Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
A 24-hour online vigil will name some of the people who have died of COVID-19
(Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service)
How do Buddhists handle coronavirus? The answer is not just meditation
(Pierce Salguero, Religion News Service Opinion)
Reform Jewish umbrella group cuts staff by 20% due to COVID-19
(Kathryn Post, Religion News Service)
Poll: US believers see message of change from God in virus
(Elana Schor, Religion News Service)
China says boy picked by Dalai Lama now a college graduate
(Associated Press)
US health officials quietly release more reopening guidance
(Mike Stobbe, Associated Press)
Clergy, scientists grapple with thoughts of worship without congregational singing
(Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service)
Vatican reiterates two-state solution as Israeli-Palestinian relations escalate
(Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)
Should Reform and Conservative Judaism merge?
(Jeffrey Salkin, RNS Column: Martini Judaism)
Abbas says PA to no longer abide by accords with Israel, US
(Mohammed Daraghmeh, Associated Press)
20 years after withdrawal, Israel, Hezbollah brace for war
(Bassem Mroue and Josef Federman, Associated Press)
Four young people of different faiths move into a home together, then a pandemic happens
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
COVID-19 delayed a United Methodist schism. But it has left LGBT members in limbo
(Nathan Romo, Religion News Service)
'Horrifying surge' in lockdown domestic violence as 'silent crisis' explodes
(RNS Press Release Distribution Service, Religion News Service)
Daily Highlight #64: What Do We Know About Online Religious Practice and How the COVID-19 Crisis Is Reshaping It?
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Distancing Religion online: Lessons from the pandemic prompted religious move online
(Heidi A. Campbell, Contending Modernities, University of Notre Dame)
Court refuses to dismiss Title VII suit because ministerial exception unclear on facts
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Tel Aviv mayor sues new Transportation Minister for libel over claims about tefillin stands
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Tel Aviv mayor sues Likud MK for NIS 500,000 in “tefillin stand affair”
(Yeshiva World)
Catholic school sues for more adequate state bus transportation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Labor Department issues new guidance on religious liberty protections
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
DOJ says California is discriminating against places of worship in reopening plan
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Justice Department warns California coronavirus rules may violate religious freedoms
(Matthew Ormseth, Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times)
The United States stands for life against the United Nations | Opinion
(Elyssa K, Newsweek)
Four churches in Tajikistan fined for translating the Bible
(Aaron Sseruyigo, Uganda Christian News)
Hungary outlaws changing birth gender on documents
(BBC News)
MSPs back bill to allow mixed-sex civil partnerships in Scotland
(Craig Paton, Sarah Vesty, Daily Record)
Genetics expert Francis Collins wins major religion prize
(Associated Press)
New York opens the door to small religious gatherings
(Karen Matthews, Marina Villeneuve And Michael Hill, Associated Press)
Serbia-Montenegro tensions escalate amid church dispute
(Associated Press)
Masses in Italy are a go, but other sacraments still suffer restrictions
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
On 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’, faith organizations divest from fossil fuel
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Catholic doctors say churches essential, offer ‘road map’ to safely reopen
(Pablo Kay, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Bishops issue organ donation guidelines after England starts ‘opt out’ system
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
How religious leaders cope with COVID-19 (video from Cologne)
(Deutsche Welle)
Joy, fear and sorrow mix for Italian Jews returning to synagogue
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Moldovan Orthodox Church says Bill Gates, 5G dangerous for mankind
(Interfax-Religion)
A defense of Biblical objectivity in journalism
(Marvin Olasky, Religion Unplugged Opinion)
The things that are Caesar’s
(Sherry F. Colb, Verdict)
Religious fundamentalists are making the pandemic worse
(Juan Cole, The Nation)
Indonesia: Shia uprooted by violence on Madura Island long to go home
(Yovinus Guntur W., Benar News)
Selangor (Malaysia) Religious Council seeks to intervene in SIS’ move to challenge law
(Free Malaysia Today)
Respect each other’s religion, says Errabelli
(Telangana Today (India))
What is Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night in Ramadan?
(Al Jazeera)
Praying in time of COVID-19: How world's largest mosques adapted
(Arwa Ibrahim, Al Jazeera)
ISIS tried to destroy this church, now Muslims and Christians join hands to rebuild
(Emily Judd, Al Arabiya)
Iranian Anglican Church member given third prison sentence at retrial
(Article 18)
Two Southern churches forced to reclose after leaders, congregants get coronavirus
(Aris Folley, The Hill)
The masked Samaritan
(Brian Kaylor, Word & Way)
New York Times on young Republicans and African-American voters? Look for familiar ghosts
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Indy Star sports writer spotlights wedding of Christian teens – including a dying groom
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
100 years of all kinds of Catholics – good and bad – going to confession in movies
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
The Atlantic probes QAnon sect and finds (#shocking) another evangelical-ish conspiracy
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Celebrating the Ascension while staying safe
(Thomas O'Loughlin, La Croix International)
Coronavirus: French court orders ban on worship to end
(BBC News)
French government ordered to lift coronavirus lockdown ban on religious meetings
(France 24)
Days after yeshiva raid, New York police disperse crowd at Brooklyn synagogue
(Shira Hanau, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Amsterdam’s Jewish quarter is getting ready to reopen, but some wonder if it will ever be the same
(Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Orthodox leaders press for reopening guidance as parents say ‘underground yeshivas’ are already holding classes
(Shira Hanau, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Believing in the Death Penalty?
