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Religious Persecution in America
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An Historic Example Of Judicial Activism: The Cantwell Case Religious News & Views from 2007 Religious News & Views from 2006 An Unusual, But Appropriate Christmas Message Conrad McEachern, Thomas E. Brewton’s friend of 55 years, sent him the link to this powerfully moving performance. Religious News & Views Click headline for full story December 2007
Green Bay Removes Nativity Scene, But Not Lawsuit 12-28-07 -- (AP) -- An organization of atheists and agnostics won't drop its federal lawsuit against the city of Green Bay even though the nativity scene that sparked the suit was taken down from City Hall Wednesday morning. . . . The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation will continue with its suit, which co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor expected would be officially filed Wednesday or Thursday. . . . Even if the city argues that the issue is moot since the display is gone, "we want a court ruling that they can't do it again," Gaylor said. . . . Their lawsuit claims the display depicting the birth of Jesus is an unconstitutional governmental endorsement of religion. Among other things, it asks a federal judge to declare the city's actions a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
12-17-07 -- Officials in an Arizona town have been told they can call their Christmas tree a Christmas tree, and if someone complains, they'll get advice from the Alliance Defense Fund, an activist legal organization. . . . The organization said it has sent a letter to the town of Queen Creek, affirming that the use of the word "Christmas" does not violate the Constitution. . . . "The American people, common sense, and the Constitution are clearly winning the war on Christmas waged by the Left," said Gary McCaleb, ADF senior counsel. "Unfortunately, the misguided belief that we must sanitize Christmas to keep from offending a small segment of the population exists." . . . Residents of the Arizona town recently had bombarded officials with dozens of e-mails asking that the tree, now known as the "holiday tree," which was donated by a local family, be returned to its original Christmas tree designation. . . . The tree stands outside city hall and is part of a tree-lighting ceremony held by the city.
Dems: Amen to Ramadan, but forget about Christmas 9 House members praise Islamic faith, won't recognize Christian observance
12-14-07 -- Only weeks after voting for a resolution that "recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world," nine Democrats in the U.S. House refused to vote for a Christmas resolution that condemns the worldwide persecution of Christians. . . . U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., was on the list of those who endorsed the statement recognizing Islam but refused to support the Christmas resolution that noted the holiday "is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and around the world." . . . The Christmas resolution, like the Ramadan resolution, decried the violence that targets religion around the world. . . . A spokesman for DeGette told WND her vote was because the Ramadan resolution, which she endorsed, was about "rejecting religious extremism and promoting of religious tolerance." . . The spokesman, Chris Aaron, however, said DeGette is a "strong supporter of separation of church and state and her view was that Congress should not favor one religion over another. . . . "She felt this resolution (recognizing Christmas and condemning persecution of Christians) promoted Christianity over other religions," he told WND. . . . Other Democrats who supported the acknowledgment of Islam's Ramadan but refused a similar recognition for Christianity's Christmas included Gary Ackerman and Yvette Clarke of N.Y., Alcee Hastings, Fla., Barbara Lee, Fortney Stark and Lynn Woolsey, Calif., Jim McDermott, Wash., and Robert Scott, Va. . . . Both resolutions, carrying similar wording, ultimately were approved. But the American Family Association of Pennsylvania also raised the issue of representatives supporting Ramadan, but refusing to offer the same support for Christmas.
Find out who's censoring Christmas 12-12-07 -- Shoppers who want to find out which retailers are "censoring Christmas" can consult a list of the "good, the bad and the ugly" released by Focus on the Family Action, the political activist arm of the group founded by James Dobson. . . . The Colorado Springs-based organization commended Amazon.com, American Eagle Outfitters, JC Penney, L.L. Bean, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Sears and Wal-Mart, among others, for specifically referring to Christmas in promotions and advertising . . . Focus on the Family also lists "U-turn retailers" that have "provided token acknowledgment of Christmas after initially neglecting its mention." . . . "Such changes came only after various groups and consumers voiced their feedback."
