Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
China: Over 11,000 Church of Almighty God believers arrested, 20 died from mistreatment in China in 2018
(Forum for Religious Freedom Europe)
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
2020 election revives debate: should religious faith guide one's voting?
(Tom Gjelten, National Public Radio)
Fewer students identifying a religion fuels push to scrap scripture
(Jordan Baker and Nigel Gladstone, The Sydney Morning Herald)
Maine House approves bill removing religious, philosophical vaccine exemptions
(Scott Thistle, Press Herald)
Poll: Two-thirds of Israeli Jews support unity government without Haredi parties
(Times of Israel)
Pete Buttigieg: “I believe strongly in the separation of Church and State”
(Hemant Mehta, Patheos Blog: The Friendly Atheist)
Message from Christians in London climate change protests: 'Care for God's creation'
(Ecumenical News)
The Churches and the Independent Review of FCO support for persecuted Christians
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Before Australian elections, bishops call for help for most vulnerable
(Catholic News Service)
Trump hailed for defending religious liberty at Catholic prayer breakfast
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Archbishop warns against rise of populism in the European Union
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Faith communities and gene editing
(Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Just what is the editing in "gene editing"? (Responding to: Faith communities and gene editing)
(Ayo Wahlberg, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Germline gene editing: The cruellest cut of all? (Responding to: Faith communities and gene editing)
(Trevor Stammers, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
When do we edit the human genome? A question for the theologian and ethicist (Responding to: Faith communities and gene editing)
(Ted Peters, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Czech lawmakers approve taxation of church restitution plan
(Associated Press)
Saudi Arabia beheads 37 for terrorism crimes; most Shiites
(Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Associated Press)
Appeals court nixes condo’s coed swimming restrictions
(Associated Press)
Condo's sex segregated swim hours violate Fair Housing Act
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Title VII case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court strikes down discriminatory rule in New Jersey condominium association
(American Civil Liberties Union)
U.S. Supreme Court blocks South Florida priest's libel lawsuit against Catholic Church
(Marc Freeman, South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Certiorari denied in priest's libel suit against diocese
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Zoning accommodation for homeless construction is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Charitable organization avoids dismissal of RLUIPA claims
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Catholic foster care agency loses federal appeal over LGBTQ policy
(Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer)
3rd Circuit: Philly may require its foster care agencies to accept same-sex couples
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
100 years after the Amritsar massacre - contemporary challenges and the needed response
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
U.S. religious liberty czar says ‘no signs’ of change in China since Vatican deal
(Christopher White, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Monday, 22 April 2019
Law and religion round-up – 21st April
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Religious minorities across Asia suffer amid surge in sectarian politics
(Hannah Beech, Dharisha Bastians and Kai Schultz, The New York Times)
Nearly 300 killed in Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bomb blasts at churches and hotels
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
COGAT prepares for Ramadan, increased freedom of religion and worship
(Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, The Jerusalem Post)
More answers to readers’ queries and comments – April
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
A tale of two popes: Benedict XVI is a pole of attraction for critics of Pope Francis
(The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and public policy])
UOC on Poroshenko election failure: God treats authorities the way authorities treat the Church
(Interfax-Religion)
New Ukrainian president has ambiguous relationship with church
(Religiia v Ukraine, Russia Religion News)
Moscow church wins reprieve in Ukrainian court
(Interfax-Religiia, Russia Religion News)
Ukrainian church involved in secular political contest
(Credo.Press, Russia Religion News)
Local official regrets arrest of Protestant preacher
(Svobodnaia Media, Russia Religion News)
Antisemitic attack at start of Passover in Moscow
(RIA Novosti, Russia Religion News)
Russian court concedes Jehovah's Witnesses mistreated
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News)
National newspaper supports Jehovah's Witnesses
(Alexander Chernykh, Kommersant)
World’s largest Catholic country debates the right number of priests
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Tennessee jurist counsels against faith-based discrimination proposal in legislature
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
President attends Easter service following slew of tweets
(Kevin Freking, Associated Press)
Faith-based group to settle religious discrimination claim
(Associated Press)
Polish church condemns beating of Jewish effigy in Poland
(Associated Press)
Sri Lanka bombings: Local Islamists to blame, government says
(Deutsche Welle)
Sri Lanka’s bloody Easter puts spotlight on a new terror threat
(Ishaan Tharoor, The Washington Post)
