ADF Alliance Alert

“Americans United Challenges California Community College Prayer Policy In Federal Court”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:24:44 +0000

AU press release: "Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging official prayers during public ceremonies at a Southern California community college."

Rejection of Washington DC marriage referendum challenged with legal suit

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:16:13 +0000

LifeSiteNews: "'The people of D.C. have a right to vote on the definition of marriage,' said Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund, a group that helps defend religious liberty through legal action, whose attorneys are representing Jackson along with attorneys from Stand4MarriageDC."

Court: “N.Y. agencies can give benefits to same-sex couples married elsewhere”

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:48 +0000

Catholic Courier: "'State and local officials should not use marriage laws from outside jurisdictions to subvert the legislature,' ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum said in a statement. 'We are disappointed that the court did not address the real issue in this case: whether New York law requires the recognition of same-sex "marriages" from outside the state. In New York, the only relationship recognized as marriage is the committed union of a man and a woman.'"

Fourteenth Fort Hood victim forgotten

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:25 +0000

Catholic News Agency: "The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance of Christian attorneys, has sent a letter to the Office of Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Hood requesting that the murder of Velez's child be included in the case against Malik."

“Federal Judges Go to Bar For Their Married Gay Employees”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:58:02 +0000

Leonard Link reports on the recent Ninth Circuit orderes by Judges Kozinski and Reinhardt. Related: U.S. agency ordered by 9th Circuit to provide same-sex benefits 9th Circuit judge orders compensation for denial of same-sex “spousal” benefits

Cardinal Justin Rigali: The plague of pornography

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:35:22 +0000

Cardinal Justin Rigali writing in the Catholic Standard Times: "Caring about our children is a challenge with many levels. The values that society puts forth and encourages; the removal of morality from schools and public settings; the desire of those who profit from the multi-billion dollar pornography industry to make money; and the collapse of the traditional family with its security and support system all combine to leave children in a very vulnerable state when it comes to pornography. The statistics of the numbers of children and young people who view pornography and the ease with which they do so is truly shocking."

9th Circuit says Gilbert church must be heard on religious sign discrimination

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:34:28 +0000

Case sent back to lower court to decide whether town ordinance unconstitutionally favors non-commercial signs that aren’t religious.

New Hampshire Family Court Orders Girl to Public School over Home Schooling Preference of Mother

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:12 +0000

Blackstone Legal Fellow Nathan Fox has written an article in the Federalist Society's State Court Docket Watch (Fall 2009) that begins (citations omitted):

In a case that is of great consequence to education law, as well as to religious liberties issues more broadly, a New Hampshire state court judge recently removed a girl from home schooling by order. On June 14, 2009, Judge Lucinda Sadler of the Laconia Family Division ordered a ten-yearold girl out of religious home schooling and into public school against the wishes of her mother. In The Matter of Martin Kurowski and Brenda (Kurowski) Voydatch, “the parties reserved for the court the issue of whether Amanda would attend public school for the 2009-2010 school year, or continue to be home schooled by Ms. Voydatch.” The portion of the case discussing the background and decision of the judge ordering Amanda Voydatch into public school is summarized below . . .

Related ADF Media Information Page: NH court orders home-schooled child into government-run school

Alliance Defense Fund launches new website for the Blackstone Legal Fellowship

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:19:08 +0000

The new website can be found at: http://www.blackstonelegalfellowship.org/ About the Fellowship: "Named in honor of Sir William Blackstone, the noted English law professor, the Blackstone Legal Fellowship is a leadership development program designed to provide a rigorous nine-week summer legal internship. Our goal is to train law students who will rise to positions of influence and leadership as legal scholars, litigators, policy makers and judges . . . "

Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter – “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:12:20 +0000

The recent pastoral letter concerning marriage by the Catholic Bishops can be found here.

Strip club proposal to land in lap of new Detroit council

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:02:07 +0000

Detroit News: "The City Council delivered an early holiday present to strippers today, taking no action on proposed rules to require them to wear pasties and keep their distance from patrons."

U. of Neb. board votes down stem-cell rule changes

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:49:20 +0000

Breitbart (AP): "The University of Nebraska's governing board on Friday voted down a proposal to restrict the school's rules governing embryonic stem-cell research beyond what the federal government allows."

The European Court of Human Rights – Out of step on conscientious objection

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Forum18: "The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECHR) has recently made a very dangerous judgement for freedom of religion or belief in the Bayatyan v. Armenia case which puts it out of step with the international standards on conscientious objection to military service and with the Council of Europe's own human rights agenda, notes Derek Brett of Conscience and Peace Tax International http://www.cpti.ws in a commentary for Forum 18 News Service http://www.forum18.org."

Washington Times: Attorney general’s advisers have conflicts on detainee cases

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:11:57 +0000

Washington Times Exclusive: "According to documents obtained exclusively by The Washington Times, Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, No. 3 official in the Justice Department, had to recuse himself on at least 13 active detainee cases and at least 26 cases listed as either closed or mooted . . . And Mr. Perrelli is just one official; a number of other Justice Department officials apparently did private-sector work on detainee cases."

NJ Dem leader: Economy trumps “gay marriage”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:05:28 +0000

Ledger-Star: "Following a dust-up over gay marriage in which he said he was taken out of context, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney said it would be irresponsible for Democrats to bring a bill to vote if they are not sure it will pass."

Pentagon pick says he’ll explore ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:02:02 +0000

The Hill: "Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Clifford Stanley held back from saying what his recommendations would be to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the Clinton-era policy known as 'Don’t ask, don’t tell.'"

Who Knew I Was Not the Father?

