Daily Archives: January 11, 2011

The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint Tuesday with the Department of Health and Human Services against Vanderbilt University for requiring nursing residents to participate in abortion procedures.

In addition to Judge Roll, who was known and loved by a number of ADF team members, we would like to extend our prayers to others killed, including Christina Green, Gabriele Zimmerman, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwin Stoddard, and their family members. We would also like to extend our prayers to the Tucson victims who were injured, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and the 18 others who we injured in the shooting, as well as their families.

Christian Newswire: “The religious composition of Congress shows a continued American religiosity, but one that is decreasingly associated with Mainline Protestantism.’ — Mark Tooley, IRD President

“Liberty Institute just filed a lawsuit against the Obama Administration because it refuses to transfer ownership of the land on which stood the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial to the VFW, as directed by a 2003 Act of Congress.”

Providence Journal: “Chafee doesn’t plan to spend his own time on talk radio, and he intends to ban state employees from spending their state work time talking on talk radio, which was Carcieri’s favorite medium and an integral part of his communications operation.”

Blog of the Legal Times: “Donohue made that claim this morning in the Chamber’s annual State of American Business Address, which was held in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building on H Street in Northwest Washington.”

Leonard Link: “The Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously ruled on January 7 that state laws governing parental status should be construed to authorize listing a same-sex co-parent on the birth certificates of children conceived pursuant to a gestational surrogacy agreement, even though the co-parent has no genetic relationship to the children. In Raftopol v. Ramey, SC 18482, the court rejected the state’s argument that the co-parent would have to go through a second-parent adoption proceeding in order to be listed on the birth certificates . . .”

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0RjeyRlxRA&feature=youtube_gdata

Freedom from Religion Foundation: “The Freedom From Religion Foundation, on behalf of its Iowa membership, urged the Iowa State Legislature to drop prayer and reject resolutions continuing prayer in the 84th General Assembly and providing compensation to “chaplains” officiating over prayer. FFRF sent letters on Jan. 7 to both the President of the Iowa State Senate, Jack Kibbie, and the Speaker of the Iowa State House of Representatives, Kraig Paulsen, as well as the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the House, the Speaker and President Pro Tempore, and all members of both the Iowa State Senate and the Iowa State House of Representatives.”

Winnipeg Free Press: Lawyer Tom Schuck, who intervened on behalf of the Christian Legal Fellowship, said the ruling discriminates against Christian people. “There’s a lot more sympathy for people with same-sex attractions than there is for the Christians that get fired because they won’t do what they consider is immoral,” said Schuck.

KCUR 89.3 Public Broadcasting: “A bill filed in the Kansas House would remove an exemption from the state’s ban on late abortions. The mental health of the mother is one of the exemptions allowed under the late-term abortion ban.”

ADF attorney David French writes at National Review Phi Beta Cons: “As a matter of common decency, as a matter of law, and as a matter of conscience, it is hard to imagine a more invasive and reprehensible act than to require individuals who understand that an unborn child is a distinct human life to pledge to participate in killing that child. Yet that is exactly what Vanderbilt requires of nurses in the Women’s Health Track of its Nurse Residency Program.”

Tennessean: “Christians and other pro-life members of the medical community shouldn’t be forced to participate in abortions to pursue their profession,” Matt Bowman, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said in a news release.

Herald-Dispatch: “Lawmakers are set to introduce and sponsor a marriage protection amendment to the state constitution during the upcoming legislative session, according to a press release issued by the West Virginia Family Foundation.”

Billings Gazette: “State lawmakers this year will consider legalizing gay marriage and authorizing civil unions in the state, under proposed legislation being drawn up in the Wyoming House.”

The Star Phoenix: “Justice Minister Don Morgan says the Saskatchewan Party government may consider another way of accommodating the religious beliefs of marriage commissioners who continue to refuse same-sex unions.”

CNSNews: “The continued use of torture, illegal detention, censorship and other offenses means China has failed to deliver on its first human rights action plan, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.”

Wall Street Journal: “But producing kids takes both men and women, and according to a Bank of Korea economist there’s a key reason why men put off marriage and baby-making, and not just because of the cost of having kids. In Korea, the bridegroom is traditionally asked to provide a home upon marriage . . . and getting a “sweet nest” as it’s known locally can be tough for a young single man to afford.”

AZ Republic: “Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers paid tribute to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of Saturday’s shooting rampage during a somber and subdued opening to the 50th legislative session Monday.”

LA Times: “House leaders have announced plans for a bipartisan congressional prayer service on Wednesday to mark the weekend shooting that left Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gravely wounded and six others dead.”

LA Times: “The arrests of 19 men have roiled the city, considered a haven for gay men and lesbians.”

IndyStar.com: “A survey released Monday by a foundation advocating for school vouchers says Indiana voters are more likely than voters surveyed in six other states to say public schools are on the wrong track and would choose private schools if they could.”

