Daily Archives: March 15, 2010

NJ.com, The Auditor: “The Auditor is told Lambda Legal on Thursday will file a petition with the Supreme Court to establish the right to gay marriage. ‘We’ve lived the agony of defeat,’ said Steve Goldstein, head of Garden State Equality. ‘Now it’s time for the thrill of victory.’ The defeat came in January when the Senate rejected a bill to establish same-sex marriage. Gay rights advocates contend the state’s civil union law falls short of the court’s 2006 order for lawmakers to provide equal rights for gays seeking to marry.”

ADF attorney Kevin Theriot appeared on Nothing But Truth with Crane Durham to discuss the wave of church arson.

The MP3 runs just over 12 minutes.

LifeSiteNews: “Dozens of pro-abortion protesters at the University of British Columbia (UBC) disrupted a pro-life demonstration last Tuesday, which was being sponsored by the University’s pro-life club, Lifeline.”

“The disturbing result of the activists’ tactics, says one anonymous CAMFT intern, is that pro-family therapists in California are becoming increasingly afraid to speak up in favor of natural marriage and the family.”

LifeSiteNews: “A bill requiring that women be given the opportunity to view any ultrasound image of their child taken before or during an abortion passed the West Virginia Senate unanimously on Saturday. The measure passed after an amendment was added to repeal penalties against physicians violating West Virginia’s Right to Know law.”

Knoxville News Sentinel: “The clergy members and the Pro-Life Coalition of East Tennessee say the relocation of the clinic from a predominantly white neighborhood in West Knoxville to a predominantly black one on the east side of town is, in part, racially motivated.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch: “The General Assembly has considered and defined the protected classes for purposes of nondiscrimination statutes. It has specifically defined unlawful discrimination at educational institutions. The Virginia Human Rights Act states that it is the policy of the commonwealth to ‘safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, or disability, in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions.’ In addition to this affirmative statement, the General Assembly has on numerous occasions, including this session, considered and rejected creating a protected class defined by sexual orientation. No state agency can reach beyond such clearly established boundaries.”

Associated Press: “A U.N. meeting to assess progress in advancing the fight for women’s equality that ended Friday had a dramatically different slant than a similar session held five years ago: This time, the United States was not trying to make an anti-abortion declaration a crucial theme.”

MyNC.com: “Wake County Commissioners could vote on a measure Monday restoring elective abortion coverage to the county’s health plan for employees. County Manager David Cooke removed elective abortions from the health plan last month on the advice of County Attorney Scott Warren.”

TheLedger.com: “The Lakeland City Commission is being challenged on its policy of beginning its meetings with prayer, part of an effort by a state atheist organization that is targeting the practice at other city councils in the region . . . ”

Christian Post: “The U.S. Department of State said Friday that is ‘increasingly concerned’ about the ongoing persecution of religious minority communities in Iran . . . ”

Mayor Lewis said, “Our vibrancy is enhanced with our strong faith-based groups. Our partnership with our local ministers and pastors is excellent. Gilbert is considered a religious friendly area. Religious activities occur all over Town and most especially in our homes. The Town Council and our citizens will keep it that way.”

California Family Council: “For instance, Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced Senate Bill 906, which continues his effort to incrementally change the definition of marriage. SB 906 would create a new class of “civil” marriages in California, undermining the traditional definition of marriage. This measure will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee next week.”

Fox2Now.com: “A judge in Chicago expects to rule March 29 on whether to lift a temporary restraining order on a long-debated Illinois law that requires a teenage girl’s parents to be told before she has an abortion.”

Courier Journal: “Two more bills — one involving nurse practitioners and the other to create a registry of people who abuse vulnerable adults — may be dead this legislative session because of a Republican lawmaker’s effort to attach a controversial anti-abortion measure.”

Daily News-Miner: “Enough signatures have been gathered to put to voters an initiative that would require parental notice or consent before a minor can have an abortion.”

Minneapolis Star-Tribune: “The first online private high school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youths has opened for business, but so far has found limited interest.”

Christian Newswire: “A national coalition of organizations committed to preserving parental rights in public education, restoring academic integrity to public education, and removing partisan political protests from the classroom is urging parents to call their children out of school on the Day of Silence if their school is permitting students to refuse to speak in class . . . ”

FirstCoastNews.com: “Currently if someone kills a pregnant woman, in a car crash or by injuring the mother, the person can be charged separately with killing a viable fetus. That’s defined as being able to live outside the womb with standard medical procedures. Fasano’s bill would change the term ‘viable fetus’ to ‘unborn child,’ which is defined as any stage of development in a pregnancy.”

