Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 6 April 2020
How evangelicals in Brazil are spinning COVID-19
(Thomas Milz, Deutsche Welle)
Angry preachers fight 'shelter in place.' #NEWS Major religious groups follow rules? #SOWHAT
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Coronavirus crisis reveals gap between news media pros and and many people of faith
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Ryan Burge asks that question, again: Are politics, or doctrines, shaping COVID-19 responses?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Ecclesiastical court judgments – March (II)
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Law and religion round-up – 5th April
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Why Brazil’s churches closed, even though President Bolsonaro disagrees
(Maurício Zágari and the Assciated Press, Christianity Today)
Mormon church to open first temple in mainland China
(Keith Zhai, Tony Munroe, Reuters)
Religious freedom and the SBA Paycheck Protection Program
(Travis Wussow, Kentucky Today)
Justices turn away fight over religious ads on DC buses
(Megan Mineiro, Courthouse News Service)
“No one is immune from the roundups”: Life for Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region
(CSWPress, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Saturday, 4 April 2020
Remote control: Coronavirus is changing how Ireland is governed
(Jennifer Bray, The Irish Times)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Provides Updated Guidance to Address the Urgent Need for Blood During the Pandemic
(Director - Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Peter Marks M.D., PhD., U.S. Food & Drug Administration)
New coronavirus limits bring new religious freedom tension
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
Pope Francis addresses Italy in recorded message
(Associated Press, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Chief Rabbi says virus response proving to be religion’s ‘finest hour’
(Jewish News)
Keir Starmer elected Labour leader: ‘I will tear out poison of antisemitism’
(Jewish News)
The Americans defying Palm Sunday quarantines: 'Satan's trying to keep us apart'
(Michelle Conlin, Rich McKay, Reuters)
With coronavirus infections linked to religious gatherings, debate rages over worship amid pandemic
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
U.S. religious freedom ambassador calls for release of prisoners of conscience
(Catholic News Agency)
Transnational terror: Sri Lankan Easter attacks
(Brammy Rajakumar, Harvard Political Review)
Friday, 3 April 2020
How will humans, by nature social animals, fare when isolated? Covid-19 will harm people’s mental health
(The Economist)
Infographic: The History of Pandemics
(Shai Kuritzky, BabaMail)
Islam in France
(Pierre Manent, Law & Liberty)
How did covid-19 begin? Its initial origin story is shaky
(David Ignatius, The Washington Post - Opinions)
Monitoring COVID-19 contagion growth in Europe
(Arianna Agosto / Alexandra Campmas / Paolo Giudici / Andrea Renda, Centre for European Policy Studies)
Johnson and Kidd: Responding to COVID-19 would be a lot harder without churches and Christian groups
(US Action Team, Religious Freedom Institute)
UK Supreme Court holds hospital liable for commercial surrogacy
(William Edis QC, UK Human Rights Blog)
Church building maintenance during lockdown – Update
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Church in Wales: Covid 19 – Guidance on Vestry & PCC meetings
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
How the pandemic will impact the Trump-backed lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act
(Jacqueline Thomsen, The National Law Journal)
USCIRF dismayed by lack of accountability for the murder of Daniel Pearl
(Press Release, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Challenge to school Bible program is dismissed after program is terminated
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court dismisses claims that Mormon doctrines are fraudulent
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Interesting RFRA case involving proof of infant's citizenship
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
New Jersey's Aid In Dying Act is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
NJ aid-in-dying law upheld, judge dismisses legal challenge
(Stacey Barchenger, North Jersey)
Michigan will allow secular marriage celebrants
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Michigan drops opposition to secular marriage celebrants, ending lawsuit
(Center for Inquiry)
New Jersey's COVID-19 ban enforced against religious life-cycle events
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
15 charged in Lakewood, N.J., after attending Orthodox Jewish funeral in violation of governor’s ban on large gatherings
(Julie Shaw, The Philadelphia Enquirer)
USCIRF calls for the release of Vietnamese prisoner of conscience Nguyen Bac Truyen
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
USCIRF welcomes the release of Ayda Expósito, calls for release of other religious prisoners of conscience in Cuba
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The Jarndyce v. Jarndyce of church-state cases
(Mark Movsesian, Center for Law and Religion Forum at St. John's University School of Law)
Unionists ask for chance to change new NI abortion laws
(Freya McClements, The Irish Times)
Legal Spirits Episode 021: The new Little Sisters of the Poor case (featuring Prof. Kevin Walsh)
(Center for Law and Religion Forum at St. John's University School of Law)
Mosques stay open in Pakistan even as virus death toll rises
(Kathy Gannon, Associated Press)
After ignoring warnings, Israeli ultra-Orthodox hit by virus
(Ariel Schalit and, Associated Press)
South African cops storm Cape Town church to expel migrants
(Associated Press)
Virus lockdown changes how Hindus celebrate holy period
(Biswajeet Banerjee and Gary Fields, Associated Press)
Florida pastor arrested for holding services, other congregations meeting in defiance of COVID-19-related orders
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Coronavirus: In France, professionals look to extend legal abortion time limit
(Bahar Makooi, France 24)
Asia’s top cardinal: China’s ‘criminal negligence’ responsible for coronavirus pandemic
(Nirmala Carvalho, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Planned Parenthood begs for protective equipment to do abortions as coronavirus rages
(Dorothy Cummings McLean, https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/planned-parenthood-begs-for-protective-equipment-to-do-abortions-as-coronavirus-rages)
20 whole families of Jehovah's Witnesses face prosecution
(Za Prava Cheloveka, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Jehovah's Witness wins appeal against forced psychiatric examination
(Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Russia: 32nd Jehovah's Witness criminal conviction
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
New podcast: Will preachers fighting 'shelter in place' rules create a church-state disaster?
