Law and Religion Headlines
Monday, 6 December 2021
An evaluation of religious exemptions from covid-19 vaccine requirements
(Samuel L. Bray and Nathan S. Chapman, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Friday, 3 December 2021
Vaccination status and the law in South Africa: religious rights are "not absolute"
(Webber Wentzel attorneys, The Daily Maverick: Opinionista)
Ireland’s birth rate falls off the cliff
(Angelo Bottone, The Iona Institute)
Public worship in a time of Covid
(YouTube Video, YouTube Video)
Shincheonji: Chairman Lee not guilty of COVID offenses, Appeal Court said
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Oklahoma AG sues to invalidate Biden's vaccine mandate for federal employees
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 1 December 2021
How red states are using religion to fight vaccine mandates
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Weekly Highlight #184: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Governance, policies, and religious authority
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Cleric lawsuits seek to limit governor’s emergency powers
(Randall Chase, Associated Press)
The anti-Covid restrictions on Hanukkah in Russia have been slightly relaxed
(Interfax-Religion)
Russian coronavirus-denying monk given prison sentence
(Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press)
New York City educators' covid mandate falters on religious exemption procedures
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
9th Circuit enjoins school district vaccine mandate pending appeal
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Supreme Court denies injunction pending appeal of case on vaccine mandate exemptions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Churchgoers in Greece must prove vaccination status or take COVID test
(The European Times)
COVID-19: Omicron variant and the churches
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
How the pandemic in France has led to an explosion in number of sects
(Sam Bradpiece, The Local)
Monday, 29 November 2021
Changing Church: Autumn 2021 Survey: Research Report (PDF)
(Evangelical Alliance)
Evangelical church attendance, giving significantly hit by pandemic, UK study finds
(The European Times)
Religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates do not include political, social, economic beliefs, according to EEOC
(Daniel Eric Gonzalez, JD Supra)
Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Weekly Highlight #183: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Religion and conspiracy theories: It’s complicated
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Military under a microscope and federal employees entitled to religious exemption
(Liberty Counsel)
How religious liberty was distorted in the age of COVID-19
(Andrew Koppelman, The Hill - Opinion)
Monday, 22 November 2021
How Democrats and Republicans feel about religious exemptions to vaccine mandates
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Minichurches and burned-out pastors – four crucial COVID-19 trends to follow
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
Friday, 19 November 2021
Kosovars get COVID vaccine after Friday prayer at mosques
(Associated Press)
East European churches struggle with new COVID-19 upsurge
(Jonathan Luxmoore, Catholic News Service)
Gospel ‘has brought hope’ during pandemic, says British monarch
(Reuters, The European Times)
Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Weekly Highlight #182: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Sharpening focus on inequality and poverty
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Religious Freedom Index results: Americans increase support for religious freedom with highest Index score yet
(Becket: Press Release)
Record levels of pastors, more than half of mainline preachers ‘seriously considering’ quitting: study
(Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post)
Monday, 15 November 2021
Wales: COVID-19 update
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Holy Land religious leaders urge world to get vaccinated
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Employers, courts examine religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates
(Carol Zimmermann, Catholic News Service)
Cert. denied in challenge to Oregon's limits on parochial schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Latin America’s bishops to confront increasing poverty after COVID-19
(David Agren, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Separating the devout from the defiant for religious exemptions from vaccination
(Katherine Franke, The Hill)
Friday, 12 November 2021
Religious groups warm up to COVID-19 vaccines in Zimbabwe
(UNICEF)
Judge rules United Airlines can mandate vaccine for employees
(Jordan Williams, The Hill)
Journalism tips on: (1) Evangelical crack-ups, (2) campus faith fights, (3) COVID exemptions
(Richard Ostling, GetReligion)
Oklahoma brings religious bias suit over Catholic hospitals' COVID vaccine mandate
(Tom Hals, Reuters)
Left, right or middle? Two of America's biggest seminaries are pro-vaccine, but anti-mandate
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
Wednesday, 10 November 2021
School must offer alternatives to nursing students who assert religious objection to covid vaccination requirement
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Navy SEALs file federal lawsuit against Biden Administration for denying religious exemptions to vaccine mandate
(First Liberty)
S3, Ep. 03: What’s going on with religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates?
(Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Religious groups say implementing Biden’s vaccine mandate would be ‘sin against God’s Holy Word’
(Dennis Romboy, Deseret News)
Two evangelical seminaries sue to block vaccine mandates, citing religious freedom
(Bob Smietana, The Washington Post)
Weekly Highlight #181: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Religion versus science, religion with science
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Court will take new look at masks in religious schools
(Associated Press)
Pritzker signs COVID-19 amendment to Illinois conscience law
(John O'Connor, Associated Press)
Monday, 8 November 2021
Religious plaintiffs, others, win stay of Biden’s private-employer vaccine mandate
(Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times)
Asian churches urged to have innovative pastors
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Religious organizations are not agents for federal mandates
(Ryan Tucker, National Review)
Chicago officials are right to encourage COVID vaccinations – but sponsoring an official prayer day isn’t the way to do it.