The Orange Grove: Church / state wall goes just 1 way A 60-year-old ruling has helped turn the Establishment Clause on its head
12-12-07 -- Atheist Michael Newdow is renewing his legal attack against God. This month, he argued before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance make requiring students to say it unconstitutional. . . . This case is a sequel. The 9th Circuit accepted Newdow's reasoning in an earlier case, but the Supreme Court overturned it in 2002 on the unrelated issue that Newdow lacked standing to sue. That issue has been resolved, so Newdow is back, also arguing that "In God We Trust" on our currency violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. . . . Newdow's argument, despite the 9th Circuit's previous acceptance, is logically flawed. It is based on a phrase – separation of church and state – that appears nowhere in the Constitution and whose meaning is a far cry from "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It ignores that God – the Creator and source of our inalienable rights – is in the Declaration of Independence. And it ignores a vast array of our founders' words and actions, during the Revolutionary period and in governing under the Constitution, that reveal they did not share Newdow's objections.
12-10-07 -- If you haven't seen my “God v. Atheism” debate with philosopher Daniel Dennett, you can view it at Tothesource.org. You should read the comments in response to the debate both on my AOL blog as well as on the atheist site richarddawkins.net. From the atheists you hear statements like this: "D'Souza is a goddamned idiot." "Odious little toad." "D'Souza is full of s**t." "A smug, joyless twit." "Total moron." "Little turd." "Two-faced liar." Etc, etc. Now admittedly the topic of God v. atheism can be an emotional one, but you will find no comparable invective on the Christian side. Why then are so many atheists so angry? . . . One reason I think is that they are God-haters. Atheists often like to portray themselves as "unbelievers" but this is not strictly accurate. If they were mere unbelievers they would simply live their lives as if God did not exist. I don't believe in unicorns, but then I haven't written any books called The End of Unicorns, Unicorns are Not Great, or The Unicorn Delusion. Clearly the atheists go beyond disbelief; they are on the warpath against God. And you can hear their bitterness not only in their book titles but also in their mean-spirited invective.
L.A. County's religion-free seal Squabbles over a cross once found on the emblem have done little but divert attention from more pressing issues.
12-10-07 -- It is part of a decades-old ritual in Los Angeles elementary schools: the classroom discussion of the county seal and its beloved constituent parts, like the cow (named "Pearlette"), the galleon (the "San Salvador") and the tuna fish (unnamed). . . . Just kidding. Until three years ago, pretty much no one knew (or cared) what was on the Los Angeles County seal. That changed when the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California targeted a tiny cross in the seal's upper right-hand corner, next to two tiny stars, just above the tiny Hollywood Bowl. Too religious, the ACLU lawyers said. Get rid of it or we'll sue. . . . The county offered up a new cross-less seal that also banished the Roman goddess Pomona (we can't show favoritism to pagans, you know) and replaced oil derricks with a cross-less view of Mission San Gabriel. People went berserk. The deaths of inmates in county custody, or patients at county hospitals, or children in county-supervised foster homes attract only a fraction of the invective that the change to the ridiculously insignificant county seal brought.
