Tag Archives: ADF: Joe LaRue

WorldNetDaily: The Liberty Institute has announced the launch of its Armed Forces Religious Liberty hotline – (972) 941-4543 – along with a petition to support Christian members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force . . . The Pentagon walked back its statement after the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records relating to Pentagon statements on the issue. “Members of our military should not be denied the very freedoms they fight to defend. Freedom of religion and speech are paramount among those freedoms,” said ADF Legal Counsel Joseph La Rue. “We appreciate the Pentagon’s clarification, but little or no evidence exists of coercive proselytization in the military, so we are still troubled over what motivated the original comments.”

Joe LaRue went on radio to discuss the situation: Pentagon backtracks on evangelization comments, investigation launched. | The Vicki McKenna Show —– MP3 audio 14:20 mins | WAVA Radio with Don Kroah —– MP3 audio 13:25 mins | The Zeb Bell Show —– MP3 audio 13:04 mins

Charisma News via Black Christian News Network: Members of our military should not be denied the very freedoms they fight to defend. Freedom of religion and speech are paramount among those freedoms,” says legal counsel Joseph La Rue. “We appreciate the Pentagon’s clarification, but little or no evidence exists of coercive proselytization in the military, so we are still troubled over what motivated the original comments.” “We wish to ensure that the Pentagon does not deny members of the armed services the basic freedoms that the Constitution guarantees all Americans,” La Rue adds. “For that reason, Alliance Defending Freedom is serious about investigating this gross error.”

Hawaii Free Press: Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Joseph La Rue speaks out regarding Hawaii Senate Bill 535 SD1 HD2, a proposed law that would make it illegal for any Hawaii family to fire or otherwise change the employment status of many incompatible nannies, babysitters, caretakers, and other domestic workers . . . The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom allied attorney James Hochberg . . .

Non-discrimination doesn’t mean anything goes. Being responsible enough to employ someone you trust to watch your baby or bathe your grandmother is not engaging in unlawful discrimination, and the Hawaii Legislature should know better.

American Thinker: On Feb. 26, the Phoenix City Council passed the so-called “Bathroom Bill,” which will allow not only “transgendered” men, but also any man who thinks he is a woman to use many of the same public restrooms that women and young girls use.

KPTV.com: “It gives an open door to any sexual predator, not the transgender community, but any sexual predator that pretends to be transgender. That person can go into the women’s restroom and this gives them easy access to women and, especially, children,” said Joe La Rue of the group Alliance Defending Freedom.

KPHO (Joe LaRue in the video): It gives an open door to any sexual predator, not the transgender community, but any sexual predator that pretends to be transgender. That person can go into the women’s restroom and this gives them easy access to women and, especially, children,” said Joe La Rue of the group Alliance Defending Freedom.

KTAR.com (2/14): “There is a potential concern for businesses that have offices in multiple cities across our state to have unequal enforcement of the law throughout our state,” Legal Consultant Joseph La Rue, with the Alliance Defending Freedom said. La Rue said the new proposals may make hiring decisions difficult for multi-city companies. The Alliance Defending Freedom is a nonprofit religious rights group dedicated to defending religious freedom, marriage and family, and pro-life issues. La Rue also opposed the new proposals because of potential costs to small businesses if further protections are added to the city ordinances. “What we’ve seen in other places where amendments like these are passed is the cost to small business owners goes up,” La Rue said. “There is the threat of litigation anytime [businesses] fail to hire someone who is a member of the protected class.”

The You Tube Video posted by Illinois Family Institute is here.

Illinois Family Institute (large photo Joe LaRue): The Senate Executive Committee decided to override Illinois history this afternoon by approving SB 10 which redefines marriage to include two individuals of the same sex. The bill passed out of committee by a 9-5 vote along party lines.

Star Courier: But opponents such as Joe LaRue, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, and Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, the committee’s ranking Republican, argued the bill does not go far enough to protect religious freedom. “We’re going to end up in a situation here where, on a case-by-case basis, churches are going to have to be dragged to court to highlight … where their First Amendment right begins and ends,” Murphy said.

Register-News (AP): But Joseph La Rue, minister and legal counsel for the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defending Freedom, said the bill’s language discriminates against religious organizations precisely because it relies on the state human-rights law. That law doesn’t force a church to hire someone who professes a different faith, but it’s not clear what would happen to a Catholic who’s in a same-sex union, he said. “The church will not be able to refuse to hire them on the basis of their same-sex marriage if they’re of the same faith … ,” La Rue said. “The Catholic diocese could be faced with an application for employment for a receptionist – who is the face of the diocese – who is in a same-sex marriage … and under your Human Rights Act, could be required to hire that person.”

News-Gazette: But Joseph La Rue, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., suggested several possible scenarios where the same-sex-marriage proposal might limit religious freedom. “I am extremely concerned that it does not do enough (to protect religious liberty) and in fact, the bill as written, if enacted, will actually infringe on religious liberty and instead of being a religious-freedom act, it will actually become a religious-discrimination act,” he said.

WLSAM: Some of the bill’s opponents say a lack of clarity in this area could cause trouble in the courts. Joseph La Rue, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, testified before the committee that the bill doesn’t clearly exempt churches from renting out their facilities such as in other states like New York. “What Illinois’ bill says is public accommodations decisions will be subject to the Human Rights Act and to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and nobody knows for sure what that means,” he said. “Nobody knows how this will play out. And so instead of giving churches protection, the Legislature is simply punting the ball down the field for future courts and future legislatures to decide, and that leaves churches in a very precarious spot.”

Windy City Times: Illinois’ gay marriage bill is headed for a full Senate vote after the measure passed easily out of the Senate Executive Committee Feb. 5. The Committee voted 9-5 to send to the bill for a full vote . . . Joe LaRue of the Alliance Defending Freedom argued that the bill failed to adequately protect churches. “I am extremely concerned that it does not do enough,” LaRue said. LaRue said while the bill purported to protect religious institutions, it threatened to discriminate against them. He said the bill lacked protections for businesses who disagreed with same-sex marriages like cake bakers.

Catholic Post: For centuries marriage has been defined as the union between one man and one woman and now is the time for the body of Christ to “rise up” and defend it, said the speakers at a recent dinner for religious leaders hosted by the Illinois Family Institute. “If we don’t respond — unless God works a miracle — same-sex marriage will soon be the law of your land here in Illinois,” said keynote speaker Joe LaRue of Scottsdale, Ariz., legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund).

Illinois Review: IFI’s Executive Director David Smith and Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Joseph LaRue told the pastors representing black, Latino and mixed congregations that the legislation is more expansive than simply allowing two persons of the same sex to legally marry.

One News Now: Joe La Rue, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, tells OneNewsNow what the city has done is to, in effect, criminalize any religious speech on Bourbon Street at night. “So you and I could be walking down the street, for instance, and we could be talking about just about anything and we’d be fine,” he says. “But if you turned to me or I turned to you and said, ‘God bless you,’ we could be arrested, we could be subject to fines and we could be imprisoned for up to six months.”