AP: “This year, for the first time since the 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security, the retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes – nearly $29 billion more.”

ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt appeared on Chris Fabry Live to discuss this: Ariz. town: No church meetings at home. Period.

The MP3 runs just over 15 minutes

ADF attorney Daniel Blomberg appeared on AFR Focal Point with Bryan Fischer to discuss restrictions on house churches in Gilbert, Arizona.

The MP3 runs just over 12 minutes.

Related ADF Media Information

Baltimore Business Journal: “A bill introduced in the General Assembly would expand the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to include workers who need unpaid time off to care for ailing domestic partners and the children of their domestic partners.”

Mercury News: “While both states prohibit same-sex marriage, officials in California said the two qualified for the license because Severson’s birth certificate lists her as a man. But officials in Nevada nixed the request, saying they consider Severson a woman because that’s what her driver’s license says.”

James Taranto writes at the Wall Street Journal: “What Stupak is hearing from his colleagues is not the pro-choice argument that the government should permit abortion as a matter of individual liberty. Rather, they claim that the government should encourage abortion as a social expedient–a cost-cutting measure.”

Persecution Blog: “Here’s an interesting and troubling story coming from Arizona. According to the report the legal organization, The Alliance Defense Fund, has taken up the case and it is expected that this ordinance will be overturned. The question I have is why was this even made an ordinance in the first place. Feel free to comment below and read the other linked stories about this case.”

Christian Institute: “Ireland’s Civil Partnership Bill is an ‘extraordinary’ attack on freedom of conscience and religion, Irish Roman Catholic bishops have said. Speaking at a press conference three Irish bishops said the Bill ‘represents a fundamental revolution in our understanding of marriage and the family and cannot go unchallenged.’”

The Christian Institute: “David Cameron has pledged his support for faith schools and has indicated that a Conservative government would oversee an increase in their numbers.”

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: “Pittsburgh City Council is scheduled to host a public meeting from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the Onala Club, 1625 West Carson Street, to allow residents to voice their opinions about a proposed strip club in the community.”

Montreal Gazette: “Commercial surrogacy is a booming industry in India, and in recent years the ranks of childless foreign couples have been swelled by gay partners looking for a low-cost, legally-friendly path to parenthood.”

LA Times: “About 50 schools in the U.S., including a few Ivy League campuses and several in California, are allowing men and women to room together. Participation is still relatively low.”

NJ.com: “[An] exemplary new report to be issued tomorrow by the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton called “The Social Costs of Pornography: A Statement of Findings and Recommendations.” Very ably authored by Mary Eberstadt and Mary Anne Layden, this report is a careful reflection on the consequences of the deluge of internet pornography. (The document has been endorsed by a wide and diverse group of impressive scholars.)”

OnTopMag (”gay advocacy website”): “Portugal President Anibal Cavaco Silva has forwarded a gay marriage bill approved by Parliamentarians to the nation’s Constitutional Court, Lisbon’s Diario de Noticias reported. Cavaco Silva asked the court to review the constitutionality of 4 out of 5 of the bill’s articles. Article 3, which was not forwarded, would forbid married gay and lesbian couples from adopting children.”

LifeNews: “More documents a pair of pro-life groups have uncovered using freedom of Information Act requests show the University of Wisconsin may be illegally funding internships for medical students at abortion centers. The new documents obtained via an open records request by Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Alliance Defense Fund reveal that, since 2007, UW has spent more than $58,878 paying for abortion training.”

The Virginian-Pilot: “It’s now up to Gov. Bob McDonnell whether Virginia abortion-rights advocates will be able to proclaim their viewpoint on their license plates.”

LifeSiteNews: “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has again weighed in against the health care reform bill approved by the Senate (H.R. 3590) due to ‘serious flaws on abortion and conscience rights.’ In a bulletin insert updated on Thursday for release in parishes the following Sunday . . . “,

Pro-Life Wisconsin: “The results of an open records request by Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Alliance Defense Fund reveal that since 2007, more than $58,878 of funds of a state agency have gone to train future abortionists at Planned Parenthood.”