(Greg Marcar, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
When religion sided with science: Medieval lessons for surviving COVID-19
(Phillip I. Lieberman, The Conversation)
Daily Highlight #63 | Gauging Levels and Directions in How Institutions Inspired by Faith Are Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Legal Spirits Episode 023: Journalist Kelsey Dallas on religion in America today
(Law and Religion Forum, St. John's Law School Center for Law & Religion)
Oregon trial court enjoins enforcement of state's covid-19 orders in suit by churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
RFRA defense rejected in possession of firearms case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
In SDNY Cuban religion said to excuse gun possession but Judge Hellerstein rejects it
(Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press)
France's Council of State orders lifting of COVID-19 ban on worship services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
US says California order discriminates against churches
(Robert Jablon, Associated Press)
Four roommates of different faiths face a pandemic together
(Alejandra Molina, Associated Press)
Oregon high court keeps state virus restrictions in place
(Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press)
Justice Department urged to aggressively prosecute pornography vendors
(Kurt Jensen, Catholic News Service)
Nigerian religious leaders demand lifting of COVID-19 lockdown
(Cristina Krippahl, Deutsche Welle)
Defend the sacred: How Native Americans protect their religious freedom
(Michael D. McNally, Religion & Politics: Fit for Polite Company)
Conspiracy theories, COVID-19 and Christian faith
(Karen Booth, Juicy Ecumenism – The Institute on Religion & Democracy's Blog)
Can German Jews pray for their country?
(Paige Harouse, Tablet Magazine)
Russia uses its new form of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
(OVD.Info, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Russia: 39 trials with 87 defendants
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Conseil d’État orders easing of French ban on public worship
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Chief Rabbi welcomes new provision for Jewish organ donors in England
(Jenni Frazer, Jewish News)
Government staying out of religious instruction is not granting an ‘exception’ to churches
(Tyler Broker, Above the Law)
New Australian report may help church find its way out of abuse crisis
(Massimo Faggioli, National Catholic Reporter)
New York churches open COVID-19 testing sites in push to reach minority communities
(Carol Kuruvilla, Huff Post)
Religious bias issues poised for fresh look from justices (paywall)
(Law 360)
Toward a good faith version of the Ministerial Exception (paywall)
(Law 360)
Labor Department issues new religious freedom guidelines
(Catholic News Agency)
Angry Buddhist mob swarms Meiktila Monastery after man ‘insults’ religion on Facebook (video)
(Coconuts)
WEBINAR, 19 May 2020 (12 noon EDT): How Ethics and Religion Shape Policy Responses to Refugees
(David Hollenbach, S.J., T. Alexander Aleinikoff, Elizabeth Ferris, Clemens Sedmak, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University and University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs Washington Office)
The rise of the 'Madkhalists': Inside Libya's struggle for religious supremacy
(Alison Pargeter, Middle East Eye)
Quebec ponders making masks mandatory after banning the veil
(Tracey Lindeman, The Guardian)
Thinking about Little Richard: Mark Kellner with a Seventh-day Adventist look at rock pioneer
(Terry Mattingly)
Two churches reclose after faith leaders and congregants get coronavirus
(Lateshia Beachum, The Washington Post)
Instead of gossiping about the Kim dynasty, the world should focus on North Korea’s human rights atrocities
(Benedict Rogers, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Monday, 18 May 2020
Religion Photos of the Week - 16 May 2020
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Articles of interest - 18 May 2020
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
New Publication: Spiritual Care in Public Institutions in Europe
(Jiří Rajmund Tretera and Záboj Horák, eds., Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag)
Law, Religion and Covid-19 Emergency – Ebook, Diresom Papers 1
(Edited by Pierluigi Consorti, DiReSoM: Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali/ Law and Religion in Multicultural Societies)
Ambassador Brownback warns about the COVID-19 related burdens faced by religious minorities
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes)
Briefing with Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback on COVID-19 impact on religious minorities
(United States Department of State)
Evangelical leaders urge Congress to protect churches from coronavirus lawsuits
(Samuel Smith, The Christian Post)
Indian dioceses pray with pope, as well as Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims (videos)
(Nirmala Carvalho, Asia News)
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