Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 15 July 2022
Weekly Highlight #213: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Religious celebrations and pilgrimages; legal action on vaccinations
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
National class action and TRO approved for Air Force members with religious objections to COVID vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 8 July 2022
Weekly Highlight #212: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Emerging from the pandemic: Lasting effects?
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Wednesday, 6 July 2022
ADA does not justify lower priority for employees with religious, rather than disability, exemptions from vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 1 July 2022
Supreme Court lets vaccine mandate stand, tosses rulings on guns, abortion
(Ann E. Marimow and Robert Barnes, The Washington Post)
U.S. Supreme Court nixes religious challenge to New York vaccine mandate
(Andrew Chung, Reuters)
Weekly Highlight #210: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: New research on religion and Covid-19 emphasizes holistic approaches to care
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Kigali Declaration on upholding human rights during a pandemic and other global crises
(The Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions)
Monday, 27 June 2022
Restricting public worship during covid: The response of courts across the globe
(Mark Movsesian, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Another challenge to school district's vaccine mandate fails
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
7th Circuit denies preliminary injunction to doctor fired for refusing vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 24 June 2022
Weekly Highlight #210: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Government support for and restrictions on religious practice; COVID-19, mental health, and gender-based violence
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Religious communities in the Holy Land remain united beyond the pandemic
(Nicolas Rouger, La Croix International)
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Bill de Blasio seeks forgiveness in bid for Orthodox votes in Borough Park
(Jacob Henry, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Friday, 17 June 2022
Meat processor is not state actor in requiring covid vaccination of employees
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Weekly Highlight #208: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Children’s needs and gender-based violence; vaccination campaigns in Africa; spirituality in pandemic times
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Monday, 13 June 2022
Labyrinthine zoning rules restricted homeless shelters during the pandemic
(Christian Britschgi, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Ohio bill calls for Canada to be put on religious-freedom watchlist over COVID restrictions
(Tom Blackwell, National Post)
Friday, 10 June 2022
New vaccine may be option for troops with religious concerns
(Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press)
Free Exercise challenge to New Mexico COVID orders moves ahead
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Constitutional recognition of religious exemptions to vaccination requirements
(James G. Hodge, Jr., Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Wednesday, 8 June 2022
China: Letters from lockdown: A Shanghai pastor on pandemics and persecutions
(Zhang San, The Gospel Coalition)
Weekly Highlight #208: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Finance, exemptions, conspiracies, and future uncertainties
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Monday, 6 June 2022
Saudi Arabia receives 1st foreign Hajj pilgrims since COVID began
(Al Jazeera)
Vaccine case roundup: Mandates across country largely upheld in recent court decisions
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Friday, 3 June 2022
St. Vincent workers who declined COVID-19 vaccine sue hospital for religious discrimination
(Johnny Magdaleno, Indy Star)
Weekly Highlight #207: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Faith to action’s repository on children and covid-19; looming food crises and religious coping; vaccine requirements in schools
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Certiorari denied in church's challenge to Colorado COVID restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
7th Circuit hears oral arguments on reinstatement of doctor who refuses vaccination on religious grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Doctor meets 7th Cir. skepticism in bid for vaccine exemption
(Robert Iafolla, Bloomberg Law)
COVID testing requirement survives Free Exercise challenge
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
No pseudonymity for challenge to Maine healthcare worker vaccine mandate
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Monday, 30 May 2022
Washington's state employee vaccine mandate upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 27 May 2022
6th Circuit en banc dismisses mask mandate challenge as moot
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Weekly Highlight #206: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: One million deaths and counting: covid-19's impact on religious communities, global vaccine inequities, digital technologies
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
University's vaccine mandate did not violate free exercise rights of students
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 23 May 2022
COVID-19: legislation and guidance updates from May 2022
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Friday, 20 May 2022
Court denies relief to Air Force members with religious objections to covid vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 18 May 2022
India: Beyond vaccinations, Shanti Ashram provides holistic help for vulnerable communities
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
UK COVID-19 Inquiry: terms of reference consultation outcome
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Air Force Academy cadets face expulsion, repayment demand over vaccine refusal
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Monday, 16 May 2022
4 Air Force cadets may not graduate due to vaccine refusal
(Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press)
Space Force captain with religious objections to vaccine mandate is denied injunction
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 13 May 2022
For some people, religious leaders might be most effective at communicating the importance of COVID-19 vaccination
(Filip Viskupič and David Wiltse, The Conversation)
Louisiana justices toss COVID-related charges against pastor
(Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press)
Intervenors say USAF senior leaders told to deny all religious exemptions to vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Louisiana S. Ct. precludes prosecution of pastor for violation of early-pandemic gathering size limits
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Weekly Highlight #205: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Eid celebrations after two years of COVID-19 restrictions; faith and gender-based violence
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Friday, 6 May 2022
1st Circuit hears oral arguments on religious exemption to school's vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
Former Philadelphia prosecutor sues DA Larry Krasner after she was denied religious exemption for vaccine mandate
(Ximena Conde, Philadelphia Inquirer)
Weekly Highlight #204: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Rising covid-19 waves and decreasing religious education in church
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Friday, 29 April 2022
1st Circuit: Employees with religious objection to vaccine mandate not entitled to injunction
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Free exercise challenge to Washington vaccine mandate is dismissed
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Trump officials muzzled CDC on church covid guidance, emails confirm
(Dan Diamond, The Washington Post)
Individualized exemptions, vaccine mandates, and the new Free Exercise clause
(Zalman Rothschild, The Yale Law Journal)
Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Weekly Highlight #203: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Taking stock of COVID-19 impact: Returning to “normal”?
