Law and Religion Headlines
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Christian families summoned, beaten and threatened with death in Chhattisgargh, India
(Morning Star News)
Religion: The next frontier in workplace diversity and inclusion
(Marcel Vander Wier, Talent Canada: Driving Business through Investment in People)
The Supreme Court returns to a complicated question: Which religious workers count as ministers?
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News | InDepth)
After surviving wars, pestilence, religions use technology to beat pandemic
(Angela Moore, Reuters)
USCIRF reiterates call for appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Maine ban on religious gatherings over 10 persons is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Suit against community college challenges campus speech restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Oregon college sued for censoring student speech, restricting it to 1.5% of campus
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
Pakistan creates national commission for minorities
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Report: Anti-Semitic incidents in US hit record high in 2019
(Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press)
Israeli police arrest over 300 at mass gathering at shrine
(Associated Press)
Federal hate crime charge in Missouri Islamic center fire
(Jim Salter, Associated Press)
Gun control group starts faith-driven push ahead of election
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
Artifact of hope: The journey of a cross across the Pacific
(Hirokazu Miyazaki, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Spanish cardinal’s blessing on Sunday divides officials of Valencia government
(Ines San Martin, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
English bishops: Plan to end lockdown ignores ‘spiritual needs’ of country
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Don’t fall for Pakistan’s PR campaign. It's still awful on religious freedom
(Farahnaz Ispahani, The Washington Examiner)
Argument analysis: Justices divided in debate over “ministerial exception”
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
'Plandemic' news, et al: Why do so many religious believers quickly embrace conspiracies?
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
Towards net zero carbon for churches
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Turkey only NATO member singled out in U.S. religious freedom report
(Ahval)
Kentucky Gov. Beshear inspires revival of civil religion
(Alex Brown, Religion & Politics: Fit for Polite Company)
Removing polygamy as a felony is one of the important laws that take effect today
(Taylor Stevens and Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune)
Conversions to Hinduism & the case for recognising Dalit Muslims
(Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, The Quint)
UN urges religious to fight harmful messages
(Associated Press, Fox San Antonio)
Greece to allow religious ceremonies with the presence of the faithful
(The National Herald)
Religious holiday allowances in Indonesia still obligatory despite COVID-19
(Ayman Falak Medina, ASEAN Briefing)
UTJ coalition agreement ensures no religion and state changes
(Jeremy Sharon, The Jerusalem Post)
Scotland’s chilling new blasphemy law
(Stephen Daisley, The Spectator)
Labour is stirring up Sikh identity politics
(The Spectator)
Analysis: The Swiss Model v. Swedish Model in dealing with China
(Joseph de Weck, Foreign Policy Research Institute)
Bishops lament UK plan to keep churches closed until July
(Catholic News Agency)
Vatican backs worldwide interfaith day of prayer and fasting
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
From flannelgraphs to Zoom, churches bring Sunday school home
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
If Costco can reopen safely, why not Illinois churches, Gov. Pritzker?
(Ed Stetzer, Religion News Service)
In lockdown, our longing for the world could be the antidote to our spiritual anorexia
(Tara Isabella Burton, Religion News Service)
Monday, 11 May 2020
Religion Photos, 9 April 2020: This week’s selection includes Buddhists commemorating Vesak, the National Day of Prayer and more.
(Kit Doyle, Religion News Service)
Language matters: What is terrorism?
(CSWPress, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
National Day of Prayer features interfaith prayers for revival
(Christopher Hutton, Religion Unplugged)
Towards opening churches in July
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Is the coronavirus ban on weddings lawful?
(Neil Addison, Guest Post, Law & Religion UK)
Leviathan Challenged — the lockdown is compliant with human rights law (Part Two)
(Dominic Ruck Keene, UK Human Rights Blog)
Digital Contact Tracing Updates from the Human Rights Committee
(Rafe Jennings, UK Human Rights Blog)
We can beat the virus only by protecting human rights
(Kenneth Roth, The Washington Post)
Burma’s much needed ceasefire presents a valuable opportunity, provided the military keeps its promises
(CSWPress, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Pastor sues over COVID-19 orders and conditions of bond
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Pastor Tony Spell files lawsuit against Governor Edwards over stay-at-home order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
France mandates masks to control the coronavirus. Burqas remain banned.