Christian Post: “A pastor-turned-professor exposes the problem of segregation in U.S. churches, pointing out that only seven to eight percent of American congregations are integrated.”

George Leef has this post at National Review Phi Beta Cons: “One commenter asks whether lawyers really need to go to law school at all. Prior to the ABA’s big push in the 1920s for “higher standards,” most lawyers had not gone to law school, and many of the law schools then in existence had programs lasting less than three years.”

Washington Blade: “The U.S. Supreme Court could decide as soon as Tuesday whether or not to hear a case seeking to force the District of Columbia to allow voters to decide whether to repeal the city’s same-sex marriage law.”

The Atlanta Post: “But with so many students coming out of school with six-figure debts and lack of opportunities, the timing is right to reassess the value of a law school education.”

Washington Post: “Maryland lawmakers will convene Wednesday for their annual 90-day session, to grapple with hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts and a big social issue: same-sex marriage.”

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, Dawson produced circumstantial evidence of retaliatory discharge and sexual orientation hostile work environment, such that resolution of this action by summary judgment was error. We reverse and remand.

Christian Post: “The legislation, known as Bill 371, would require CPCs to post notices on their doors, websites, and advertisements, stating that they do not provide abortions or contraception, and to disclose when a medical provider is not available at the center.”

Gonzaga University: “Jane B. Korn, vice dean and the John D. Lyons Professor at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, has been hired as dean of the Gonzaga University School of Law effective July 1, Gonzaga President Thayne M. McCulloh announced today. Korn becomes the Law School’s first female dean. . .”

CNN: “The action, according to Senate spokesman Daniel Scarpinato, is in direct response to a controversial church’s announcement that it will picket the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old who was one of six people killed Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.”

AP: “A gunman boarded a train in southern Egypt and opened fire on Tuesday, killing a 71-year-old Christian man and wounding five others, including a woman, security and medical officials said.”

LifeNews: “Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says he supports reducing abortions further in the state and backs a bill in the state legislature that would put more regulations on abortion facilities in place.”

“A Saskatchewan marriage commissioner says the government will have to fire him if it expects him to perform same-sex marriages.”

HSLDA: “In June 2010, HSLDA and the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a joint application at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on behalf of the Johansson family. Since the Johanssons’ case has been heard at every level of the Swedish court system, the ECHR is the family’s only remaining recourse.”

LifeNews: ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman commented on the case and said, “Christians and other pro-life members of the medical community shouldn’t be forced to participate in abortions to pursue their profession.” “People enter the medical profession to protect and heal the helpless. Federal law protects them from being required to kill the helpless. The law clearly states that grant recipients cannot accept taxpayer dollars and require health care workers to participate in abortions, which is precisely what Vanderbilt is doing,” Bowman added.

Baptist Press: “In addition to the voting across southern Sudan, thousands of Sudanese were expected to vote in neighboring countries — including eight locations in Kenya — in a referendum on independence that, if passed, will officially designate southern Sudan as a new nation. Sudan has been ravaged by years of civil war between the heavily Islamic, Arab-dominated north and the predominantly Christian and animist south. The conflict has driven many southern Sudanese to flee to neighboring countries.”

“Increasing rates of violence between couples in the United States and Europe have been widely attributed to the global recession, but the problem has another dimension that is often ignored: it is far more likely to occur between unmarried, cohabiting couples than married couple.”

ADF attorney Matt Bowman writes at National Review Bench Memos: “It’s hard to describe the virtues of Chief Judge John Roll without making him sound too good to be true. I think that’s because he really was as good as all of us wish we could be, but know we so often aren’t. I would say he displayed “heroic” virtue — not necessarily heroic in the dramatic sense, but in the much more difficult sense of living excellence in every hour throughout each day with everyone he encountered.”

FRC: “However, this report indicates that much work remains to be done in Congress and in state legislatures to protect mothers and their unborn children.”

LifeSiteNews: “Chile’s Constitutional Tribunal, which is the nation’s highest tribunal for constitutional issues, has agreed to decide on a suit alleging that “marriage” between two people of the same sex is a constitutional right.”

LifeSiteNews: “Personhood USA, a national pro-life organization dedicated to achieving legal recognition of the personhood rights of all human beings, including the unborn, has announced that it has achieved its goal of having personhood efforts underway in all 50 states.”

Southern California Appellate News: “Using the same resources, I’ve compiled possible successors to Justice Carlos Moreno. I’ve already introduced five of them, with extended bios. The complete Short List is her . . . ”

Religion Clause Blog: “Yesterday Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual address (full text) to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See– ambassadors from 178 countries. Zenit reports that Vatican officials characterized the Pope’s remarks as opening a new chapter in the commitment to religious liberty.”

