Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 15 December 2025
Bishops call Illinois assisted suicide law signed by Gov. Pritzker ‘heartbreaking’
(Kate Quiñones, Catholic News Agency)
Illinois: Pritzker signs ‘medical aid in dying’ bill amid religious opposition
(Maggie Dougherty, Muddy River News)
Perspective: When therapy becomes ‘speech,’ the legal landscape shifts profoundly
(Asma Uddin, Deseret News)
Australia to tighten gun laws after Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre
(Charlotte Graham-McLay, Rod McGuirk and Kristen Gelineau, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 15 December 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Religion in the military and the latest from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission (podcast)
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
White Christian clergy running for Congress as Democrats face skeptics in their own party
(Malcolm Foster, Religion News Service)
Catholics denounces restrictions on spiritual assistance in Brazilian prisons
(Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Tennessee religious charter school fight could tee up next Supreme Court showdown
(Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill)
‘No’ to church: What religious change looks like In Latin America
(Matthew Blanton, Religion Unplugged)
Punjab hosts Pakistan’s first govt-sponsored Christmas rally
(Kamran Chaudhry, Union of Catholic Asian News)
As anti-ICE Nativity scenes spark outrage, faith leaders grapple with politics at the pulpit
(Chelsea Bailey, Andy Buck, Dianne Gallagher, CNN)
Thorold, Ont., city hall lobby filled as vigil mourns teen denied traditional Muslim burial
(Diona Macalinga, CBC News)
WCC delegation to attend Global Refugee Forum Progress Review 2025
(World Council of Churches)
Ukraine: The UN scrutinizes religious freedom in occupied and sovereign Ukraine
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
In Volyn, Jehovah's Witness minister convicted for refusing to serve in AFU
(Union of Orthodox Journalists)
Sri Lanka: Violations of religious freedom: the EU should question the GSP+ status
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
The inevitable result of Myanmar’s sham elections must not confer any legitimacy on its military regime
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Wisconsin high court ends state’s crusade against Catholic Charities
(Becket)
US ‘strongly condemns’ sentencing of Iranian Christians to 50 years’ imprisonment
(Article 18)
ACLJ asks U.S. Supreme Court to review case of church punished for worshiping according to its beliefs
(Walter M. Weber, American Center for Law and Justice)
UN experts concerned by escalating legislative and administrative measures against Estonian Orthodox Christian Church
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
Armenia: the hour of the Evangelical Church
(Johannes Reimer, Evangelical Focus)
Denmark’s investigation ends, tabloid is criticized, but campaign against Jehovah’s Witnesses persists
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Religious discrimination toward Jews and Muslims rose after Oct. 7 attacks, study shows
(Avery Ruxer Franklin, Rice University)
Discriminatory taxation of religious movements as a form of persecution
(Willy Fautré, Bitter Winter)
Malaysia investigates South Korean religious sect
(Joseph Masilamany, Asia News)
Friday, 12 December 2025
Religious Liberty Commission hosts fourth hearing on religious liberty in the military
(U.S. Department of Justice)
EVENT, 11-12 December 2025: Freedom of Religious Expression in World Legal Systems (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
(Instituto dos Advogados Brasileiros)
USCIRF welcomes Senator Schumer’s appointment of Rachel Laser
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The King attends a service to celebrate Christian witness
(Westminster Abbey)
Iraqis face ongoing sectarianism, genocide-related religious freedom challenges
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Cardinal Parolin tells “heroic” Christians of Mozambique: “You are not alone!”
(Aid to the Church in Need)
Pope meets with Italian secret agents and urges them to be ethical
(Associated Press)
Syrian-American Jews register first Jewish NGO in Syria to restore heritage
(Ghaith Alsayed and Omar Sanadiki, Associated Press)
California colleges settle antisemitism complaints with Jewish groups and individuals
(Associated Press)
Ministerial exception bars former priest's Title VII claims
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
7th Circuit: Plaintiff must allege more than conclusory statements of religious belief to get religious exemption
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Islamophobia is being normalized at the highest levels. Christians need to learn to fight it.
(Anna Piela, Religion News Service)
Basque criminal court acquits pro-lifers praying outside abortion clinic
(Fionn Shiner, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
China commission urges action on transnational repression
(Susan Crabtree, Real Clear Politics)
'It hinges on international law': Zelensky on peace deal status of UOC MP and Russian language
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
From doctrine to proclamation: How faith still frames U.S. Indian policy
(Kerri J. Malloy, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
KAICIID and United Religions Initiative sign MoU to advance global cooperation on interreligious dialogue
(KAICIID Dialogue Centre)
‘Holy herb’: Kenya’s Rastafarians fight to decriminalize cannabis
(Joseph Maina, Religion Unplugged)
To end human trafficking? Taking stock at 25
(Katherine Marshall, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Venezuelan cardinal denied permission to leave country
(David Agren, Union of Catholic Asian News)
At conference in Ghana, WCC advances equitable HIV response
(World Council of Churches)
Consultation between Judaism, Orthodox Christianity explores “Sanctity of Place, Sanctity of Space”
(World Council of Churches)
Symposium introduction: The role of the European Court of Human Rights: Progressive, conservative, or both?