(James McAuley, The Washington Post)
Supreme Court oral arguments in ministerial exception cases live today
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court hears cases on whether employment bias laws cover teachers at religious schools
(Adam Liptak, The New York Times)
Right to religion: Supreme Court explains reference to larger Bench
(The Hindu)
U.S. Supreme Court conservatives lean toward shielding religious schools from suits
(Andrew Chung, Reuters)
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments (again) over religious objections to the contraceptive mandate in ACA
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
The Supreme Court will soon weigh in on who counts as a minister. Its answer could change religious freedom law forever
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News Faith)
Supreme Court appears divided in Catholic schools case
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Supreme Court oral argument in McGirt v. Oklahoma (states' v. federal jurisdiction on Indian lands)
(Supreme Court of the United States, C-SPAN)
Supreme Court Oral Argument on Religious Organization Employees & Discrimination Claims
(Supreme Court of the United States, C-SPAN)
Articles of Interest, 11 May 2020
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Waiver for foster care agencies to select parents using religious criteria violates Establishment Clause
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Lesbian couple to have their day in court in challenge to HHS and South Carolina foster care policy
(Lambda Legal)
About three-quarters of U.S. Catholic parishes applied for government paycheck protection
(Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Sexual and gender-based violence during COVID-19: lessons from Ebola
(Monica Adhiambo Onyango and Alexandra Regan, The Conversation)
Drive-thru iftars and coronavirus task forces: How Muslims are observing obligations to the poor this Ramadan
(Shariq Siddiqui, The Conversation)
We need fewer heroes: Exploring the tension between our praise of everyday heroes and the social instability that necessitates them
(Russell P. Johnson, Sightings: The Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago Divinity School)
Reflections on the 1970 Shootings at Kent State University and Jackson State College
(Rev. Barbara Child, Sightings: The Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago Divinity School)
The police region of Xinjiang: Checkpoints, camps, and fear
(Chang Xin, Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights in China)
Inside the $100 million Russian church meant to honor Putin, Stalin and war
(Alexie Lidov, Religion Unpugged)
Busena and Emmanuel’s story: Refugees seeking peace
(Jake Meador, Mere Orthodoxy / Mere Fidelity)
The plan for reopening houses of worship after the coronavirus crisis
(Maggie Siddiqi and Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Center for American Progress)
COVID-19, conspiracy theories and antisemitism
(David Harris, The Jerusalem Post)
Afghanistan arrests regional ISIS leader
(Reuters, The Jerusalem Post)
Why are liberal Jewish organizations undermining religious liberty?
(Howard Slugh and Mitchell Rocklin, Forward Opinion)
New research says religion can prevent COVID-19 'deaths of despair'
(Micah Danney, Religion Unplugged)
6th Circuit enjoins ban on in-person worship services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Appeals court gives big win for churches
(Liberty Counsel)
Does L.A. Catholic school have a religious-liberty right to fire a teacher who gets cancer?
(David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times)
USCIRF releases new report on religious freedom conditions in Bangladesh
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
USCIRF welcomes establishment of Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities as a first step
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
UN Secretary-General warns of rising anti-Semitism and other forms of hate during covid-19 pandemic
(Aaron Bandler, Jewish Journal)
Armenia: Constitutional Court rules that police officer cannot be fired for faith
(ADF International)
Divorce granted online for the first time in Irish history
(Jack Beresford, The Irish Post)
Pakistani police say armed men damage church in land dispute
(Associated Press)
Cardinal decries migrant deaths, industrial accidents in India
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Cache County man admits breaking into, damaging Logan temple
(Annie Knox, Deseret News Faith)
Religious freedom in the time of covid-19
(Asma T. Uddin, Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute)
YouTube thinker: Methodist conservative chats with RNS' Jack Jenkins about religious left
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Plugged in: Investigation into Amish, Mennonite sexual abuse honored as Pulitzer finalist
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Does Secularism prevent making spiritual wisdom a part of mainstream Indian schooling?
(Sunil Kumar, Times of India)
Islam prioritizes humanity during pandemic
(Abd. Rohim Ghazali, The Jakarta Post)
Indian govt. denies religious profiling of patients
(The Hindu)
US politicians blast Algeria for church closures
(Benjamin Weinthal, The Jerusalem Post)
India’s monolithic understanding of religion – OpEd
(Shamsa Nawaz, Eurasia Review)
Pandemic to reshape how congregations worship as dioceses prepare to resume in-person gatherings
(David Paulsen, Episcopal News Service)
'Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me'
(Ewelina U. Ochab, Religion Unplugged)
Chinese debt could cause emerging markets to implode
(Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca, Foreign Affairs)
Sunday, 10 May 2020
Pandemic leads churches to celebrate motherhood creatively this Sunday
(Alejanra Molina, Religion News Service)
Celebrating Mass safely — but pastorally — during a pandemic
(Thomas Reese, RNS column: Signs of the Times)
Law and religion round-up – 10th May
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Saturday musings: work, play and ageing
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Lots of edgy thinking about 'Weird Christianity' – in The New York Times, no less
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
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