What I particularly love about this meltdown graduation speech is the apology for the sin of “worshipping the intellectual mind.”
Continue reading “Video: Graduation Prayer Meltdown”
Category: Religion
Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard recently survived worldwide calls by Muslims for his murder and a recent attack at his home by a Muslim with an axe. His newspaper the Jyllands-Posten daily newspaper has responded by effectively firing him — allegedly to avoid further death threats from extremists. If true, it is only the latest example of newspapers and publishers caving in to such threats, including the shameful act of censorship by Comedy Central and a similar act by Yale University Press.
Continue reading “Danish Newspaper Allegedly Forces Controversial Cartoonist Into Retirement in Wake of Threats From Muslim Extremists”
We have another case of religious homicide and a comparatively light sentence (For a prior column, click here). In the case of Javon Thompson, he was starved to death because he would not say “Amen” after meals. The mother received no jail time and five years probation.
Continue reading “Mother Starves 16-Month Baby To Death — Receives No Jail Time”
Today’s column is on the continued criminalization of adultery in states across the country. It is a critical battle over morality legislation in the United States.
Continue reading “Criminal Adultery: States Ponder The Continuation of Puritanical Laws”
There is a fascinating case in Minneapolis that raises some important free speech issues in an assisted suicide case. William Melchert-Dinkel, 47, was charged with two felony counts of aiding suicide under a Minnesota law that criminalizes even verbal encouragement of suicide. Adding to the novelty is the fact that state prosecutors are charging Melchert-Dinkel in deaths that occurred not only outside the state but outside the country.
Continue reading “Prosecutors Charge Former Nurse With Encouraging Suicide”
While a Saudi lawyer is suing in England over the Danish cartoon controversy (here), Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris has declared May 20th “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” Norris took the action after the shameful decision of Comedy Central to censor an episode of South Park after Muslims threatened to kill the creators of South Park for showing Mohammed in a bear suit.
Continue reading “Seattle Cartoonist Declares May 20th as “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day””
Muslim lawyers are continuing their campaign against Danish newspapers over those Mohammed cartoons, even after one newspaper, Politiken, apologized to Muslims. Now, in England, they have filed a lawsuit on behalf of 95,000 direct descendants of Mohammad over the cartoons filed in Denmark.
Continue reading “Saudi Lawyer To Sue In England Over Danish Cartoons on Behalf of the Descendants of Mohammed”
Another high-ranking Catholic priest has resigned in the wake of the child abuse scandal. In Belgium, the highest-ranking bishop Roger Vangheluwe, 73, the Bishop of Bruges, has resigned after admitting that he also engaged in child abuse.
Continue reading “Belgium Bishop Admits To Prior Child Abuse and Resigns”
Pope Benedict XVI is named in a new lawsuit on child abuse in a case that will test the claims of diplomatic immunity claimed by the Vatican’s lawyers, here. The claims stem from the alleged cover-up of abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in Wisconsin, Father Lawrence Murphy. The lawsuit seeks the names of potentially thousands of similar priests facing “credible allegations of sexual misconduct” against them.
Continue reading “Pope on a Rope: Benedict XVI Named in New Abuse Lawsuit”
We previously posted on the death threats levied against South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, here. 
The extremists appear to have succeeded. Comedy Central confirmed that they blocked out mention of Mohammad’s name and image in the later episode.
Continue reading “Not Funny: Comedy Central Accused of Self-Censorship of South Park”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the latest writers or artists to face death threats over a depiction of Muhammad. In this case, the threats are based on an image of Muhammad in a bear suit on the cartoon program “South Park.” Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee of RevolutionMuslim wrote on his Twitter account “May Allah kill Matt Stone and Trey Parker and burn them in Hell for all eternity. They insult our prophets Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses…”
Continue reading “South Park Creators Threatened With Death Over Depiction of Muhammad”
Ahmed bin Qassim al-Ghamidi is no longer the head of the religious police in Mecca. His offense is not corruption or nepotism or adultery. It is a single statement made in an interview in a newspaper where he suggested that men and women should be allowed to mingle in the district. He was immediately fired as head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. There will be no mixers in Mecca.
Continue reading “Saudi Head of Virtue Police Fired For Suggesting Men and Women Can Mix in Mecca”
Remember in high school feeling that that cute girl made the Earth tremble at your feet. It turns out that she does, at least according to Senior Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi.
Continue reading “Iranian Cleric: Women Causing Earthquakes with Their Revealing Clothing Styles”
Margie Phelps, the lawyer representing Westboro in the current Supreme Court case and daughter of the Church’s founder, has responded to my recent column on that case. Since I do not believe it was published, in fairness I am publishing it in full on the blog:
Continue reading “Phelps Responds To Westboro Column”
Below is my column this morning on conflicts forming around non-discrimination laws and free exercise. Much of the attention this term in the Supreme Court has focused on the campaign finance ruling striking down limits on corporate spending. However, an equally (if not more) important case has been given little attention before its oral argument on April 19, 2010. Christian Legal Society v. Martinez is the classic “sleeper case”: a case that has a low profile but could have a sweeping impact on our society. While the immediate issue is the refusal of the Hastings College of Law in California to recognize the Christian Legal Society (CLS) as an official student organization, it is a case that could address a growing conflict between anti-discrimination laws and the free exercise of religion. The question is whether anti-discrimination laws are themselves discriminatory against some faith-based organizations. Notably (while it was cut for space), we have followed other cases around the country and the world. This includes Philadelphia evicting the Boy Scouts from a historic building after over 70 years (here).
This is not a unique problem for the United States. For example, in England, the famous Jewish Free School (founded in 1732) denied entry to a student because he was not viewed as Jewish under orthodox rules since his mother was not Jewish as opposed to his father. (His mother converted to Judaism). An appellate court ruled that the use of such religious principles violated anti-discrimination laws and that the school had to admit students that it does not consider Jewish (here).
Universities have also struggled with the line between non-discrimination and religious values. Harvard recently was criticized for setting aside time in a student gym for only women to accommodate the customs of Muslim women who could not exercise in the presence of males (here).
Here is the column: