Daily Archives: May 19, 2011

BastropEnterprise.com: For the first time ever, prayer will not be part of graduation ceremonies Friday night at Bastrop High School. Principal Stacey Pullen said the school received an e-mail on Tuesday from a student who identied themself as an atheist.

WSPA.com: Some students in Laurens County School District 55 say they will still pray at graduation, despite the districts decision to keep school-endorsed prayer out of the commencement ceremony.

ADF provides federal commission with model anti-bullying policy to recommend to school boards, advises against more federal programs

WRAL.com: North Carolina lawmakers debated Thursday about whether the projected costs for additional requirements before an abortion is performed are worth it.

Nancy French at National Review: Thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the phrase “love child” is splattered across newspapers and blogs around the nation to describe his (surprise!) son, as journalists struggle to find the right word to use to describe the ten-year-old boy.

Ed Whelan at National Review: Indeed, it’s far from clear that Liu would be confirmed on a straight up-or-down vote. As I noted yesterday, Senator Webb, who voted for cloture, has stated that he would vote against confirming Liu, and there may well be some other Democrats (as well as Murkowski) in the same position.

Dylan Mathews at the Washington Post: But insofar as judges have that kind of policy role, it’s totally legitimate to evaluate them in terms of their views on policy. The Senate GOP is wrong to block Liu because he is right about policy, not because his policy views should be shunted aside.

CBC.ca: “I conclude, based on the whole of the evidence, that assisted reproduction using an anonymous gamete donor is harmful to the child, and it is not in the best interests of donor offspring,” wrote Adair.

DW-World.de: Same-sex sexual acts are illegal in over 70 countries, including seven which invoke the death penalty for breaking this law. It’s therefore no surprise that some gays and lesbians seek asylum in more gay-friendly countries, including in European nations like Belgium, Germany and the UK.

BestofNewOrleans.com: espite last-minute revisions designed to mollify family-values conservatives, Rep. Austin Badon’s anti-bullying bill went down in flames today at a contentious session of the Louisiana House. HB 112, known as the “Safe Schools Bill,” was fiercely opposed by the Louisiana Family Forum and Louisiana Baptists; it failed in a 53-43 vote.

BBC: The body of a newborn girl has been found among rubbish on a waste management site in West Yorkshire.

HTRNews.com: The Government Accountability Board said in a statement that it reviewed all of the hundreds of complaints filed against Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and decided unanimously to dismiss them all, finding that most concerned the use of political tactics that fell outside of the scope of state ethics laws.

S. Florida Times: Blanche Ely High School principal Karlton O. Johnson, accused of “outing” a gay student and threatening to suspend her and her gay friend for holding hands on campus, is coming under fire for his actions.

CBC: The family of a man who has been in a coma for months is in a legal battle with Toronto doctors who want to remove him from life support.

Des Moines Register: The Iowa House will reject a bill approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate this week aimed at blocking a Nebraska doctor who plans to open a so-called late-term abortion clinic in Council Bluffs, House Speaker Kraig Paulsen said today.

NPR: While some states and the federal government debate whether to halt funding of Planned Parenthood and other providers of family planning services, a new study finds that the cost of unintended pregnancies is large, and much of the bill — about $11 billion per year — goes to government programs and ultimately taxpayers.

NY Times: But Mr. Long, the chairman of the state Conservative Party, has emerged this year as the single most potent — and immovable — obstacle to the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York.

LifeNews: TThomas G. Hungar, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, which includes the Alliance Defense Fund and the Christian Medical Association, said in 2009 when the lawsuit was filed, “the language of the [Dickey-Wicker] statute is clear” that it “bans public funding for any research that leads to the destruction of human embryos.” “NIH’s attempt to avoid Congress’s command by funding everything but the act of ‘harvesting’ is pure sophistry. The guidelines will result in the destruction of human embryos and are unlawful, unethical, and unnecessary,” he told LifeNews.com at the time. Sam Casey, General Counsel of Advocates International’s Law of Life Project, a public interest legal project involved in the case, pointed out . . .

Christian Today: An east London church has been refused permission to convert a cinema frequented by Alfred Hitchcock into a place of worship.

Deseret News: “Two Salt Lake escort services have filed suit in federal court, charging that a new law that makes it easier to arrest individuals for sexual solicitation is unconstitutional and should be struck down.”

Wall Street Journal: Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the president is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel.