AP: The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy now heading toward history does not apply to transgender recruits, who are automatically disqualified as unfit for service.

Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Making good on a campaign promise, new Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine used his first day in office trying to get Ohio added to a lawsuit challenging the legality of the recent health care act pushed through by President Barack Obama.”

CNBC: “They are buying hundreds of billions of dollars of United States Treasury securities on the open market in a controversial attempt to keep interest rates low and, in the process, revive the economy.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Because the latest graduation rate went up 5 percentage points from the previous year for both Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and MPS students, the report contends that choice (also called voucher) students were 17% more likely to graduate from high school than children in MPS over the past two years of the study . . . MPS officials continue to question the accuracy of “Graduation Rates for Choice and Public School Students in Milwaukee,” funded by School Choice Wisconsin, a voucher advocacy group.

Providence Journal: “It was the first time in at least 20 years that there was no Catholic bishop at the State House to offer a prayer at the inauguration ceremony for a new governor.”

Heritage Foundation Morning Bell: “President Obama’s oil spill commission will release its long-awaited final report this morning, recommending new government regulations and limits on drilling. These conclusions could shape the future of the oil industry — and impact our nation’s energy policy for years to come.”

NCPA Policy Digest: “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shows that in 2019 the Obama health law reduces annual Medicare funding so much that it works out to $1,428 less for each elderly patient that year. Richard Foster, chief actuary for Medicare, has spoken with brave bluntness about the possible impact, warning that some hospitals may stop accepting Medicare, says McCaughey.”

Religion Clause Blog: In Doe v. Cape Henlopen School District, (D DE, Jan. 7, 2011), the mother of a Muslim student sued claiming that her daughter’s fourth-grade teacher created a classroom environment that promoted Christianity and excluded Muslim beliefs . . . At issue were teacher Cindy Cunningham’s class discussions of the events of 9/11 and her reading of Christmas books to her class every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas”

Charisma: Alliance Defense Fund President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears spoke directly to the shooting death Chief Judge John McCarthy Roll of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. “Chief Judge Roll was a great lawyer, sound jurist, and a long-time friend. Our hearts are deeply grieved over this tragedy,” says Alliance Defense Fund President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears regarding the shooting death Chief Judge John McCarthy Roll of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. “His untimely death is a huge loss for America’s judicial system and for all of us, personally. One consolation we have in our grief is that because of John’s fervent love for the Lord, he is right now rejoicing in the loving presence of his Creator. We will keep the judge’s family and his countless friends and students in our prayers.”

One News Now: “Callers can dial into the conference call and hear speakers from organizations like the Pacific Justice Institute, Eagle Forum, and the Alliance Defense Fund. The PreserveLiberty.com consultant encourages believers to continue to labor in prayer and remember God’s faithfulness towards America, but he says they must also be prepared to engage their culture.”

WTRF 7 (includes video): “I was shocked,” said Matt Bowman. “I was hoping the news was wrong. I was thinking about his family and his courtroom family, as well, and how much grief they must be going through right now. Judge Roll was really an ideal employer. He was a mentor, he was kind and caring and funny.” Currently, Matt serves as legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, engaging in full-time pro-life, pro-family and religious freedom litigation.

One News Now: However, the city zoning code disallows its facility, so with Tree of Life’s call for legal help, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed a federal lawsuit against the city. “This is a case of unequal treatment,” contends Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for ADF. “It’s really a case of discrimination, where Tree of Life Christian Schools has been discriminated against by the City of Upper Arlington’s zoning code that allows for similar secular uses, but yet will not allow for a Christian school in the zoning.”

LifeNews: “Guttmacher also indicated the number of abortion businesses in the United States rose from 1,787 in 2005 to 1,793 in 2008, marking the first occasion in which its numbers showed an increase in the number of abortion facilities since 1982. However, figures from pro-life groups paint a different picture . . . ”

CBN: Alan Sears, president of the Christian legal group the Alliance Defense Fund described Roll as “a great lawyer, sound jurist, and a long-time friend.” “His untimely death is a huge loss for America’s judicial system and for all of us, personally,” Sears said in a statement Saturday.”One consolation we have in our grief is that because of John’s fervent love for the Lord, he is right now rejoicing in the loving presence of his Creator,” he added.

AP: “The Guttmacher Institute, which periodically surveys U.S. abortion providers, reported Tuesday that there were 1.21 million abortions in 2008 and a rate of 19.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44.”

AP: “Arab tribesman attacked a vehicle convoy carrying southern Sudanese traveling from the country’s north to their home region, which is holding an independence referendum this week, an official said Tuesday. Conflicting reports put the death toll between two and 10.”

Reuters: “California Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a budget on Monday that included “painful” cuts to state worker pay and social services and a plan to extend tax increases as the most populous U.S. state struggles to close a $25.4 billion deficit.”