Law and Religion Headlines


Monday, 20 October 2014

Pope Francis' closing synod speech received with standing ovation
(Catholic News Agency)

Catholicism and capitalism: Redeeming the system
(B.C., The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and Public Policy])

Obama praises Supreme Court's gay marriage orders
(AP: The Big Story)

The Obama brief [reflections on the judicial branch]
(Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker)

Religion: Boutique choices in religious marketplace
(Mark Oppenheimer, The Hartford Courant)

State elections in India: The second Modi wave
(A.R., The Economist [Banyan: Asia])

First woman sentenced to death in Pakistan over blasphemy charges
(Brian J. Grim, the Weekly Number)

From bad to worse – religious persecution growing in China
(Matt Hadro, Catholic News Agency)

China launches massive rural 'surveillance' project to watch over Uighurs
(Tom Phillips, The Telegraph)

Even state-recognized church in China targeted for persecution
(Catholic Online)

Sunday, 19 October 2014

Large church building in Qufu [China] causes dismay
(Marlin Jeschke, Goshen News)

Inside China's secret churches: How Christians practice their faith under an atheist government
(Antonia Blumberg, The Huffington Post)

Pakistan appeals court upholds Christian woman's death sentence for blasphemy
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Court orders minister to return church keys, Mercedes and stay away from church premises
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Nigerian court upholds ban on head scarves in public schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Superior Court rules in favor of controversial street preachers
(Mensah M. Dean, Philly.com)

Black separatist religious group wins right to demonstrate outide of mall
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Vatican and Vietnam edge closer to restoring diplomatic relations
(South China Morning Post)

New acting head of DOJ Civil Rights Division appointed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Saturday, 18 October 2014

Iran appears to fight Islamic State, but are their ultimate goals too similar for comfort?
(Lauren Gunias, World Watch Monitor)

Latinos converting to Islam for identity, structure
(Carolyn Presutti, Voice of America)

Nepal, Muslim women defy tradition and pray in public
(Christopher Sharma, AsiaNews.it)

Purwokerto: Hundreds of children, teachers and priests at a Catholic pride day
(Mathias Hariyadi, AsiaNews.it)

Vanita Gupta is an excellent choice for top civil rights post - OpEd
(Jesse Wegman, The New York Times Opinion Pages)

Houston narrows subpoenas, but pastors say not enough
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Kansas diocese settles 30 abuse cases on eve of jury deliberations
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

German state's parliament votes to eliminate mention of God from constitution; Catholics seek reconsideration
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Canada's Supreme Court hears challenge to city council invocations
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

Avalanche of same-sex marriage legal developments
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)

No excuse for violence against women is theme for YWCA drive
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)

Vatican document on family revises language on gays
(Philup Pullella, Reuters)

$40k for employee fired for refusing to work on Saturdays
(OneNews (New Zealand))

Meulenbroek v Vision Antenna Systems Ltd (Seventh-day Adventist Saturday work case)
(Human Rights Review Tribunal of New Zealand)

ECtHR condemns Georgia for harassment of Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Darah Delys, Democracy & Freedom Watch)

EU Commission suing Austria for Turkish rights
(The Local)

Boko Haram agrees to free over 200 kidnapped schoolgirls; CANAN wants 'proof' of their well being
(Benge Nsenduluka, The Christian Post)

Nigeria and Boko Haram 'agree ceasefire and girls' release'
(BBC News)

CAR: The Mission: A last defense against genocide
(Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker)

Islamic State propaganda magazine threatens "Roman Crusaders"
(Greg Daly, Aleteia)

Nowhere to lay their heads: Christians in Iraq face uncertain future
(John Burger, Aleteia)

Rome Mayor defies state by transcribing gay marriages
(Alessandra Migliaccio, Bloomberg)

Oaths, the Greek judicial system and Article 9 – again
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)

New figures reveal massive decline in religious affiliation [UK]
(Ruth Gledhill, Christian Today)

The British Election Study 2015: Religious affiliation
(Ben Clements, British Religion in Numbers)

Message of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 18.10.2014
(The Vatican)

Of Michael Landon and Brittany Maynard: The changing meaning of courage in the face of death
(Wesley J. Smith, First Things)

I'm dying, too, Brittany, but suicide is not the answer
(Kara Tippetts, Aleteia)

Bishop objects to Notre Dame's acceptance of same-sex marriage law
(Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D., Breitbart News)

Friday, 17 October 2014

City files amended pastors subpoenas
(Media Release, Office of the Mayor (Houston))

Lagos judge upholds ban on hijab in schools
(AFP, Yahoo News)

Pakistan court upholds death penalty for Asia Bibi despite serious legal loophole in trial
(Asif Aqeel, World Watch Monitor)

Religious venues to be used for converting civil partnerships to gay marriages
(Donna Rachel Edmunds, Breitbart London)

Blasphemy, Pakistan and Ireland: An evil that resonates
(B.C., The Economist [Erasmus: Religion and Public Policy])

