Daily Archives: April 7, 2009

Life News reports: “The Alliance Defense Fund is pleased to support this important pro-life effort through its nationwide network of allied attorneys who can assist people in properly completing their Will to Live. These same attorneys may also be called upon to defend the clients’ expressed desires with regard to medical treatment, nutrition and hydration,” Napier went on to say.

ConnectMissouri.com: “Columbia city council members unanimously voted on Monday night to establish a domestic partner registry. The registry allows qualifying same sex couples to register with the city of Columbia to get benefits and discounts at certain locations.”

AP: “The Family Institute of Connecticut says some lawmakers are using a recent state Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage to limit opponents’ religious freedoms.”

ADN Kronos International: “Belgium’s top administrative court, the Council of State has ruled that schools may ban girls from wearing the Muslim headscarf. The court said the ban was not discriminatory and reinforced the principles of equality and solidarity”

ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco appeared on Ave Maria Radio with Al Kresta to discuss a new lawsuit filed by ADF attorneys against Eastern Michigan University Thursday after school officials dismissed a student from the school’s counseling program for not affirming homosexual behavior as morally acceptable
The mp3 file runs just over 8 minutes.

Baltimore Sun: “Although not condoning this movie or any excerpts from it that might be shown, the University of Maryland must allow this event, but has insisted that it include an educational component.”

The NY Times carries this article by David Brooks: The End of Philosophy. David writes: “What shapes moral emotions in the first place? The answer has long been evolution, but in recent years there’s an increasing appreciation that evolution isn’t just about competition. It’s also about cooperation within groups.”

HSLDA: “The Georgia House of Representatives recently adopted House Resolution 850, which calls on the Federal Republic of Germany to “recognize the basic, fundamental rights of parents and allow their citizens to determine the educational upbringing of their own children.”

LifeSite: “The rest of Iowa is certainly is not joining in this short-lived celebration [among homosexualist lobbyists] because the renegade ruling of seven unelected judges does not represent the majority of Iowans,” wrote Douglas Napier, Senior Legal Counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. “Iowa did not grow more accepting of same-sex ‘marriage,’ only seven judges did.

Keep Life Legal: “A Christian legal association is offering to defend an Ohio county if it is sued by the American Civil Liberties Union. Butler County in southwest Ohio (near Cincinnati – West Chester) wanted to do the best for children available for adoption. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney Byron Babione picks up the story.”

Watertown Daily Times: “The Watertown Common Council Monday unanimously approved a resolution adopting formal, written policy that clarifies and codifies its invocation practices . . . Smith also emphasized that invocations before public meetings are permissible and that the Alliance Defense Fund would defend the city at no cost if a lawsuit was brought forward.”

Townhall: “With its enactment, the Vermont legislature made a profound social policy statement that mothers and fathers are not necessary for the family, and that the sex of a parent doesn’t matter” Austin R. Nimocks, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund told Baptist Press.”

AP: “Iowa tourism officials don’t have immediate plans to market the state as a gay-friendly destination despite its new status as the Midwest’s only state with legalized same-sex marriage.”

David French, Director of ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom, writes at the National Review Phi Beta Cons Blog: “It is becoming increasingly clear that many professional schools dedicated to the so-called “helping professions” (education, social work, counseling, etc.) have determined that certain values — often relating to traditional sexual morality — are so abhorrent that they not only can’t be expressed at school but cannot even be believed.”

Bob Ellis, writing at Dakota Voice: “Last night the Rapid City Council rejected a proposal to recommend to South Dakota’s congressional delegation that they support at the federal level the addition of ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to nondiscrimination policies alongside innate, morally-neutral physical characteristics such as age, sex and skin color.”

LifeNews: “A Tennessee state House committee today approved a state constitutional amendment that would make the Tennessee Constitution abortion-neutral. The amendment is necessary because the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled 4-1 in 2000 that the state constitution allows unlimited abortions.”

LifeNews: “President Barack Obama has proposed overturning the conscience protections the Bush administration put in place and pro-life advocates have until Thursday to respond.”

AP: “The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition supports legislation that would add ‘gender identity and expression’ to the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The bill has more than 100 legislative co-sponsors.”

AP: “Democrat Al Franken’s lead in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race widened Tuesday to 312 votes after previously rejected absentee ballots were added to the counting.”

Honolulu Advertiser: “Gay rights advocates have suggested a new draft of a civil-unions bill that would give both same-sex and heterosexual couples the option of entering into civil unions.”

Christian Science Monitor:
“In the two days since the highest court in her state ruled to allow same-sex marriages starting in late April, Sheila Engel of Davenport, Iowa, found herself rethinking an issue about which she had assumed she’d made up her mind. ‘One part me says it’s against my Christian beliefs. Another part of me says they should have equal rights,’ Ms. Engel said Sunday while paused in a grocery aisle of her local Wal-Mart. ‘There has to be a middle road here.’”