AP: An Egyptian security official says clashes have broken out between Muslims and Christians over the reopening of a Cairo church the former regime closed years ago.

FRC Action: Family Research Council Action (FRC Action) President Tony Perkins praised the U.S. Senate today for rejecting the nomination of Goodwin Liu to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

LifeSiteNews: As the same-sex “marriage” battle heats up again in New York, one writer at a prominent gay news source is questioning why his lobby refuses to admit that the gay agenda involves “indoctrinating” schoolchildren to accept homosexuality.

LifeNews: Wisconsin could become the next state to cut state taxpayer funding of the Planned Parenthood abortion business under the family planning program and direct the funds to agencies that don’t do abortions.

John Eibner at the Middle East Forum: The soft power of the modern papacy, with its appeals for religious liberty, can exercise a positive influence on Turkey and the rest of the Islamic world. But Islamic powers can see, as did Stalin, an absence of papal military divisions in the current clash of civilizations. Unless the thoroughly secularized nations of what was once Christendom provide firmer backbone, the Vatican will have little choice but to bend with the breeze.

LifeNews: Senator Joe Manchin, in a new interview, is defending the vote he cast earlier this year against legislation that would yank taxpayer funding from the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

The Washington Post carries the full text of the speech.

BBC: In a speech at the state department, Mr Obama said the future of the US was bound to the Middle East by forces of economics, security, history and fate. “It will be the policy of the US to promote reform, and to support transitions to democracy,” he said.

Scottish Catholic Observer: The Scottish Government’s track record in tackling sectarianism has once again come under fire from the Church following a rise of almost 10 per cent in charges for religiously motivated crimes.

Jerusalem Post: Syria’s minority Christians are watching the protests sweeping their country with trepidation, fearing their religious freedom could be threatened if President Bashar Assad’s autocratic but secular rule is overthrown.

Reuters: China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it hoped the Vatican could acknowledge the reality of religious freedom in the country, after the pope said Beijing was putting pressure on the faithful who want to remain loyal to the Vatican.

The Tennessee General Assembly has passes HR 0107. The text of the resolution is here.

Lexington Herald Leader: This week, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman awarded an additional $23,366 in attorney fees and costs to the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky for its work in challenging the displays, which were ruled unconstitutional. Pulaski and McCreary counties now owe the ACLU a total of $456,881, nearly all of it for attorney fees. That figure doesn’t include mounting interest.

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday to challenge State University of New York policies that impose unconstitutional burdens and cost-prohibitive fees upon visitors who wish to exercise their First Amendment-protected right to free speech on campus.

Arizona Republic: According to the panel’s report, there were at least 668 incidents of kidnapping in 2008, hundreds more than the 300-plus Phoenix reported to the federal government to win $2.4 million in grants to fight border-related kidnapping and home invasions.

Religion Clause Blog: “However there is no monument to the 13 Jewish chaplains who have died on active duty since World War I. CNN reported earlier this month on the efforts of Jewish groups to obtain Congressional authorization for a monument to them.”

Christian Post: Ever since the state Transportation Cabinet gave the green light to sell standard-issue plates sporting the “In God We Trust” slogan in January, over 50,000 plates have been sold, according to The Associated Press.

Patrick Novekosky at Legatus Magazine :  It wasn’t meeting with high-level politicians or a tour of the U.S. Supreme Court that had Legatus members all abuzz at this year’s annual Pro-Life Conference. Rather, it was the invigorating power of gathering with like-minded individuals on a quest to defend women and their unborn children, Legates said . . . Peroutka was one of 40 Legates from across the country who gathered in Washington, D.C., for Legatus’ 10th pro-life conference from April 30-May 2. The gathering kicked off with delegates attending a Heroic Media event with Sarah Palin . . . The event continued Sunday with Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, followed by brunch with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) at the Willard Hotel.  | ADF President and General Counsel Alan E. Sears spoke to the group and appears in the photo at the bottom of the article.

Religion Clause Blog: Cooke left the church at age 18 or 19 and moved to Phoenix where subsequently he was severely injured in an accident. After receiving the lease for land in Colorado City, Cooke and his wife moved back in a trailer home, but the city refused to provide water, electricity and sewer service. Cooke in this case sued for damages . . .

Rep. Burt Jones of Rockingham was incredulous and said, according to WRAL, that he couldn’t believe legislators were debating whether more abortions or more expenses were better.

