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SCOTUS Blog reports on the petition and links to filings in Timberridge Presbyterian Church, Inc. v. Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, Inc.

Ronald Dworkin at NY Review of Books, Why the Mandate Is Constitutional: The Real Argument, : If the Court does declare the act unconstitutional, it would have ruled that Congress lacks the power to adopt what it thought the most effective, efficient, fair, and politically workable remedy—not because that national remedy would violate anyone’s rights, or limit anyone’s liberty in ways a state government could not, or be otherwise unfair, but for the sole reason that in the Court’s opinion our constitution is a strict and arbitrary document that denies our national legislature the power to enact the only politically possible national program. If that opinion were right, we would have to accept that our eighteenth- century constitution is not the enduring marvel of statesmanship we suppose but an anachronistic, crippling burden we cannot escape, a straitjacket that makes it impossible for us to achieve a just national society.

Michael J. Lewis at Hillsdale Imprimis: Third, we can remember that greatness is possible. For more than a century and a half, we built monuments with spectacular success. We have only been building them badly for a generation. I look at these recent designs, which are perhaps an honest reflection of our divided and uncertain culture, and can’t help but think we can do better once more.

SJ-R.com: About 15 students attended Sunday’s meeting to protest the restaurant proposal. They say the company has given financial support to anti-gay organizations.

Christian Medical Comment: I have previously warned that unless something is done to reverse current demographic trends, economic necessity, together with the ‘culture of death’ ideology which is becoming more openly accepted, may well mean that the generation that killed its children will in turn be killed by its own children.

Christian Institute: A petition opposing the redefinition of marriage has been presented to Scotland’s Deputy First Minister. Representatives from a Roman Catholic group handed the petition, which was signed by 1,000 people, to Nicola Sturgeon at her surgery.

Huffington Post reports (includes video).

LifeNews: One such state is Oregon, which has paid for abortions for women receiving public assistance pursuant to court order since 1984.[i] According to the Oregon 2012 Petition Committee, one third of all abortions in Oregon are funded by taxpayers.

NC Register: In an exclusive interview on his new e-book A Heart on Fire, Archbishop Charles Chaput says the recent contraception mandate points to a “pattern” of attacks on religious liberty in the U.S.

Washington Post: The web sites of the 10 Democratic candidates running as challengers or for open seats show that very few of these candidates are eager to jump on this particular bandwagon.

Cincinnati.com: Three women dressed in pajamas at a sleep over in November 2010 used a whiteboard to draft an anti-abortion measure that split the anti-abortion movement, backed Republican lawmakers into a corner – and could make Ohio’s abortion laws the strictest in the nation.

NewsMax: Texas has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to extend funding for the Women’s Health Program through October to give the state time to find money to continue the Medicaid-based program without federal assistance.

Rolla Daily News: The bill given initial approval Tuesday would require a woman to receive a physical examination by a doctor 24 hours before the doctor prescribes the abortion-inducing drug RU-486.

Wall Street Journal: The son of Bo Xilai, the sacked Chinese Communist Party official at the center of the country’s biggest political crisis in a generation, appears to have left his apartment near Harvard University, escorted by private security guards, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Wales Online: The Archbishop of Wales has lent his support to gay marriage today, saying: “All life-long committed relationships deserved the welcome, pastoral care and support of the Church.”

Star Tribune: If a woman is going to take an abortion pill like RU-486, she should do it in the presence of a doctor, the House voted Wednesday.

The Hill: All but 14 Republicans, with support from 70 Democrats, voted 293-197 for legislation that falls far short of Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) earlier plan to move a sweeping five-year, $260 billion package.

JournalPatriot.com: The all-Republican Wilkes County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night voted 3-2 in favor of a resolution endorsing a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage

UKPA on Google News: Muslim religious leaders are urging people in their community not to vote for any candidate who supports same-sex marriage in the upcoming council election.