David French, Director of ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom, appeared on the Beckman Show to discuss the case involving a graduate counseling student who refused to affirm homosexual behavior as morally acceptable. The mp3 runs just over 11 minutes.

U.S. News and World Report: “Has Rick Warren changed his tune on gay marriage? In an appearance last night with Larry King—his first TV interview since delivering the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration (full transcript here)—Warren reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage. But he also stressed that he’s not an antigay-marriage activist and that the issue is in fact very far down on his priority list . . . ”

Tony Mauro writes at the Legal Recorder:
“If you’ve ever seen Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speak to a group of students, you know how energized and enthusiastic he becomes.

That was the case Tuesday night when Thomas served as the keynote speaker for an event celebrating the 27 winners of a nationwide high school essay contest. The contest is sponsored by the Arlington, Va.-based Bill of Rights Institute, a 10-year-old organization that develops programs and curricula for high schools on the nation’s founding documents . . .”

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund say that the legislation is a textbook rebuttal of the argument that “civil unions” are a satisfactory compromise to protect marriage.

ADF attorney Daniel Bloomberg appears on Ave Maria Radio to discuss regulations that could endanger the right of prisoners to read Scripture. The mp3 file runs just over 23 minutes.

Richard A. Epstein writes at Forbes: “So let’s be clear that the constitutional left engages in its own political bias when it aggressively defends some supposed constitutional rights while remaining sublimely indifferent to others. The true creationists, as it were, are both liberals and conservatives, who refuse to see the powerful libertarian strands that run through the Constitution as a whole. The ABA, like the Obama administration, has many of these modern creationists in its ranks.”

Fox News: “President Obama’s nominee to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel once compared ‘forced pregnancy’ with slavery. Now Republicans are considering a filibuster to block her confirmation.”

Andrew C. McCarthy writes at National Review: The Iowa Supreme Court claims that equal protection under the law, the principle employed to foist its social-justice vision on Iowans, has no fixed standards but changes with the sensibilities of each generation. …

Jonathan Lindsey writes at APB:
“Marriage would then be clearly understood as a relationship defined and governed by civil laws. Where ecclesiastical blessing is sought, whether for social or religious reasons, that too would be clear.”

The Third Circuit has issued a ruling in Webb v. City of Philadelphia, No. 07-3081 (3rd Cir. April 7, 2009) that begins: “In this employment discrimination case, the issue on appeal is whether a police officer’s request to wear religious garb with her uniform could be reasonably accommodated without imposing an undue burden upon the City of Philadelphia. On the facts presented, the District Court held it could not. Webb v. City of Philadelphia, No. 05-5283, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46872 (E.D. Pa. June 27, 2007). We agree.”

The Guardian: “Does money from foreign donors come with strings attached? Dangerously so, according to research last week that claimed foreign governments have corrupted British universities and threatened their academic impartiality.”

Mirror of Justice: “The primary religious-liberty concern . . . [is that] recognition of gay marriage will definitely make it more likely that religious schools and social services, even those with religious content throughout their programs, will be punished if they refuse to hire openly gay people as teachers or counselors or to pay benefits to their partners.”

Chicago Tribune: “If Frank’s accusations inflamed you, think hard about why Frank chose to portray Scalia the way he did. I suspect Frank would like to soften us up for future judicial nominations.”

The Capital: “Neighbors of the mega-mall in Hanover repeated their arguments against changing county laws to permit the casino: Homes are too close, traffic will worsen on nearby streets, and crime rates are likely to rise with gambling in the neighborhood.”

Religion Clause Blog: “In Dayner v. Archdiocese of Hartford, 2009 Conn. Super. LEXIS 606 (CT Super., March 11, 2009), a Connecticut trial court rejected a 1st Amendment free exercise challenge to its jurisdiction in a suit brought by a former principal of a Catholic girl’s school against the Archdiocese and a priest.”

The Recorder: “Big firms across the country have dramatically cut the number of associates attending their 2009 summer programs, a sign that firms don’t expect to see a talent shortage in fall 2010.”

“The Vatican has quietly rejected at least three of President Obama’s candidates to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See because they support abortion . . . ”

ABC: “Meeting with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, was clear about proposals to begin the process of amending Iowa’s constitution to overturn the decision. ‘It will not come up,’ said Gronstal. ‘I have no intention of taking it up.’”

Matthew J. Franck writes at Public Discourse: What happens when judicial arrogance becomes so habitual as to become second nature? This past Friday, April 3, the Supreme Court of Iowa provided an answer: judicial arrogance transforms into smug self-deception. This …

The Daily-Record: “Teens who send nude pictures of themselves to underage friends should not face criminal charges or be subject to years of sexual offender registrations. That’s the message that was sent to state lawmakers and county prosecutors Thursday in letters from the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, in response to a growing national issue over ‘sexting.’”