(Esra Demir-Gürsel, Strasbourg Observers)
Myanmar: Military orders Christians to celebrate Christmas early, forcibly conscripts reverend in lead-up to sham elections
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Nicaragua: Authorities prohibit tourists from bringing Bibles into the country
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Man who opened fire outside his former Jewish school in Memphis avoids prison with guilty plea
(Adrian Sainz, Associated Press)
The politics of apostasy: Defaming religious liberty
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Quebec's new secularism bill worries public institutions that serve halal, kosher foods
(Isaac Olson and Steve Rukavina, CBC News)
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
High Commissioner Türk on Human Rights Day 2025
(United Nations)
Pope Leo XIV’s visits to Turkey and Lebanon were about religious diplomacy
(Ramazan Kılınç, The Conversation)
Supreme Court orders new review of religious exemptions to school vaccines
(Mark Walsh, Education Week)
President Lee Jae-myung pushes to dissolve religious groups
(Joo Hee-yeon, The Chosun Daily)
U.S. religiious decline stalls, but no revival detected among young people
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Soft power and the Papacy: Pope Francis in the context of right-wing populist nationalism in Italy and Europe
(London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog)
A dangerous precedent: Japan’s assault on religious freedom and its global fallout
(Peter Zoehrer, Forum for Religious Freedom Europe)
Austrian government presses ahead with planned headscarf ban in schools
(Reuters)
Thailand: Montagnard activist extradited to Vietnam
(Human Rights Watch)
Christmas tree lights are up for first time in Bethlehem since Gaza war started
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
From Warriors to Servants: Romans 13 and a Theology of Policing
(Barbara E. Armacost, Cambridge University Press)
Responsible Religious Freedom: Factual Scrutiny in Free Exercise Doctrine
(Brady Earley, Cambridge University Press)
From rankings to realities: Measuring what really matters for religious freedom
(Dennis P. Petri, Institute for Global Engagement)
HYBRID EVENT, 10 December 2025: Religious Liberty Commission: Religious Liberty in the Military
(U.S. Department of Justice)
Vietnam represses independent religious communities
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Many religions are heavily concentrated in a few countries
(Conrad Hackett, Pew Research Center)
Justice Department sues Loudoun County for violating equal protection of Christian students
(U.S. Department of Justice)
ACN raises religious freedom concerns at European Parliament’s “Human Dignity” event
(Aid to the Church in Need)
Florida governor declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization
(Associated Press)
Pope criticizes US bid to ‘break apart’ US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peace
(Nicole Winfield, Associated Press)
Supreme Court remands Amish parents' challenge to ending of religious exemptions from vaccinations
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
NC high school student sues school district for censoring her Charlie Kirk tribute
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
At cathedral, governors of different parties, faiths urge end to political violence
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Liberals back Bloc's proposal to remove religious exemption from hate speech laws
(Darren Major, CBC News)
Pope Leo meets with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
(Vatican News)
Russia: Orthodox journalist to face in absentia criminal trial?
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Russia: Buddhist's retrial, Protestant pastor's appeal fails
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Orthodox Patriarchs to participate in security conference in Jordan
(The European Times)
Sri Lanka to help restore hundreds of cyclone-hit religious sites
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Bishop Kortu K. Brown shares how churches can help promote actions against statelessness
(World Council of Churches)
COMECE expresses concern on implications of CJEU judgment on marriage
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
CROCEU and COMECE delegation engages with Cypriot authorities ahead of the 2026 EU Presidency
(The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE))
EU: Protecting yoga philosophies and their practitioners under Article 18 of the ICCPR
(Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Legal Journal Number 2 (21): November (Spanish)
(Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa de América Latina y El Caribe)
Prayer niche of Ahmadiyya Mosque destroyed by Revenue Department in Punjab
(International Human Rights Committee)
Monday, 8 December 2025
Religion holds steady in America
(Gregory A. Smith, Pew Research Center)
Religious Freedom is not a reward for theologically 'correct'
(Thomas J. Ward, The Korea Times)
More than 100 Ohio school districts add LifeWise Academy in 2025 after religious release law passed
(Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal)
A CROWNing achievement: Pennsylvania prohibits workplace discrimination based on race- and religious-based hairstyles and head coverings
(Ballard Spahr LLP, JDSupra)
SC seeks response from Rajasthan on plea challenging validity of anti-conversion law
(Economic Times)
'Festivals harming environment not freedom of religion,’ says ex-SC judge:What does the law permit then? How is 'scientific temper' going to help?
(Kartikay Chaturvedi, Bhaskar English)
Four journalists face trial: Indictment considers political criticism as “insulting religious values”
(Misa Turkey)
Even in death, Christians in India’s tribal communities are denied their rights and dignity
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
A Kentucky professor’s free speech is no defense for antisemitism
(Steven Lubet, The Hill)
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