Eugene Volokh writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: “According to the Complaint in EEOC v. Pollard Agency, filed last week, the Pollard Agency fired an employee for ‘wearing a headscarf to cover her hair, which is a sincerely held religious belief as required by her faith.’ The EEOC argues that this violates the duty of religious accommodation . . . ”

Orin Kerr writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: “The process of publishing a law review article usually involves rounds of edits . . . Journal editors and authors alike sometimes wonder, what’s the best number and type of rounds of edits? This is a particularly tricky question for student editors because normally they are only on their journal for two years. Editors learn all about the process and then graduate, leaving them less able to reform practices based on their experience. Here’s my take . . . ”

IndyStar.com: “If U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts comes to his niece’s graduation at Butler University, it won’t be as the commencement speaker.
A student-led proposal to invite Roberts, an Indiana native whose niece is in Butler’s senior class, to speak at Butler’s May 8 graduation was shot down by faculty members.”

AZ Republic: “A bill working its way through the state Legislature sounds like a science-fiction novel, with its wording to prevent the creation of ‘human-animal hybrids.’”

Washington Post: “In the District, it’s not illegal for a public school teacher to have sex with a student who is older than 16, the age of consent in the city . . . The bill, sponsored by D.C. Council member Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), stems from concerns by Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee that no charges could be brought against a teacher she believes impregnated an 18-year-old special needs student.”

Religion Clause Blog: “In D.R.S. v. L.E.K., (LA App., March 10, 2010), a Louisiana state appellate court held that a parent holding court-awarded custody of a child generally may not shield the child from exposure to the non-custodial parent’s religious beliefs . . . ”

Religion Clause Blog: “A New York trial court has rejected the apparently routine method by which the state Attorney General’s office gives its statutorily required consent to the sale of real property by non-profit religious corporations. The New York Religious Corporations Law, Sec. 12(a)(1), requires religious corporations to obtain court approval for sale, mortgage or lease of real property.”

Ever since last fall, when it emerged that Stevens had hired only one law clerk for the next year, instead of his customary four, there has been growing speculation that he will soon retire . . .

CBN News: “The city of Gilbert shut down the church after a city employee spotted signs for it in the neighborhood . . . ‘We hope the City of Gilbert will recognize that this is a bad law on the books, and will repeal it or rewrite it to protect people’s rights in their own home to practice their faith,’ Napier said.” [article includes video featuring ADF Attorney Doug Napier]

WMAZ (AP): “A Christian advocacy group says a zoning code in Gilbert, Ariz., that bars religious assemblies in private homes is unconstitutional . . . The Alliance Defense Fund has filed an appeal, warning the town that its code violates the U.S. Constitution.”

Ian Pringle writing at The Daily Caller: “The town [of Gilbert] ordered Pastor Sutherland, of Oasis of Truth Church, to ‘terminate all religious meetings . . . regardless of their size, nature or frequency . . . As the Alliance Defense Fund put it, ‘this ban is defended based upon traffic, parking, and building safety concerns. However, nothing in its zoning code prevents weekly Cub Scouts meetings, Monday Night Football parties with numerous attendees or large business parties from being held on a regular basis in private homes.’”

KSWT (AP): “The national Alliance Defense Fund says a town code that bars religious assemblies in private homes in the Arizona community of Gilbert is unconstitutional . . . The Alliance Defense Fund’s Doug Napier says no neighbors complained.”

Christian Post: “Alliance Defense Fund attorneys contend in the appeal that was filed Wednesday that banning religious meetings of any size or frequency in a home is unprecedented and unconstitutional. ‘Christian church groups shouldn’t be singled out for discrimination and banned from meeting in their own homes,’ said ADF Litigation Counsel Daniel Blomberg. ‘The interpretation and enforcement of the town’s code is clearly unconstitutional. It bans 200,000 Gilbert residents from meeting in their private homes for organized religious purposes – an activity encouraged in the Bible, practiced for thousands of years, and protected by the First Amendment.’”

KPHO: “A national legal group is warning Gilbert city officials that a code barring religious assemblies in private homes is unconstitutional . . . ‘No neighbors complained,’ said Doug Napier, of the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘They weren’t making noise. They weren’t causing any problems. He just saw these signs and said, “Well, our code says you can’t meet together.”‘”

Christian Singles & Spirituality Examiner: “The pastor of the seven-member Oasis of Truth Church in Gilbert, AZ was ordered by a cease and desist letter to terminate religious meetings in his home, no matter the size or frequency, based on zoning regulations . . . ‘Christian church groups shouldn’t be singled out for discrimination and banned from meeting in their own homes. The interpretation and enforcement of the town’s code is clearly unconstitutional. It bans 200,000 Gilbert residents from meeting in their private homes for organized religious purposes-an activity encouraged in the Bible, practiced for thousands of years, and protected by the First Amendment,’ said ADF Litigation Counsel Daniel Bloomberg.”