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Researchers: COVID-19, Israel-Gaza war fueled antisemitism
(Laurie Kellman, Associated Press)
Marine with religious objections to COVID vaccine is denied preliminary injunction
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
UK: COVID-19 information for churches in Wales
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Friday, 22 April 2022
Company is not "state actor" when it complies with federal vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Weekly Highlight #202: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Major holidays; translating localization into practice
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Supreme Court refuses interim relief in airman's religious challenge to covid vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court rules against Air Force officer who refused vaccine
(Adam Liptak, The New York Times)
With the pandemic coming to an end, we should reflect on our religious liberty
(Katie Geary, Daily Caller)
Spain: Masks no longer necessary inside churches in Spain
(Catholic News Agency)
Saudi Arabia: As COVID-19 shutdown lifts, Mecca’s pilgrims bring Islam’s holiest city back to life
(Rabiya Jaffery, Religion News Service)
Mental health of Muslim healthcare workers during COVID-19
(Dr. Rania Awaad, Kamal Suleiman, Dalia Mogahed, Dr. Lana Abdole, Alizah Ali, and Nour Hammami, nstitute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) and Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab)
Monday, 18 April 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic and freedom of religion or belief
(Merilin Kiviorg, The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)
No pseudonymity in challenge to denial of religious exemption from military vaccine mandate
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Friday, 15 April 2022
With high hopes for holidays, three faiths take stock of COVID-19 losses and gains
(Adelle M. Banks, Emily McFarlan Miller, Alejandra Molina, Kathryn Post, and Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
American religious support for COVID protocols, and public values
(R. Drew Smith, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
UK: COVID-19: Church in Wales updated guidance
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Weekly Highlight #201: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Caution ahead of converging religious celebrations
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Wednesday, 6 April 2022
UK: COVID-19 legislation and guidance update, April
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Ireland: 'Taking Stock; how Covid-19 affected the Church'
(YouTube Video, The Iona Institute)
Kentucky to treat churches as 'essential services' during pandemics, emergencies
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
44% of kids were ‘sad, hopeless’ during COVID-19 lockdowns; 19% contemplated suicide: CDC study
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Faith based dialogue can tackle vaccine hesitancy and build trust
(Andrew Hatala, Maryan Chloe Pervaiz, Richard Handley, Tara Vijayan, BMJ)
Weekly Highlight #200: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Vaccine initiatives; sacramental wine producers struggling
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
KY Gov. Beshear signs bill protecting churches from discrimination
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
OH court grants Air Force members protection from shot mandate
(Liberty Counsel)
Monday, 4 April 2022
Canada: Ontario needs to reconsider pandemic school closure policy
(Cardus)
Judge blocks Air Force discipline over vaccine objections
(John Seewer, Associated Press)
Friday, 1 April 2022
A Jan. 6 pastor divides his Tennessee community with increasingly extremist views
(Annie Gowen, The Washington Post)
Weekly Highlight #199: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Assessing longer-term COVID-19 emergency impact
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
DOD loses bid to set aside injunction
(Liberty Counsel)
11th Circuit grants limited stay of injunction against Navy's vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Americans skeptical about religious objections to COVID-19 vaccines, but oppose employer mandates
(Justin Nortey, Pew Research Center)
Americans distrust religious objectors. But they don’t want them fired
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Navy barred from acting against religious vaccine refusers
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
TX Court grants Navy class certification protection from shot mandate
(Liberty Counsel)
Two stories of emergent agency from faith groups in COVID-19
(Olivia Wilkinson, Katherine Marshall, James Huff, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Wales: updated COVID-19 guidance on places of worship and funerals
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Monday, 28 March 2022
What the history of science and religion reveals about today’s divisive covid debates
(Peter Manseau, Smithsonian Magazine)
Friday, 25 March 2022
Supreme Court issues stay, favoring Navy, in Navy Seals COVID vaccination religious exemption case
(Eugene Volokh, Reason)
High court gives Biden win for now in Navy vaccine case
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Americans' post-COVID return to church flatlines: Survey
(Ecumenical News)
Study: More congregations are reopening but attendance remains flat
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
Jehovah’s Witnesses to resume in-person gatherings, door knocking still on hold
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
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