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:54:30 +0000

"It was only when he learned that his ex-wife was about to marry the man who she said actually was the girl’s biological father that Mike flipped. Supporting another man’s child suddenly became unbearable."

No Surprise: Coed Dorms Fuel Sex, Drinking, and Pornography Use

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:49:29 +0000

Some 90 percent of U.S. college dorms are now coed . . .

“Astonishing falls in the fertility rate are bringing with them big benefits”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:33:13 +0000

Economist: "As our briefing shows, the fertility rate of half the world is now 2.1 or less—the magic number that is consistent with a stable population and is usually called 'the replacement rate of fertility'. Sometime between 2020 and 2050 the world’s fertility rate will fall below the global replacement rate."

U.S. agency ordered by 9th Circuit to provide same-sex benefits

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:29:19 +0000

Sacramento Bee: "Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Thursday ordered the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to quit interfering with health care benefits for federal judicial employees just because they are married to a person of the same sex."

9th Circuit upholds ordinance regulating church signs, but discrimination issue remains

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:24:41 +0000

Although we conclude the provision of the ordinance directly regulating Good News’ signs does not of itself violate the First Amendment, the district court did not address Good News’ claim that the ordinance unfairly discriminates among forms of noncommercial speech

Islamic nations want treaty to protect faith symbols

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:09:00 +0000

CBC: "Four years after cartoons of the prophet Muhammad set off violent protests across the Muslim world, Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery."

Robert Knight: Churches Gone Wild

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:06:48 +0000

Robert Knight writes at Townhall: "Jesus clearly limited Caesar’s reach. But government has a huge appetite for power and does not particularly like limits."

Online Federal Clerkship Applications at All-Time High

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:40 +0000

Law.com (The National Law Journal): "The federal judiciary saw a huge spike in online applications for clerkships from last year, according to a release from the judiciary. The Web site used by about two-thirds of all federal judges to find clerks saw 401,576 electronic applications between Oct. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009."

Archbishop John J. Myers: Legislators must protect traditional marriage

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:01:35 +0000

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark, NJ writes in the Star-Ledger: "Despite concerted and well-financed efforts to establish same-sex marriage in numerous states in recent years, most Americans know better. They won’t support it. In every state where same-sex marriage has been put to a vote of the people, the people have said 'No.' In fact, only a minority of Americans wants to redefine marriage, according to a CBS News/NY Times Poll conducted this past summer and reported on by both organizations. And support is falling, down almost 10 percent this year."

4 States Re-examine Marriage Amendments: KY, MI, OH, TX

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:42:36 +0000

Huffington Post: "Ohio state representative Tyrone K. Yates (D-Cincinnati), Kentucky state representative Mary Lou Marzian (D-Jefferson), and Michigan House Speaker Pro Tem Pam Byrnes (D-Washtenaw County) have all introduced legislation to repeal their state's respective marriage amendments."

Contraception education now part of “sex ed” policy in Collier County schools

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:51 +0000

Naples News: "The Collier County School Board approved changes to the district’s health education policy by a 3-2 vote Thursday night. Board members Pat Carroll and Steve Donovan dissented. The district’s old policy read that the curriculum should address an awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy. But a majority of board members thought that policy was too vague."

The Financial Crisis and the Challenge of Natural Law

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:18:26 +0000

Harold James writes at Public Discourse: "Is the current financial crisis simply a technical failure, or does it derive from some more basic problem? Economists may need to begin addressing fundamental questions concerned with value, and for that, they may turn to the natural law tradition."

Do hacked e-mails show global-warming fraud?

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:53:23 +0000

HotAir.com: "Controversy has exploded onto the Internet after a major global-warming advocacy center in the UK had its e-mail system hacked and the data published on line . . . those e-mails expose a conspiracy to hide detrimental information from the public that argues against global warming . . . "

Gary McCaleb on the Michael Medved Show: Freedom in the Pulpit

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:45:37 +0000

ADF attorney Gary McCaleb appeared on The Michael Medved Show to discuss the ADF Pulpit Initiative. The MP3 runs just over 32 minutes.

Nelson to support motion to proceed on Senate health care reform

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:08 +0000

"It is only to begin debate and an opportunity to make improvements. If you don't like a bill why block your own opportunity to amend it?"

Ethics Committee chides Burris for misleading statements on appointment

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:37:16 +0000

The Hill: "The Senate Ethics Committee has issued a 'qualified admonition' of Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) for making false and misleading statements in response to questions about his appointment to the Senate."

Mississippi: District opposes ACLU requests over gang symbols

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:34:23 +0000

Desoto Times: "The DeSoto County School District has asked a federal judge to reject the ACLU’s request to lift the suspension of a student accused of using gang signs at Olive Branch High School."

“Parental Choice in the Netherlands: Growing Concerns about Segregation”

ADF Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:51 +0000

The National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education at Columbia University has published this paper: 182. Parental Choice in the Netherlands: Growing Concerns about Segregation. 2009 Author: Helen F. Ladd, Edward B. Fiske, & Nienke Ruijs The Netherlands has a long history of parental choice and school autonomy. This paper examines why segregation by educational disadvantage has only recently emerged as a policy issue in the Netherlands. In addition, we document the levels and trends of school segregation in Dutch cities. We find segregation levels that are high both absolutely and relative to those in the U.S. cities. Current efforts to limit segregation in Dutch cities inevitably confront the deeply held Dutch value of freedom of education.

Archbishop Wuerl: Change language of same-sex “marriage” bill to protect religious freedom

Alliance Alert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:20 +0000

EWTN: "In an irenic Washington Post op-ed, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington called upon city council members to change the language in impending same-sex marriage legislation so that Catholic Charities could continue to offer adoption and foster care services without compromising Catholic moral teaching."