Both sides cheer court's prison program ruling
12-5-07 -- (BP)--Both sides of a church-state legal battle found something to celebrate in a federal appeals court's opinion on a Christian ministry in an Iowa prison. . . . The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis, ruled Dec. 3 that a federal judge was correct in deciding the state's support of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative operated by Prison Fellowship violated the bans on government establishment of religion in both the U.S. and Iowa constitutions. The court, however, reversed the part of Judge Robert Pratt's 2006 decision that ordered Prison Fellowship to shut down the program and return to the state $1.5 million it received to help run it. . . . Both sides indicated they do not expect to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, The Washington Post reported. Court: Iowa Can't Fund Prison Ministry Judges Find Rehabilitation Program Unconstitutional Without Secular Option
12-5-07 -- A federal appeals court said yesterday that the state of Iowa violated the U.S. and Iowa constitutions by funding an evangelical prison ministry to rehabilitate inmates and not providing a similar secular program for prisoners. . . . It was not immediately clear how the ruling, which came from a three-judge panel that included retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, might affect the millions of dollars that come from the White House's faith-based office to public programs around the country. Both sides in the dispute involving Newton Correctional Facility found something to cheer about in the appellate court's ruling, and both said they are unlikely to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Judges endorse faith-based prison program
12-5-07 -- A federal appeals court has ruled that a voluntary faith-based prison program that has proven effective in reducing recidivism by half can move forward at an Iowa prison. . . . "We are grateful to the Eighth Circuit for refusing to handcuff people of faith who are helping corrections officials turn inmates' lives around," Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley said. "What was at stake here, at its heart, is public safety. The keys to reducing recidivism and protecting the public from repeat offenses are the very kinds of effective rehabilitation and re-entry services provided by the InnerChange Freedom Initiative." . . . "Prison inmates face daunting odds: statistically, two-thirds of them will be rearrested within three years of their release," said Sen. Fred Thompson, a candidate for the GOP nomination for president. "As a society, we must do something to reduce this number and help returning inmates break the cycle of crime. . . . "Prison Fellowship's program has already demonstrated great promise. This ruling will allow faith-based prison programming to continue in order to improve the odds of successful re-entry into society," he said. . . . The ruling, by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Judges Roger Wollman and Duane Benton sitting as a panel for the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, reversed major parts of a district judge's earlier ruling. . . . U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt had decided in a 2006 lawsuit brought by Americans United for Separation of Church and State that the InnerChange Freedom Initiative plan in an Iowa prison was illegal, and ordered it closed down. He also ordered IFI to repay the state of Iowa $1.5 million it was paid for contract services from 2000-2006. Newdow's Pledge Arguments Get New Recital Before 9th Circuit
12-5-07 -- Stephen Reinhardt and Dorothy Nelson have to decide just how far they want to go. . . . The two 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges, along with their colleague Carlos Bea, heard arguments Tuesday morning in two incredibly divisive cases: one involving the use of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the other dealing with the phrase "In God We Trust" on American currency. . . . Bea gave strong indications he would side with the government in both cases against atheist plaintiff Michael Newdow, and find the language constitutional. The question, then, becomes whether Reinhardt and Nelson will side with Newdow in both cases and spark another conservative uproar by striking down parts of what many Americans view as pure patriotism. . . . Newdow may have a tougher climb with his "In God We Trust" case than his Pledge arguments. Right off the bat, Nelson asked whether the establishment clause was really meant to prevent the creation of an official church and not to remove God from every public reference.
November 2007
Atheists and their lackey judges
11-30-07 -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 4 will again hear a challenge by Michael Newdow to the Pledge of Allegiance and its phrase "under God." Newdow won his prior lawsuit against the pledge until the Supreme Court, perhaps to avoid public outrage in the 2004 presidential election year, tossed out his case on a procedural technicality. . . . Newdow's first case caused a national uproar when he initially prevailed, but Congress failed to seize the day by withdrawing jurisdiction from the courts over this issue. Instead, Congress took away from courts jurisdiction over lawsuits against gun manufacturers and, at the urging of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., over lawsuits by environmentalists against clearing brush in South Dakota. . . . The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is notoriously hostile to religion, so it could give us another anti-pledge decision. Atheism has spread in influence to where it controls many federal courts, many public schools and now even Hollywood, with the atheistic movie "The Golden Compass" promoted for Christmastime entertainment. . . . Classical music with religious names was banned at graduation by Everett School District No. 2 in Washington state. The school ordered that only "secular" music would be allowed even though there were no lyrics or words spoken, and a federal court held against the students. . . . Judge Robert S. Lasnik, who was appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton in 1998, wrote the decision. Lasnik was the same judge who struck down a Washington state law banning video games that demonstrated how to kill policemen and wrote in his decision that violent video games are "as much entitled to the protection of free speech as the best of literature."