Dodge Globe: The tradition of ministers offering a Christian prayer before Reno County Commission meetings could come to an end after the commission received a letter from a national organization saying a resident had complained about the practice.

Catholic News Service: Citing “serious doctrinal problems which affect many in consecrated life,” the Vatican announced a major reform of an association of women’s religious congregations in the U.S. to ensure their fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality.

LifeSiteNews: Bill C-279 (formerly Bill C-389) sponsored by NDP MP Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC) is a proposition to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to include “gender identity” and “gender expression” as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

LifeSiteNews: “[T]he Uzbek government said the allegations of a forced sterilisation programme were slanderous and bore no relation to reality,” according to BBC News. “The government also said that surgical contraception was not widespread and was carried out only on a voluntary basis, after consultation with a specialist and with the written consent of both parents.”

LifeSiteNews: A 100-year-old Baptist health ministry in Georgia has withdrawn a $42,000 grant from a clinic that dispenses the morning-after pill – but a clinic spokeswoman says she is keeping the money already given.

American Federation for Children: Expanded school choice program, which could help thousands of families across the state, builds momentum for educational options nationwide.

SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: Eugenic abortion further erodes respect not only for human dignity in general, but the dignity of the disabled in particular,” said Piero Tozzi, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. “Protecting the innocent …

LVTSG.com: According to a Fox News story which aired yesterday (click here to see the Fox News video ), the Commandant of Camp Pendleton, California, Colonel Nicholas F. Marano, USMC, is expected to rule shortly on whether two memorial crosses erected atop Mount Horno can remain in place.

Ed News: he push for school choice has largely been the work of Republican governors and Governor Bobby Jindal is certainly one of the leading Republican governors. Whether Mitch Daniels, Jindal or others, school choice is a way to show that they can politically move difficult reforms ahead and demonstrate to peers that they are real leaders. But that’s true of any politician with ambitions. The larger shift that has come is with Democrats – and it is deep . . .

Washington Times: But the most explosive allegation in the news story comes from former Democratic congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Ted Kenney, who calls what the Obama White House is doing “quid pro quo.”

Reuters: A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday ruled Arizona may require voters to show identification at the polls, a ruling likely to add fuel to the fiery debate about voting rights in a presidential election year.

One News Now: Doctors attending to Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson have advised his family members to gather by his bedside.

Washington Times: Escalating a simmering constitutional feud, Senate Republicans on Tuesday said they’re joining a lawsuit against President Obama’s January recess appointments, which were made even as Senate Republicans said they were still in session.

Religion Clause Blog: The Arizona Republic reports that Gov. Jan Brewer on Tuesday signed HB 2563 (full text) which provides that public schools may offer high school elective courses on how the Bible has influenced Western culture.

Religion Clause Blog: Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights held a hearing on “Ending Racial Profiling In America.” The witness testimony (links to full text and webcast) also focused on profiling of Muslim Americans as an aspect of racial profiling.

Findlaw: A group of porn-industry folks brought a recent lawsuit before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. The lawsuit raised constitutional issues relating to criminal laws that imposed recordkeeping, labeling and inspection requirements on “producers of sexually explicit depictions.”

WAFF.com (includes video): Prayer at Marshall County schools is under fire again. A group that advocates the separation of religion and schools just sent a second letter to Marshall County school leaders.

Findlaw: A California appellate court has clarified that a sperm donor who is not married to a designated recipient mother does not have to pay child support.

Anchorage Daily News: But the Assembly at the meeting delayed certification of the election until at least April 24, and Hall said the inquiry ought to wait too. The postponement allows for the Election Commission to finish counting the remaining 13,434 votes and issue recommendations on just what an investigator ought to be looking for, he said.

LIfeSiteNews: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filed a notice of appeal April 17, asking a federal appeals court to vacate a decision by a Massachusetts federal judge declaring that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violated the First Amendment in its contract with USCCB to provide case management services to victims of human trafficking, because the contract did not require USCCB to facilitate abortion and contraception.USCCB has also requested a stay of the lower court’s decision until the appeals court can rule.