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
New PHE advice for safe funerals
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television steps up airtime for religious programming
(Sofia Globe)
Fifth Circuit upholds atheist group’s right to display altered nativity scene
(David Lee, Courthouse News Service)
Pastor of largest United Methodist congregation faces jail, Church discipline
(John Lomperis, Juicy Ecumenism – The Institute on Religion & Democracy's Blog)
EU lawmakers condemn Hungary for 'attack' on trans people over sex on IDs
(Rachel Savage, Reuters)
Religious groups clash over US government giving virus aid to houses of worship
(Eric Cortellessa, The Times of Israel)
China’s divorce rates rise as couples emerge from coronavirus quarantine
(Meaghan Wray, Global News)
Religious institutions and the CARES Act: A closer look
(Nathan Adams IV, Jason Havens, Kelly Hellmuth, JD Supra)
Coronavirus emergency measures remove safeguards around ‘home abortions’
(Philippa Taylor, CMF blog)
Coronavirus: Islamophobia concerns after India mosque outbreak
(BBC News)
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying's regular press conference on April 3, 2020 - (Responding to Samuel Brownback)
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
An Indonesian church’s quest to obtain a building permit
(International Christian Concern)
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Many Americans are praying and staying away from religious services in response to coronavirus: More than half say they have prayer for an end to the spread of the virus
(Pew Research Center: Social and Demographic Trends)
Released from quarantine into social distancing
(Thomas Reese, RNS Column: Signs of the Times)
Addiction in the age of Covid-19
(Brian J. Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Higher attendance, lower giving: New survey shows how churches are responding to COVID-19
(Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)
Surviving April
(Max Lucado, Religion News Service)
Saudi official urges Muslims to delay hajj plans over virus
(Aya Batrawy and Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)
Hajj pilgrimage could be cancelled because of coronavirus
(Martin Chulov, The Guardian)
‘Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey And The Future Of Secularism’ – book review
(James M. Dorsey, Eurasia Review)
Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey, and the Future of Secularism
(Sumantra Bose, Cambridge University Press)
How will the global upheaval from COVID-19 affect religion?
(Richard Ostling, Religion Unplugged)
'Be nice' is note needed during crisis — but a free press is
(Gene Policinski, Freedom Forum)
U.S. Current Trend: COVID-19 and civic freedom
(International Center for Not-for-Profit Law)
A grim calculus: Covid-19 presents stark choices between life, death and the economy
(The Economist)
The Seder’s secrets to enduring a pandemic
(Ellen Bernstein, Religion News Service)
In a city defined by power, a virus has seized control
(John Woodrow Cox John Woodrow Cox Enterprise reporter with a focus on narrative journalism Email Bio Follow , Jessica Contrera, Paul Schwartzman, Peter Jamison, Petula Dvorak, Hannah Natanson and Sydney Trent, The Washington Post)
Oh no! 'New Yorkers' upset about Franklin Graham's hospital tents near Central Park angel
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Fire at will, in a circle: What does 'pro-life' mean in the context of the COVID-19 era?
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Touting virus cure, 'simple country doctor' becomes a right-wing star
(Kevin Roose and Matthew Rosenberg, The New York Times)
Where America didn't stay hom even as the virus spread
(James Glanz, Benedict Carey, Josh Holder, Derek Watkins, Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Rick Rojas and Lauren Leatherby, The New York Times)
In sudden shift, U.S. and China seek to cooperate
(Edward Wong and Ana Swanson, The New York Times)
States should declare a State of Emergency using Article 15 ECHR to confront the Coronavirus Pandemic
(Alan Greene, Strasbourg Observers)
Intel: Soleimani’s successor visits Iraq, then Trump tweets warning to Iran
(Bryant Harris, Al-Monitor)
Can Russia, Saudi Arabia strike new OPEC+ deal with US help?
(Ruslan Mamedov, Al-Monitor: Russia / Mideast Pulse)
Turkey finally releases epidemic figures: coronavirus epicenter in Istanbul
(Ayla Jean Yackley, Al-Monitor: Turkey Pulse)
Can Iran's president turn around its economy?
(Bijan Khajehpour, Al-Monitor: Iran Pulse)
Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Global Interfaith Moment of Hope & Solidarity: Join us on April 1
(Religions for Peace)
Tackling the Fears of Corona (second installment): Invitation to an International Interfaith Online Meeting
(The Elijah Faith Institute)
United Nations information website: Coronavirus global health emergency
(United Nations)
The Round Up: Terrorism, the Parole Board, and… Covid-19
(Conor Monighan, UK Human Rights Blog)
As coronavirus keeps parishioners homebound, Christian clergy debate online Communion
(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)
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