Pakistan court upholds death sentence for Christian woman accused of blasphemy
(Julie Deisher-Edwards, Jurist)

Christian mother of five death sentence for blasphemy upheld by Pakistani court
(Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post)

Court upholds Pakistani Christian woman's blasphemy death sentence
(Al Jazeera America)

President Uchtdorf speaks to international delegates about religious freedom
(Gerry Avant, Deseret News)

‘Shariafication by stealth’ in the UK
(Pragna Patel, 50.50 inclusive democracy)

Hillsong’s Brian Houston defends handling of abuse case, sidesteps questions on gay marriage
(Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Jonathan Merritt, Religion News Service)

As Ebola epidemic tightens grip, west Africa turns to religion for succour
(Monica Mark, The Guardian)

Australia: Overhaul of Pentecostal churches needed to protect children, royal commission hears
(Rachel Browne, Sydney Morning Herald)

Guestview: Opus Dei pulls few strings in Spanish business
(Guest Contributor, Reuters FaithWorld)

Dropping sermons from subpoenas fails to quiet critics
(Mke Morris, Houston Chronicle)

Why I stand with the Houston Five
(Scott R. Murray, Religion News Service)

BJC joins diverse Baptist groups in denouncing controversial subpoena for sermons
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

Baptist Joint Committee stands up for church autonomy and free pulpits in Texas
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

As Brazilians drift away from Catholicism, Virgin Mary procession as popular as ever
(Benjamin Soloway and Alexandra Ellerbeck, Religion News Service)

How a California man was forced to spend 100 days in prison for being an atheist
(Ian Milhiser, City Watch)

Polish missionary priest kidnapped by Central African Republic militia
(Mark Woods, Christian Today)

Ghana: Religious bodies urged to do more to eradicate corruption
((Rev Dr. Abamfo Ofori Atiemo), GhanaWeb)

Majority backs Supreme Court action that allows gay marriages to go forward
(Robert Barnes, The Washington Post)

Federal judge strikes down gay marriage ban in Wyoming
(Laura Hancock, Star Tribune)

Arizona same-sex marriage ban falls
(Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog)

Court allows same-sex marriages in Alaska
(Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog)

Same-sex marriage today: A round-up
(Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog)

Data you can't ignore: Same-sex marriage coming to states that oppose it
(Herb Scribner, Deseret News National Edition | Faith)

Battleground Tracker 2014: National Attitudes [Polls in all 50 states on same-sex marriage]
(Yougov)

Holder expands federal recognition of same-sex marriage to 5 states
(Evan Perez, CNN)

Can public officials refuse to perform same-sex marriages for religious reasons?
(Mark A. Kellner, Deseret News National Edition | Faith)

Abortion ad war gets ugly: Pro-life womens group accused of being 'as anti-woman as it gets,' compared to sex abusers
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post Politics)

Ex-Khmer Rouge genocide trial opens in Cambodia
(Elizabeth LaForgia, Jurist)

Moscow Patriarchate urges Catholics to jointly protect family at a legal level
(Interfax: Religion)

Ebola fears prompt new guidelines for Texas faithful to limit physical touch during Mass
(Cath Martin, Christian Today)

Religion's role in Northern Ireland politics
(BBC News)

Ex-immigration minister Jason Kenney ‘dictated’ niqab ban at citizenship ceremony, court told
(Nicholas Keung, Toronto Star)

French Jewish girl stopped moments before leaving to join Islamic State
(Etienne Rouillon, Vice News)

China protests at Japanese PM’s latest WW2 shrine tribute
(The Guardian)

Kansas City diocese agrees to settle 30 lawsuits for $10 million
(Judy L. Thomas, The Kansas City Star)

Pastor Sergiy Litovchenko was released from captivity of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine
(Institute for Religious Freedom - Ukraine)

Myanmar: Former Min. of Religious Affairs sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment
(Thanoe Wai, Democratic Voice of Burma)

Karnataka's state government rejects (false) report on 2008 attacks on churches
(Nirmala Carvalho, AsiaNews.it)

Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life – the media as a medium for improving religious understanding
(Shenaz Bunglawala, Publicspirit)

Sikh woman following Judge’s order is grabbed and harassed by U.S. Marshals
(The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty)

Egypt ministers criticized for cutting short their hajj
(Walaa Husseib, Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)

Pragmatic disengagement and Islamic democracy
(Neil Thompson, The International Relations and Security Network)

Yemen’s Houthis draw the attention of Iraqis
(Omar al-Jaffal, trans. Sahar Ghoussoub, Al-Monitor: Iraq Pulse)

Aqsa restrictions force thousands into Jerusalem streets for prayer
(Ma'an News Agency)

Synod Bishops coming together (opinion)
(William Donohue, Religion News Service)

Ukrainian premier shows solicitude for religious organizations
(Russia Religion News)

The Hobby Lobby Solution
(Marci A. Hamilton, Justia: Verdict blog)

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