Judge Jones Admits the Activist Nature of
11-21-07 -- Federal judges don’t ordinarily travel around the country speaking about their judicial rulings, but Judge Jones is no ordinary federal judge. While promoting the PBS-NOVA special on intelligent design, he recently appeared the Lehrer Newshour, where he made striking admissions that demonstrate the activist nature of the Kitzmiller ruling. . . . Two hallmarks of judicial activism are (1) the tendency to resolve questions outside the scope of the judiciary, which are best left to other branches of government, and (2) the intent to make policy and influence parties outside of the case. Judge Jones’ own admissions on the Lehrer Newshour demonstrate that both of these criticisms correctly apply to his Kitzmiller ruling. . . . Judge Jones’ Expansive Intrusion into Legislative Questions . . . First, Judge Jones admitted that a key question his ruling answered was whether intelligent design was “good science,” and he states that “after six weeks of largely expert testimony, I came to the conclusion that it simply was not good science” (emphasis added). This proves his judicial activism because it shows that, in his mind, a key question was not the constitutionality of Dover’s policy in particular, but rather a broad sweeping question about whether ID is “good science,” something that is totally inappropriate and unnecessary for the federal judiciary to answer in such a case over the constitutionality of a science curriculum. As I co-wrote with David DeWolf and John West in Montana Law Review, Judge Jones confused the proper question he was supposed to answer.
Atheist Group Plans To Appeal Judge's Ruling To Allow Cross Memorials For Fallen Troopers
11-21-07 -- A national atheist group plans to appeal a judge's ruling that allows 14 white steel cross memorials to remain alongside Utah highways to honor fallen troopers. . . . American Atheists Inc. claims that the crosses represent the death of Jesus Christ and violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits government establishment of religion. . . . "How any judge can look at a Roman cross and say it's not the pre-eminent symbol of Christianity is beyond me," said Dave Silverman, a spokesman for the group. . . . U.S. District Judge David Sam on Tuesday ruled that the crosses send a secular, not religious, message.
Atheist renews challenge to 'under God' Rejected by Supreme Court on technical grounds but finds new plaintiffs
11-19-07 -- California atheist activist Michael Newdow is renewing his fight to remove reference to God from the Pledge of Allegiance, this time with a suit filed on behalf of an anonymous New Hampshire couple against a school district. . . . The couple, an agnostic and atheist with three children, say in their complaint that they "generally, deny that God exists" and contend their constitutional rights are violated when school authorities require their children to "participate in making the purely religious, monotheistic claim that the United States is 'one nation under God.'" . . . Newdow previously sued over the inclusion of "under God" in the pledge, but his claims were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004 on technical grounds. The self-described atheist said he did not want his third-grade daughter to have to listen to the phrase "under God" in a public school. . . . Five justices, however, found Newdow did not have the legal standing to bring the case. He never married the child's mother, who has expressed support for having "under God" in the pledge.
Judge stops enforcement of silence law A federal judge put a stop Thursday to enforcing a mandatory moment of silence in Illinois public schools that opponents say is an attempt to institute school prayer. . . . U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman ordered the State Board of Education not to enforce the new law while a lawsuit filed by the father of a public school student proceeds. On Wednesday, the judge issued a preliminary injunction barring the moment of silence in that student's suburban Chicago school district. . . . The practical effect of the ruling in the rest of the state's school districts will be negligible for now: The law includes no provisions for enforcement, says Matt Vanover, spokesman for the state Board of Education. . . . Gettleman said the statute is vague and might violate the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from promoting religion. . . . The judge "understands that there is no motive for a moment of silence except a religious one," says Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Hope for Christian Law Students 11-14-07 -- Imagine you are a young conservative and are enrolled in or admitted to an American law school. Now imagine that you are also a Christian and dare to support traditional values. What will law school be like? And what kind of legal education will you get? Your suspicions are probably right. . . . If you simply go to class and read the assigned casebooks, the prospects are not good. At most American law schools you will find a culture that heralds abortion and same-sex “marriage,” mocks Justices Scalia and Thomas, and believes that judges should serve as “superlegislators” and enact liberal policy preferences for the “common good.” . . . The prospects for Christians in law school are even worse. Christianity is often ridiculed, the religious heritage of the Founders is ignored, and many Christian Legal Society chapters have been harassed or decertified for “discriminating” against non-Christians—that is, for requiring that officers be professing Christians. . . . So what are conservatives and Christians to do? . . . For starters, these students need to respectfully counter the liberal, “living Constitution” model provided in American law schools with constitutional theories that are actually consistent with the Founding Fathers and a Christian worldview. The Blackstone Legal Fellowship promotes and energizes this endeavor. Anti-Christian Bias In Education