Steve Aden at LifeNews: Political campaigns make strange bedfellows. In some cases, they attract seemingly unrelated groups who donate money for a cause they both support. A perfect demonstration of this was seen recently in Anchorage, Alaska, where the push to amend the city’s non-discrimination code to include “sexual orientation” and “transgender identity” brought together Tim Gill, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest.

Sun Journal: None of the public members used their allotted time to pray; however, several suggested the county look to the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization, to deal with any legal action the ACLU takes. The Alliance Defense Fund, which reportedly offered free legal services to Forsyth County, said it would not pay any legal fees awarded to the plaintiffs if the county lost.

CBN (includes video): The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy Tuesday. The legal group is acting on behalf of New Hampshire Right to Life. Attorney Michael Tierney told CBN News he believes it’s a clear cut case. “No matter where a person stands on abortion, everyone should agree that Planned Parenthood has to play by the same rules as everyone else,” Tierney said.

LifeNews: Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney Michael Tierney filed the complaint on behalf of New Hampshire Right to Life. “No matter where a person stands on abortion, everyone should agree that Planned Parenthood has to play by the same rules as everyone else,” said Tierney, an attorney with the Manchester firm of Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, PLLC. “In this case, that means it must obey state laws that say only licensed pharmacists may distribute prescription drugs when a clinic is not under contract with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.”

AP reports.

AP: The Cuban government is criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama for calling for democratic change in Cuba.

CNSNews: Although he has served less than a term, Obama is now the first American president to see the federal government’s debt increase by more than $5 trillion during his time in office.

SCOTUS Blog reports that the Court is taking a closer look at the cert. petition in Harmon v. Kimmel.

NCPA Policy Digest: Over the course of the last century, the United States slowly emerged as a formidable administrative state — one that is run by unelected federal government bureaucrats instead of the elected representatives of the people.

P.O. Box 566 w  Charleston, WV 25322  w  (304) 881-5196  w www.familypolicywv.com NEWS Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2012 CONTACT: Jeremiah G. Dys, Esq.  Phone: (304) 881-5196 E-mail:  jeremydys@familypolicywv.com Family Policy Council of West Virginia Announces 2012 Gubernatorial Prayer Breakfast Hundreds expected to gather in …

Turtle Bay and Beyond: The Venice Commission is currently reviewing the Hungarian cardinal law on the Protection of Families. This law has been strongly criticised, especially for defining family as “based on the marriage of a man and a woman,” and for protecting human life since conception. The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) submits today a Memorandum[1] to the Venice Commission demonstrating that this law respects the letter and the spirit of international treaties on family and follows the legitimate aim to set foundations for the recovery of the country through the protection of life and family.

Alan E. Sears at Townhall: The government cloaks its anti-church legal maneuverings as enforcement of the imaginary “separation of church and state” clause that the Left likes to pretend is in the Constitution. But it’s hard not to believe that the state’s real objection to Christian charity is that every church committed to social service eliminates that much more need for government bureaus and subsidies and commissions and tax-payer funded initiatives. Ultimately, a more active church erodes the need for bigger government … and to the Left, nothing is more important than bigger government.

Catholic Culture: Two Chinese bishops of the “underground” Church have been released by police after having been held for “political sessions” in which they were pressured to cooperate with the Catholic Patriotic Association.

JD Journal: A law that bans gays and ‘tom boys,’ lesbians, from attending schools and universities is being enforced by the Saudi Arabian government. The country has stated that they have to change their appearance and their behavior.

Daily Mail: Yesterday’s report by Murray Hunt, legal adviser to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, said: ‘Something needs to be done to redress the debilitating democratic deficit that afflicts human rights.

Telegraph: UK-led plans to reform the European Court of Human Rights could have a “devastating” effect on thousands of people seeking justice in Russia, the Government has been warned.