AP: “Egyptian authorities continue to restrict freedom of assembly, torture detainees and try civilians in military courts, highlighting the urgent need for reform, Amnesty International said Thursday.”

ADF Attorney Joe Oster at the Speak Up Movement Church Blog: But what if following the ways of this world could save your church from closing its doors, while doing the “right” thing could shut you down? For a church in Vienna, Virginia, this admonition was more than just an abstract hypothetical. And their response is a good reminder to all of us what the church should be about.

Speak Up Movement Church Blog: This is truly amazing. The Minnesota Independent reported last week that Minnesota State representative John Kriesel’s office threatened a priest who sent a letter supporting traditional marriage.

ACLU: Lightspeed Systems, which produces software used for website filtering in thousands of public schools across the U.S., confirmed today that it will update its software to remove a filter that blocked websites with content geared toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities . . .

KOB.com: The sexting case against Jacob Lawler has many parents worried. Fifth grade elementary school teacher Jacob Lawler’s ‘sexting’ case has caused a lot of parents to worry about their children and who they might be communicating with over their cell phones.

WPIX.com: Some local middle schoolers could face child pornography charges Thursday for texting sexually graphic images of themselves.

St.Michael.Patch.com: St. Michael-Albertville School District administrators were “taken by surprise” last month when they received word that the national attorneys from Alliance Defense Fund had helped file a lawsuit against the district in Federal Court. The suit alleges that the school district denied a pro-life student group, All Life is Valuable (ALIV), permission to meet in school facilities.

LifeNews: . . . A lawsuit in which Planned Parenthood was recently found to have violated an Ohio informed consent law has been “resolved and dismissed,” according to the Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney who filed the suit . . . Brian Hurley . . . “The health and safety of young girls is far more important than Planned Parenthood’s desire to make money on an abortion,” said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden. “This lawsuit was yet another clear demonstration of Planned Parenthood’s ongoing effort to put its profit margin ahead of the true needs of young women. If they truly cared about the girls who enter their doors, they would not be ignoring Ohio law and allowing statutory rape to occur so they can make money killing a baby. They also wouldn’t be trying so desperately to keep all of their records secret.”

NCPA Policy Digest: Georgia’s sole proprietors and self-employed will be able to buy out-of-state health insurance policies under legislation signed by Governor Nathan Deal, says the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

ADF Attorney Steven Aden at the Christian Post Advancing Religious Libety Blog: When you’re satirized in The Onion, as Planned Parenthood was yesterday, you’re no longer a sacred cow. That’s very good news . . .

C-FAM: The UN bureaucracy is increasing its efforts to decriminalize homosexual behavior and normalize its acceptance among member states, without governmental consent or consensus.

Heritage Foundation, the Foundry: ineteen Chinese pastors have joined together to send a remarkable petition to the National People’s Congress on behalf of one of Beijing’s largest underground churches. The Shouwang church is the most recent target of Communist authorities’ crackdown on the unauthorized house church movement that now numbers some 50–70 million Chinese Christians.

The Hill: Hatch was referring to Obama’s announced policy of supporting Brazil in developing its oil reserves. Hatch contrasted that policy to restrictions the administration has placed on some domestic drilling and oil exploration.

Washington Post: Americans may be postponing marriage, and fewer are wedding at all. But what about the people who do get married? They’re staying together longer than they have in years.

The Hill: The Senate on Wednesday rejected Republican-backed legislation intended to speed up and expand offshore oil and gas drilling.

Teresa Collett and Stephen J. Heaney at TwinCities.com: Opponents of the proposed amendment charge defenders of the current definition of marriage with bigotry and discrimination. They say we cannot trust Minnesota voters with this important decision. But in Minnesota all political power is inherent in the people, and it is not bigotry to believe that a child needs a mother and a father. It is not discrimination to believe that the legal institution of marriage is about children’s needs, more than adult desires.

Washington Post: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a dispute over whether to identify students challenging a private school system’s admissions policy that gives preference to those of Hawaiian ancestry.

LifeNews: Yesterday, the White House announced Obama has named Justice Morgan Christen to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Regent University: David Cortman ’96 (Law) recently served as the lead attorney for the petitioner in Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (ACSTO) v. Winn which resulted in a win at the Supreme Court on Monday, April 4. Cortman is the senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) . . .