11-9-07 -- For more than a dozen years, I have been working to expose anti-Christian bias within America’s popular curriculum. But it wasn’t until I ran across a copy of Curriculum Standards for Social Studies,[1] published by the National Council for the Social Studies under a US Department of Education grant, that I realized the force of law was now driving the agenda. . . . According to the NCSS standards, “[I]t is clear that the dominant social, economic, cultural and scientific trends that have defined the western world for five centuries are rapidly leading in new directions.”[2] The dominant trends that defined Western civilization are of course, the Judeo/Christian worldview. So what does this mean for social studies? The NCSS explains, “The United States and its democracy are constantly evolving and in continuous need of citizens who can adapt… to meet changing circumstances. Meeting that need is the mission of the social studies.”[3] . . . Can it be any clearer? Rather than teach America’s history and founding principles for the preservation of American liberty and Western Civilization, the new mission of social studies is to prepare our children to accept the transformation of America. In fact, the NCSS are missionaries of a new religion operating in the field of American education. Unlike Christians, these particular missionaries have government backing, free reign with captive children, and operate under the guise of “education” – and thus under the radar of most Christians.
Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village 11-7-07 -- Chinese officials have announced athletes who compete in the 2008 Beijing Games will be banned from having Bibles in their Olympic village housing, and even visitors are being warned not to bring more than a single Bible with them when they come to China. . . . According to a report from the Catholic News Agency, Bibles will be among the list of "prohibited objects" for athletes at the Beijing housing complexes being built now for the thousands of athletes expected to participate. . . . "According to the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, organizers have cited 'security reasons' and have prohibited athletes from bearing any kind of religious symbol at Olympic facilities," the report said. . . . Also banned will be video cameras and cups, the report said. . . . "The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule was one of a number of 'signs of censure and intolerance' towards religious objects, particularly those used by Christians in China," the report said. "Currently in China five bishops and 15 priests are in prison for opposing the official [government-run] church."
October 2007 Now, God banished from Washington Monument
Historic cap engraving 'Laus Deo' out of sight 10-25-07 -- The National Park Service has banished God from a key display of America's Christian heritage in Washington, and a California pastor who regularly leads teams of visitors to see markers of the nation's religious history wants Him restored. . . . The reference is an engraving of "LAUS DEO," which is Latin for "Praise be to God," and is on the east side of the 100-ounce aluminum cap of the Washington Monument. . . . Since the actual inscription on the cap, which on the other three sides provides other information, is unviewable atop the 555-foot stone column, the National Park Service has created a replica, which is on display inside the white-colored obelisk of marble, granite and sandstone.
Mom’s religion dominates custody hearing
10-10-07 --A Maryville woman who went to court on Aug. 14 for a child custody hearing says she was persecuted because of her religious beliefs at the hands of the Blount County judicial system. . . . According to Jo Anne White, what was supposed to be a standard child custody hearing turned into an almost hour long “Bible study” in the courtroom in spite of the repeated protests of her attorney, Kevin W. Shepherd. . . . After a detailed discussion of her religious beliefs — documented in court reporter transcripts obtained by The Daily Times — and a brief recess to chambers, Blount County Circuit Court Judge W. Dale Young awarded temporary custody of White’s two children to her ex-husband. The custody will be reviewed again in Circuit Court on Dec. 11. . . . While Young questioned White about one specific aspect of her religion, attorney Craig Garrett, who represented White’s ex-husband, asked numerous probing questions about her faith. Of the 65 pages of court transcripts reviewed by The Daily Times, 41 pages deal directly with White’s religious beliefs.