Religion Clause Blog: “Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Church v. Department of Navy, (Docket No. 08-1057) (Order List) . . . ”

Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion: “The LDS church has long believed that it has a religious right to secret their financial records which they value as an expression of their religion. This is a right, or privilege, that they have protected by settling any case that might lead to an investigation of their financial records. In fact, since 1959, the church has not released any financial information to the public.”

CNSNews: “A group that has received more than $16 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the past 15 years maintains Web sites that advise young people on how to decide if they are gay, how to come out to their parents and getting active in causes ranging from abortion to ‘comprehensive’ sex education.”

SCOTUS Blog: “The Court has granted certiorari in one case, Perdue v. Kenny A (08-970) . . . Can a reasonable attorney’s fee award under a federal fee-shifting statute ever be enhanced based solely on quality of performance and results obtained when these factors already are included in the lodestar calculation?

One News Now: “A parental rights advocate is thrilled that Congress has introduced a bill that would protect the rights of parents . . . ParentalRights.org recently started a petition drive to get the constitutional amendment process rolling.”

Washington Times: “The D.C. Council Tuesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of legislation recognizing same-sex marriages from other states as marriage in the District — a move lauded by lawmakers as a step toward legalizing gay marriage in the city.”

Rod Dreher writes at BeliefNet: “Many people aren’t thinking about the consequences of these ideas as they play out over time. They had better. And they had better start looking more deeply at what some of these leaders really mean to achieve. Look at their own words . . .”

Ann Arbor News: “In essence, what the university wants (Ward) to do is affirm homosexual behavior within the context of a counseling relationship in order to get a degree there,” Tedesco said. “That’s something she’s unwilling to do.”

“We will convey . . our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world — including in my own country.”

Grand Junction Sentinel: Although the county has not adopted the standards of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian faith-based, legal organization, the organization sides with Rowland and the county. “This is a Christian nation,” said Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel for the ADF. “There is no Constitutional right not to be offended. We don’t need to erase our nation’s history because someone might have a different perspective.”

CNBC: “. . . Soros also said the U.S. dollar is under selling pressure and may eventually be replaced as a world reserve currency, possibly by the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights, a synthetic currency basket comprised of dollars, euros, yen and sterling.”

California Catholic Daily: “Four years ago, another national group, the Alliance Defense Fund, began sponsoring a counter-movement to the Day of Silence called “the Day of Truth.” ADF says the “Day of Truth” provides “an avenue for Christian students to use their lunch and passing periods to challenge the promotion of homosexuality in their schools. This year’s observance will be held April 20, the first school day after the Day of Silence. This year the observance is being co-sponsored by Exodus International, a ministry to former gays and lesbians.”

OneNewsNow: “The bottom line is Christians shouldn’t be punished for expressing their beliefs, even at work, when they work for a government employer,” says [Kevin Theriot]. “Mr. Dumbrowski was punished. He was suspended without pay and transferred [to Birmingham, Alabama] because of the stance he took on a controversial issue like homosexual behavior.”

USA Today: “A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money. Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses . . . ”

AFP: “US President Barack Obama visited a landmark mosque in Istanbul on Tuesday, following strong messages of US reconciliation with the Islamic world on his maiden trip to a mainly Muslim country.”

WCAX.com: “Vt. House and Senate have voted to override the governor’s veto of the same-sex marriage bill– legalizing gay marriage in Vermont.”

The Vt. Senate voted to override the governor’s veto of the same-sex marriage bill. This morning, the Senate voted 23 to 5 to override that veto . . .

AP: “. . . Also newly appointed to the panel was Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based gay rights group. Obama was criticized by liberal and gay rights groups for inviting …

Fox News: “Gov. Jim Douglas on Monday issued his promised veto of a gay marriage bill, setting up what’s bound to be a close vote in the House on Tuesday as supporters try to muster the two-thirds majority needed for an override. ”

SSRN: “We estimate the effect of divorce legalization on the long-term well-being of children. Our identification strategy relies on exploiting the different timing of divorce legalization across European countries.”

Texas Tech Administrative Law Journal: “Instead of taking the path of ignorance and continuing with abstinence-only education, Texas should progress and use comprehensive sexual education-a type of sexual education that educates students on waiting until marriage for sex, gives equal attention to students protecting themselves if they choose to have intercourse, and teaches about mental and emotional aspects of engaging in sexual activities.”

Nevada Law Journal: “The Court has been notoriously bad at Establishment Clause history, but Flast seemed to push the envelope. Yet neither the Court nor commentators seemed to question Flast’s historical credentials over the last four decades.”

George Washington Law Review: “This Note argues that courts should recognize a privacy right to decide not to be a legal father. Such a privacy right is derived from the right to procreative autonomy as already established by Griswold v. Connecticut, Eisenstadt v. Baird, Roe v. Wade, and their progeny.”