BBC: The government is “quietly confident” it will secure changes to the European Court of Human Rights at a conference this week, Downing Street has said.

TIME: After a proposal to cut funding to Planned Parenthood sparked outrage in January, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation is having trouble attracting donors.

Meg Jay at the Ruth Institute: These negative outcomes are called the cohabitation effect. Researchers originally attributed the cohabitation effect to selection, or the idea that cohabitors were less conventional about marriage and thus more open to divorce. As cohabitation has become a norm, however, studies have shown that the effect is not entirely explained by individual characteristics like religion, education or politics. Research suggests that at least some of the risks may lie in cohabitation itself.

Vanderbilt University students and members of the Nashville community, including singer Ricky Skaggs, will gather on Vanderbilt’s campus to worship and pray that God would bless administrators and members of the Board of Trust with wisdom. The attendees will also pray that God would prepare the hearts of those in the faith community to respond in a way that reflects Christ, no matter the outcome of decisions made in this week’s Vanderbilt Board of Trust meeting, April 19-20.

4,000 MP4 players to be distributed featuring video appeal
to restore university’s religious freedom policy

LifeNews: Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Piero Tozzi responded to the decision to allow, what he calls, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal’s decision to “decriminalize the killing of pre-born children for eugenic reasons.” “Every innocent life deserves to be protected. Instead, Brazil’s high court has approved of slaughtering the country’s most vulnerable people, the severely disabled. Eugenic abortion further erodes respect not only for human dignity in general, but the dignity of the disabled in particular. Protecting the innocent is a chief duty of the legislature, and the court was wrong to overstep its authority and tear down the protections long ago established by Brazil’s lawmakers–protections that are consistent with the pro-life views of most Brazilians.”

CBS: Opposing groups supporting and opposing abortion clashed this morning at the University of Connecticut.

Washington Post: Here in St. Petersburg, a city that prides itself as the most European in all Russia, the lawmaker behind a new local ban on gay “propaganda” has said he is defending traditional Russian values against an onslaught from the West

HoumaToday: The Louisiana House backed a measure today that calls on Congress to stop funding Planned Parenthood.

Politico: The political arm of Planned Parenthood is going up with a major TV ad buy in a Pennsylvania special election, aimed at sending a message to state Republicans who are attempting to pass a restrictive ultrasound bill.

Columbus Dispatch: House Republicans added a provision to the mid-biennium review today that would significantly cut or eliminate federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

ADF-allied attorney files complaint with state pharmacy board on behalf of NH Right to Life

Sun Journal: Craven County Board of Commissioners Chairman Lee K. Allen began Monday’s meeting with a public prayer. It may have been followed by a silent prayer that the county won’t be sued over it.

WSLS.com: The issue of prayer said at local Board of Supervisors meetings turned to Franklin County today (Tuesday), as opponents and defenders spoke in Rocky Mount.

NWCN.com (includes video): After hours of pubic testimony, the council voted to defer the resolution and table it indefinitely.

USA Today: At least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and female teachers have been hospitalized after drinking water that local officials say was poisoned by extremists opposed to women’s education, CNN reports.

Charlotte Observer: According to published reports, commissioners in at least eight counties in the Charlotte region — Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Lincoln, McDowell, Stanly, Union and Watauga — have voted in recent weeks to support Amendment One. So have commissioners in North Carolina’s other major urban county, Wake.

Washington Post: Egypt’s presidential electoral commission permanently disqualified 10 presidential hopefuls, including three front-runners, on Tuesday, upending the election just weeks before next month’s vote.

Marion Star: Ohio’s elections chief is violating the state constitution by requiring county election boards to follow a federal court decree instead of state law when it comes to counting provisional ballots, GOP lawmakers alleged in a lawsuit Monday.

LifeSiteNews: Planned Parenthood in Kansas moved to silence certain details of their abortion business while facing accusations of aborting babies beyond the gestational age legal in the state, according to documents unsealed last week.