Why Are Perverts, Illegal Aliens & Terrorists By Dr. Laurie Roth Ph.D., NewsWithViews.com 10-5-07 -- Is our primary goal in this country to ease the pain of complainers, whiners, terrorists, criminals and accommodate evil? In response to our "freedom" and the endless ACLU and CAIR law suits, we are to take those hideous memorial crosses down, wipe out any picture of Jesus that has been in a tradition in a school for 30 years, and understand that faith in God must go! We aren't to really report suspicious and scary behavior with Islamic folks acting weird or saying strange things because that's a syndrome of hate or Islamaphobia. Call your therapist! . . . Faith in God and our Christian heritage can't be seen in public these days. It can be displayed however somewhere else….in the ancient fossil collection in a few museums! After all, an atheist's feelings were hurt with "In God we Trust" on our money and that idiot pledge of allegiance…."one nation under God". Everyone knows its "one nation under the sexually confused Goddess." . . . Even though we are a nation founded on Judeo, Christian beliefs and tradition, just a few months back you may have heard of the case in Georgia. They put a stop to sex offenders having to stay 1000 feet away from schools and bus stops. It was violating there rights you know….too much to ask! They might have to buy binoculars to case out our children and some can't afford that! We wouldn't dream of making people who would violate our kids and rip out their hearts, adjust at all! . . . I have watched for years now, our children NOT learning about our Christian heritage, our persecution and insanity with religious displays and teaching sewage as the new system of morals! We all know that condoms and gay fairy tales snuck in school libraries don't hurt or confuse little kids…..just traditional morals, history and Jesus. . . . On top of it all, as we see the vicious assault on the most basic rights of freedom of speech for Christians! At the same time we see apparent indoctrination of the Muslim Religion in schools scattered across our land. Of course, try quoting John 3:16, put out a manger scene or pray before the ball game and you are toast. Lawsuit here we come! Sadly we have watched the ridiculous struggle of some chaplains, men of God, fighting to pray in Jesus name. I reference Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt who has been on my show many times. You might recall that he was court marshaled because he prayed in Jesus name in front of the White House Steps with Judge Roy Moore and dared to talk on Rom: 8 and pray in Jesus name again at a memorial service of one of our troops who was a Christian. No one would dream of taking away the rights of a Buddhist or Muslim chaplain to pray how they pray, so how come our military has made the feelings of a few whiners the issue and not the ministry needs of our many Christian soldiers. They only face life and death. Why trouble them with references to Jesus Christ….only the guts and centerpiece of the Holy Bible they believe in and take comfort from!
Two court employees suing over Bible study Group meetings at courthouse barred
10-3-07 -- Two San Diego court employees are suing the Superior Court because they say they have been prohibited from holding a lunch-hour Bible study in the courthouse. . . . The federal civil rights suit claims court officials unfairly denied the group's request to meet in an empty courtroom or jury deliberation room. . . . The lawsuit says the Bible study group had met in the courthouse regularly since 2000, but in April 2006, court officials banned the meeting, saying it violated court policy. . . . Mindy Barlow, one of two plaintiffs in the case, said yesterday that the lawsuit isn't about money. ---------------------------------- The complaint (full text) in Barlow v. Superior Court of California, (SD CA, Oct. 2, 2007) alleges that various First and 14th Amendment rights of plaintiffs have been infringed. It says defendants have permitted non-religious groups to use court facilities for non-court related events or meetings.
Judges weigh whether city's emblem religious Las Cruces, N.M., man says cross is; city calls symbol historic
10-3-07 -- Three Latin crosses displayed on the official city emblem of Las Cruces, N.M., are the subject of a legal battle over the U.S. Constitution's treatment of religion and its proper place in government. . . . The fight made its way to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday as a three-judge panel heard arguments from lawyers representing the city and Paul Weinbaum, a resident who is fed up with the seal. . . . Weinbaum sued Las Cruces because he believes the town has violated the Constitution in "endorsing Christianity" on city vehicles, police officers' patches and on the podium of the City Council. . . . City officials say the crosses are not religious symbols. They simply represent the city's Spanish name, which translates to "The Crosses." . . . Last year, a U.S. District Court judge in New Mexico dismissed Weinbaum's lawsuit, ruling that "a city may make use of images that have a religious connotation as long as the primary or principal effect is not to endorse religion." . . . Now Weinbaum is hoping that judges in Denver will see things his way.