Sri Lanka blocks social media after Easter Sunday bombings
(Matt O'Brien and Stephen Wright, Associated Press)
NYTimes: Easter church bombings underscore rising religious persecution in Asia
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
USCIRF strongly condemns Easter Sunday bomb attacks in Sri Lanka
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Sri Lanka blames local Islamist extremist group for Easter bombings that killed 290; U.S. offers FBI assistance in probe
(Joanne Slater, Amantha Perera, and Shane Harris, The Washington Post)
Michigan adoption agency reverses LGBT policy
(David Eggert, Associated Press)
Supreme Court to decide whether bias law covers gay and transgender workers
(Adam Liptak, The New York Times)
Supreme Court will decide whether Title VII protects gays and transgender individuals
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Insecurity: Inter-Faith cautions clerics against ‘unholy’ utterances
(Vanguard)
Muslim World League signs deal with Moscow to promote interfaith dialogue
(Arab News)
Mayor Pete and the resurrection of the religious Left
(L. Benjamin Rolsky, University of Chicago Divinity School: Sightings)
On black holes and human significance
(William Schweiker, University of Chicago Divinity School: Sightings)
Indonesia’s election is over but identity politics will linger
(Benedict Rogers, The Diplomat)
Saturday, 20 April 2019
25 years after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, 62,000 genocide victims will get a burial
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Friday, 19 April 2019
Arson reported at Russia’s largest yeshiva during Passover
(Associated Press)
Atheist prayers can be barred by House chaplain, appeals court says
(Niels Lesniewski, Roll Call)
Connecticut pro-life ministry files suit to protect its beliefs, speech
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
DC Circuit: House can exclude secular invocations
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Emergency order requiring measels vaccination upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Enforcement of Mahr provision in Islamic marriage contract upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday Five: Religious holidays, Notre Dame fire, declining church ties, journalist grants, Chick-fil-A
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Hackers threaten, blackmail World Council of Churches communication director
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
Nicaraguans use Good Friday processions to protest
(Gabriela Selser, Associated Press)
NY guidelines for Yeshiva educational requirements are struck down
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Petitions of the week
(Aurora Barnes, SCOTUSblog)
Pro-life pregnancy center challenges city's required disclosures
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
White House announces annual Easter egg roll
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Thursday, 18 April 2019
Israeli scientists print first 3D heart using human tissue
(Kayla Koslosky, Christian Headlines)
Girl suspended for kicking boy who entered girls’ restroom in transgender spat
(Michael Foust, Christian Headlines)
AOC calls Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu a 'Trump-like figure,' says his re-election is 'the ascent of authoritarianism across the world'
(Amanda Casanova, Christian Headlines)
Azusa Pacific's new president to promote 'unity' amid concerns of 'theological drift'
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
Twitter drops ‘hate map’ nonprofit SPLC as 'safety partner' amid accusations of discrimination
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
School district passes ‘biological sex’ rule for using gendered changing facilities
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
Ohio pro-life group optimistic that heartbeat abortion ban law will survive legal challenge
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
5 big takeaways from the Mueller report
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
How a controversial Muslim figure helped ignite the controversy over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 9/11 comments
(Aysha Khan, Religion News Service)
Kitniyot or not? As Jewish traditions merge in Israel, a Passover debate emerges
(Michele Chabin, Religion News Service)
Holy Week services go on in Paris despite Notre Dame fire
(Tom Heneghan, Religion News Service)
ECFA ousts Chicago-area megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
Black women cracking ‘stained-glass ceilings’ with Jesus’ 7 last words
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
#MeToo, ‘Mary Magdalene’ focus on women’s stories in Bible as Easter nears
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
What does the outpouring of grief over Notre Dame say about our relationship with religion?
(Tiwa Adebayo, World Religion News)
Millions raised for Notre Dame; Macron vows to rebuild within five years
(Derek Welch, World Religion News)
Louisana's burned down black churches get a spike in donations after Notre Dame fire
(Corey Barnett, World Religion News)
Veil-wearing witness’s religious concerns trump public trial rights
(Eugene Volokh, Volokh Conspiracy)
Emperor performs ritual to report abdication to Shinto gods
(Mari Yamaguchi, Religion News Service)
Hmong: Religious persecution continues in Vietnam
(Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization)
‘Hail Satan?’ Film review: What the devil are they after?
(Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal)
France separates church and state. So who’s responsible for Notre Dame?
(Emily Tamkin, The Washington Post)
IICSA second seminar on mandatory reporting
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Big news on Godbeat: President of Religion News Association wins Pulitzer for Tree of Life coverage
(Bobby Ross Jr., Get Religion)
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