(Rob Boston, Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Friday, 5 November 2021
Greek Church urges faithful to get vaccinated as cases spike
(Associated Press)
Romania: An anti-vax sermon by the bishop of Giurgiu led to an investigation against him
(The European Times)
COVID and the malaise of human rights
(David McGrogan, Law & Liberty)
Religious organizations ask federal courts to block Biden’s vaccine mandate
(Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times)
Indians celebrate festival of light amid COVID-19 fears
(Krutika Pathi, Religion News Service)
Texans vote in favor of prohibiting governments from limiting religious services
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Wednesday, 3 November 2021
Republicans advance bill for claiming vaccine exemptions
(Kim Chandler, Associated Press)
Illinois legislature eliminates religious exemption for covid vaccine employer mandates
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Digitizing sacred spaces: How COVID-19 fueled innovation of Hindu ritual websites
(Dheepa Sundaram, Religion News Service)
Why your employer can deny your 'religious' vaccine exemption
(John Melcon, The Gospel Coalition)
The European Court of Human Rights declares inadmissible an application contesting the French “health pass”
(Press Release of the Registrar of the Court, European Court of Human Rights)
Weekly Highlight #180: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Short-term imperatives include access and vaccination; research emerging on longer-term implications
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Can Catholics object to COVID-19 vaccines on religious freedom grounds?
(Gwyneth Spaeder, Public Discourse: The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)
Calif. pro-life group claims narrow victory over vaccine protest ban
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Monday, 1 November 2021
Pandemic restrictions were a blow to religious liberty
(Christos Makridis, New York Post)
Barrett and Kavanaugh supply majority to deny religious-liberty claim on vaccine mandate
(Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review)
Judge bars Biden Administration from firing unvaccinated employees with pending religious exemptions
(Caroline Downey, National Review)
Russian Orthodox Church calls on G20 countries to drop differences over pandemic challenges
(Interfax-Religion)
Zimbabwe: ‘We are protected by prayers’: the sects hampering southern Africa’s vaccine rollout
(Nyasha Chingono, The Guardian)
Friday, 29 October 2021
Supreme Court declines to block Maine vaccine mandate
(David Sharp and Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Court turns away religious challenge to Maine’s vaccine mandate for health care workers
(James Romoser, SCOTUSblog)
Supreme Court rejects religious exemption challenge by Maine healthcare workers
(Kimberlee Speakman, Forbes)
Supreme Court rules against workers seeking religious exemption to vaccine mandate
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
Afghanistan and pandemic make for another somber Día de los Muertos
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Interfaith gathering pledges solidarity in Vietnam
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
New York state health care workers will no longer have religious exemption to Covid-19 vaccine mandate, court rules
(Rob Frehse, CNN)
House subcommittees hold joint hearing on vaccine mandates and employee accommodations
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Weekly Highlight #179: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Supportive faith actor engagement - with noteworthy exceptions
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Bill would remove ‘conscience’ as basis for refusing vaccine
(John O'Connor, Associated Press)
EEOC updates guidance on religious objections to COVID vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Ethical and practical health challenges: Emerging from the COVID-19 crises
(Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Monday, 25 October 2021
Most Honolulu COVID vaccine exemption requests cite religion
(Peter Boylan, Star Advertiser)
Moscow churches not shut down along with the city
(RIA Novosti, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
Honolulu city workers cite religion for vaccine exemptions
(Associated Press)
AP photos: Sufi religious order in Morocco finally able to gather again
(Mosa'Ab Elshamy, Associated Press)
COVID takes a bite from Bazoulé’s cult of sacred crocodiles
(Joseph Hammond, Religion News Service)
At the height of the pandemic, the Archdiocese of Bucharest provided temples to be used as morgues
(The European Times)
Winning over the sceptics: Religious beliefs, fear, false information and suspicion are stopping many people from getting the Covid-19 jab
(Zukiswa Pikoli, The Daily Maverick)
Friday, 22 October 2021
Manitoba Chief Justice rules Public Health Officials shouldn’t be “second guessed”
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms)
Tehran holds first public Friday Prayers in almost 2 years
(Associated Press)
Thursday, 21 October 2021
WEBINAR, 21 October 2021 (3PM EDT): Community in Time of Corona
(Institute for Social Policy and Understanding)
Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Most Americans who go to religious services say they would trust their clergy's advice on COVID-19 vaccines
(Justin Nortey and Mike Lipka, Pew Research Center)
In historically Black Protestant churches, regular attenders more likely to have received COVID-19 shot
(Stephanie Kramer, Pew Research Center)
Weekly Highlight #178: COVID-19: Exploring faith dimensions: Returning to “normal” (or not)
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Religious responses to COVID-19 project tracks, shares resources on faith engagement in global pandemic
(Sarah Thompson, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
What COVID-19 revealed about America’s approach to religious freedom
(Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)
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