3rd Circuit to Hear Appeal of Prayer Lawsuit Over High School Coach's Actions Coach's lawyer had argued that bowing and genuflecting are secular coaching techniques for fostering team unity
10-3-07 -- When a high school football coach tells his players to get on bended knee and bow their heads for a moment of silence before a game, is he violating the Establishment Clause by ordering the students to engage in prayer? . . . Or, instead, would the school district be violating the coach's First Amendment rights if it ordered him to stop the practice because parents had complained? . . . Those are the questions that a three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- Theodore A. McKee Jr., Maryanne Trump Barry and D. Michael Fisher -- will be facing today in an appeal from a New Jersey federal judge's ruling in favor of the coach. . . . According to court papers, Marcus Borden has been the head football coach and Spanish teacher for 23 years at East Brunswick High School in New Jersey. . . . In 2005, Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro learned from parents that Borden had a practice of "taking a knee" and bowing his head at team dinners and in the locker room before football games. She promptly issued a policy directive ordering him to stop. . . . But Borden instead went to court and sought an injunction preventing the school district from enforcing the directive.
September 2007
Answer to Lawsuit Against God Shows Up, but No One Knows Who Filed It
9-21-07 -- God has apparently responded to a lawsuit filed by a Nebraska lawmaker, and one of the filings seems to have dropped in from the heavens. . . . "This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here, poof!" said John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha. . . . The response was one of at least two to a lawsuit filed against God last week by state Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, the state's longest-serving lawmaker. . . . Chambers said in his five-page lawsuit that God has made terroristic threats against him and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants." . . . The self-proclaimed agnostic is seeking a permanent injunction against God. . . . Signed by "God," the response filed Wednesday argues the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and that the court lacks jurisdiction over God. . . . Blaming the Almighty for human oppression and suffering misses an important point, it says.
Nebraska State Senator Sues God
9-19-07 -- Fed up with the threats and tired of natural disasters, the state of Nebraska's longest-serving senator is using his legal muscle against who he says is the culprit: God. . . . State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, Nebraska, sued God in Douglas County District Court last week. . . . The senator says in his lawsuit that God has made terroristic threats against him and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants." . . . Chambers also says God has caused "fearsome floods ... horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes." . . . Chambers, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, said he filed the lawsuit to show that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody. . . . That, he said, was recently illustrated by another lawsuit that triggered his lawsuit.
Can the Alabama 'Ten Commandments' Judge Rise Again?
9-7-07 -- Ousted Alabama judge Roy Moore is waging war on church-state separation -- and you won't believe the far-out folks who are helping him. . . . Most lawyers and other Americans, says Roy Moore, don't understand the First Amendment's church-state provisions because they've "been indoctrinated in something that is not true." Speaking at a "God & Country Patriotic Celebration & Conference" in Maryland in July, Moore claimed law professors and judges are leading people astray. . . . "They say God must be separated from life," Moore insisted. "As a Christian, God can't be separate from life. God has everything to do with law." . . . If you thought that former Alabama Chief Justice Moore had slinked off into a dark corner after being ejected from his state's Supreme Court, you thought wrong. The man known to many Americans as the "Ten Commandments judge" may be bowed, but he's far from broken.
A picture of Jesus that critics said violates the U.S. constitution's separation of church and state can remain on the wall at a south Louisiana courthouse because it has been placed with other portraits of figures in legal history, a federal judge ruled Friday. . . . U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle said he would have ordered the Jesus picture removed had it remained prominently on display by itself in the lobby of Slidell's city courthouse. The American Civil Liberties had gone to court asking for its removal. . . . "As much as we might like the image, I might make a copy and frame it in my house," Lemelle said. "But I'm not going to display it in my courtroom" or in the courthouse lobby. August 2007 |