Jew School: “‘The city of Gilbert, Ariz., has ordered a group of seven adults to stop gathering for Bible studies in a private home because such meetings are forbidden by the city’s zoning codes . . . The ban, however, prompted a response from the Alliance Defense Fund, which filed an appeal with the city as the first step in its campaign to overturn a provision it describes as illegal’ . . . The liberal elite should jump on this bandwagon and say this isn’t right. Because you know we won’t get together on the Second Amendment with these people, so we can at least come together and fight for the First one.”

WorldNetDaily: “The city of Gilbert, Ariz., has ordered a group of seven adults to stop gathering for Bible studies in a private home because such meetings are forbidden by the city’s zoning codes . . . ‘The interpretation and enforcement of the town’s code is clearly unconstitutional,’ said Daniel Blomberg, a member of the litigation team for ADF. ‘It bans 200,000 Gilbert residents from meeting in their private homes for organized religious purposes – an activity encouraged in the Bible, practiced for thousands of years, and protected by the First Amendment.’”

LifeNews: “The Catholic Health Association is coming under fire today for releasing a statement not only endorsing the pro-abortion Senate health care bill but issuing a misleading statement making it appear the bill does not fund abortions. ”

LifeNews: “The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents nearly two million workers in over 100 occupations across the United States, is coming under fire. The labor union is pressuring Democratic lawmakers who oppose the pro-abortion health care bill.”

Wall Street Journal: “House Democrats on Sunday night set into motion what they hope will be the final steps on healthcare reform . . . Specifically, the Budget committee released a 2,309-page effort that had been previously recommended to the Education and Labor Committee and Ways and Means Committee last year.”

Wall Street Journal (paid subscription only): “Democratic congressional leaders have floated a plan to enact health-care reform by a procedure dubbed ‘the Slaughter solution.’ . . . ”

One News Now: “Behind the scenes is something bigger: a rising European unease with a rapidly growing Muslim minority, and the spreading sense that the continent has become a front in a clash of civilizations.”

One News Now: “Their message was, ‘Keep the concepts of American exceptionalism and preserve the Judeo-Christian values that have had an impact on our law and government. Do not take that kind of information out; don’t take out some of our notable leaders,’ Saenz reports. ‘And a lot of those corrections and changes have been made – a lot of good progress. There’s still some work to be done, and so it’s been very encouraging thus far.’”

Barna Group: “In all, 42% of Americans said that the meaning of Easter was the resurrection of Jesus or that it signifies Christ death and return to life. One out of every 50 adults (2%) said that they would describe Easter as the most important holiday of their faith . . . In terms of age, members of the Boomer generation (73%, ages 45 to 63) were among the most likely to describe Easter as a religious holiday for them, compared with two-thirds of Elders (66% of those ages 64-plus) and Busters (66%, ages 26 to 44). The youngest adult generation, the Mosaics (ages 18 to 25), were the least likely age segment to say Easter is a religious holiday (58%), reflecting the increasingly secular mindset of young adults.”

AP: “Affiliates of the once mighty liberal activist group ACORN are remaking themselves in a desperate bid to ditch the tarnished name of their parent organization and restore federal grants and other revenue streams that ran dry in the wake of a video scandal.”

AP: “Egypt’s Constitutional Court backed the right of women judges to sit on the bench in the state’s administrative courts, despite opposition from conservatives, state media reported Monday.”

AP: “Fresh with a first-place showing in round one of regional elections over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s governing UMP party, France’s Socialists now have a week of deal-making with rival leftist parties to try to secure dominance in the upcoming runoff – and 2 1/2 years to transform its regional success into victory in the 2012 presidential vote.”

ADF attorney Kevin Theriot writes at Townhall: Something fundamental…something vital…something irreplaceable is changing in our nation today. In his farewell address as president of the United States, George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” He said that “reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Alan C. Lazerow, Give and “Get”? Applying the Restatement of Contracts to Determine the Enforceability of “Get Se