Hong Kong’s protests
(Javier C. Hernández, The New York Times)
Why the Free Exercise Clause needs to be strengthened
(Michael Peabody, ReligiousLiberty.TV)
US Supreme Court will soon decide 'Peace Cross' First Amendment case
(Christine Rousselle, Catholic News Agency)
Erasmus: Why Pope Francis may open the door to married priests
(The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and public policy])
Vatican opens historic debate on having married priests for Amazon region
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Law and religion round-up – 16th June
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Same-sex relationships in Botswana: Motshidiemang
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Koblenz, the burkini ban and constitutional rights
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
IICSA announcement – religious organisations investigation
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Azerbaijan: Appeal court upholds couple's massive fines
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Fissile material: The gift of overcoming barriers eludes the world’s Orthodox Christians
(The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and public policy])
Memorial in place of the second biggest burial of the Holocaust victims opened in Caucasus
(Interfax-Religion)
The Georgian Church official accuses US acting ambassador of trying to aggravate the situation around LGBT-action in Georgia
(Interfax-Religion)
Tony Perkins elected Chair of bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Tony Perkins elected USCIRF chair
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
This far-right activist will now lead a major U.S. religious freedom body
(Sarah Jones, New York Intelligencer)
Religion section editor of Dagestani newspaper suspected of financing terrorism arrested for 2 months
(Interfax-Religion)
Russian activist takes up Jehovah's Witnesses' cause
(TV2, Russia Religion News)
Orthodox Church decides not to build in Ekaterinburg
(ETV, Russia Religion News)
Lawyer critiques criminalizing Jehovah's Witnesses
(Elena Ovchinnikova, Newsler.ru)
Vaccine exemptions are a necessary part of religious toleration
(Matthew Walther, The Week)
Why the Supreme Court sent a new case on same-sex wedding cakes back to lower courts
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)
Eritrean Catholic bishops say government closes church-run health centers
(Francis Njuguna, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
6th Circuit sends ruling on Wiccan prisoner’s religious liberty claim back to District Court
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Friday Five: SBC wrap-up, Catholic hotline, #ChurchToo, abuse lawsuits, cult ranch, VeggieTales
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
USCIRF encouraged by appointment of Special Envoy to Sudan, urges close scrutiny of religious freedom during transition
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
FFRF foregoes cert petition in challenge to parsonage allowance
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Church loses in trust case
(Sentinel & Enterprise News)
Church that is potential trust beneficiary lacks standing to seek independent trustee
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Couple sues to block release of new, statewide vaccination data
(Jenna Carlesso, Connecticut Mirror)
Parents ask court to bar publication of data on vaccination rates in individual schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Suit by purchasers of former PTL club properties may move forward
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Certiorari denied in contraceptive mandate case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
High court avoids new case over same-sex wedding cake
(Mark Sherman, Associated Press)
Supreme Court vacates and demands same-sex wedding cake case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
German court rejects city's ban on"burkini"
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
German court overturns ban on Islamic ‘burkini’ swimwear at swimming pools
(Breitbart News)
UN launches plan to combat escalating hate speech
(Associated Press)
Serbia-Montenegro church row fuels Balkan tensions
(Dusan Stojanovic, Associated Press)
When disaster hits, Indonesia’s Islamists are first to help
(Stephen Wright, Associated Press)
Guilty plea in N.C. Muslim murders draws attention to weak state hate crime laws
(Sue Sturgis, Facing South)
Bill 21: Quebec passes secularism law after marathon session
(Philip Authier, Montreal Gazette)
Quebec enacts ban on public employees wearing religious symbols
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
New York eliminates religious exemption from vaccination
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Congressional hearing on religious freedom in Turkey
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
British parliamentarian says UK should have offered Asia Bibi asylum
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
After Asia Bibi, no changes expected in Pakistan’s blasphemy laws
(CNS News)
Asia Bibi has won her battle, but many more Christian minorities struggle for justice in Pakistan
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Monday, 17 June 2019
An important step to combat act of violence based on religion or belief
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Towards the elimination of sexual violence in conflict
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
We are not equipped to prevent genocide
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
The China tribunal pronounced its verdict on organ harvesting in China
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Saturday, 15 June 2019
U.S. attorney pushes back against Philadelphia supervised injection site’s religious liberty argument
(Aubrey Whelan, Philadelphia Inquirer)
6 things I wish people understood about atheism in America
(Jay Wexler, Vox)
California dioceses ask Catholics to urge lawmakers reject confession bill
(Catholic News Service)
Opinion: Israel’s ultra-Orthodox are starting to surrender
(Yuval Karniel, Haaretz)
1,400-year-old Christian site in UAE opens to public
(MENAFN)
Meet the UK’s first female Muslim secondary headteacher
(Martin George, Tes)
Hong Kong: Cardinal condemns violence, appeals for prayers
(Independent Catholic News)
As organised religion declines, this is why these women keep the faith
(Sarah Ayoub, The Sydney Morning Herald)
Ocasio-Cortez: Religious right only invokes religion ‘to punish women and queer people’
(Michael Stone, Patheos Blog: Progressive Secular Humanist)
Ricky Martin wades into religious liberty debate in Puerto Rico
(Carol Kuruvilla, Huffington Post)
Religious freedom dispute sparks lawsuit against Fredericksburg retirement home owners
(Scott Shenk, The Free Lance-Star)
He killed 3 Muslim students. But did he commit a hate crime?
(Joseph Neff and Shaila Dewan, The New York Times)
Friday, 14 June 2019
Anglican leaders explore global church and state relationships during USPG gathering
(Episcopal News Service)
Church-state group complains: 18 players baptized at school football field
(Greg Garrison, AL.com)
How the Russian Church learned to stop worrying and love the bomb
(Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs)
Ethiopia tour for gay, lesbian travelers in jeopardy amid backlash from faith groups
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
Australians don’t talk about religion, but religion talks in politics
(Rick Snedeker, Patheos Blog: Godzooks: The Faith in Facts Blog)
Beyond religion: Religion and fundamentalism
(Holly Piepenburg, Pulitzer Center)
Church bells toll in Switzerland as women pray and march for equality with men
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Dean of Wakefield’s response to Independent Reviewer
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Azerbaijan: Appeals fail against illegal raids, fines
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Kirov Jehovah's Witnesses lose court appeal
(Liza Okhaizina, Kasparov.ru)
Actions against Jehovah's Witnesses in south of Russia
(Kavkazskii Uzel, Russia Religion News)
Thank Christianity, not secularism, for religious liberty
(Casey Chalk, The American Conservative)
Germany is accused of downplaying anti-Semitic attacks by Muslims
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
British government: Abortions in England, Wales hit record level last year
(Simon Caldwell, Catholic News Service)
Pope to oil execs: We don’t ‘have the luxury’ to wait to fight climate change
(Inés San Martín, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
AP Explains: The rocky rise of LGBT rights in Latin America
(Christine Armario, Associated Press)
German court lifts city’s ban on burkini swimsuits
(Associated Press)
Church loses battle in Christian Science trust case
(Associated Press)
U.S. Catholic Bishops adopt new accountability measures
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
On a Greek island that welcomed migrants, residents and refugees feel abandoned
(Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker)
California church sues after removal as polling place over Black Lives Matter banners
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
Church sues over its removal as polling place
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Muslim comedian awarded $4.1 million in defamation lawsuit against neo-Nazi site
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
$4.1M damages awarded to Muslim comedian against Neo-Nazi website
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
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