Category: Religion

Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Lewis: God Cleared Me Of The Double Murder Charges

211px-Ray-Lewis-2008-Steelers-regseason-game

god
god

I enjoyed the Superbowl yesterday, which proved a classic game with the 49ers roaring back in the second half for a close game. However, the thing that most captured my attention was an interview shortly before the game by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis is the face of the Baltimore Ravens and many have complained that he is hardly an inspiring figure given his prior indictment for a double murder. Lewis was asked about this continuing controversy and he came up with a curious claim of proven innocence: God cleared him. It appears that in sports and morality, nothing succeeds so much as success.

Continue reading “Lewis: God Cleared Me Of The Double Murder Charges” →

Justice, Religion, Society

A Start Or Plan B? Cardinal “Disciplined” Over Handling Of Child Sexual Abuse Cases [UPDATED]

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony
His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony

I suppose you’d have to say better late than never – but not much better. So much “not much better,” that some are questioning it’s veraciousness.  In an unprecedented move, Roman Catholic officials in Los Angeles have relieved their retired cardinal of public and administrative duties after the court-ordered release of 12,000 pages of documents pertaining to child sexual abuse at the hands of L.A. area priests. Cardinal Roger Mahony presided over the flock since the mid-1980s in the largely Hispanic and deeply religious world of southern California Catholics.  The documents reveal a steady stream of complaints of sexual abuse by priests under Mahony’s charge as well as cries for help. They response from the good cardinal was silence. 192 priests were eventually named in the ensuing litigation and the abuse spanned decades.

Continue reading “A Start Or Plan B? Cardinal “Disciplined” Over Handling Of Child Sexual Abuse Cases [UPDATED]” →

Constitutional Law, Religion, Supreme Court

7th Circuit Enjoins Contraceptive Coverage Mandate

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

7th circuitIn Grote v. Sebelius, (7th Cir., Jan. 30, 2013), a 2-1 decision by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an an injunction, pending appeal, where the defendants are enjoined from enforcing the contraception mandate against the Grote Family and Grote Industries. Grote Industries is a privately held, family‐run business headquartered in Madison, Indiana. Members of the Grote Family are Catholic and operate their business according to the “precepts of their faith, including the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding the moral wrongfulness of abortifacient drugs, contraception, and sterilization.”

Continue reading “7th Circuit Enjoins Contraceptive Coverage Mandate” →

Criminal law, International, Religion, Society

Retreating Islamic Militants Burn Ancient Manuscripts And Destroy Temples

220px-Large_bonfireWe have another shocking act of cultural destruction by Muslim militants in Mali. As Islamist insurgents retreated from Timbuktu, they set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless historic manuscripts — some dating back to the thirteenth century. They also destroyed statues and temples in the name of Allah.

Continue reading “Retreating Islamic Militants Burn Ancient Manuscripts And Destroy Temples” →

Congress, Criminal law, Justice, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized

The War on Women Continues in Ohio

Flag_of_Ohio_svg

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger

Last week we read Prof. Turley’s article concerning a bill proposed in New Mexico that attempts to make it unlawful for a rape victim to have an abortion because it would be akin to destroying the “evidence” of the rape claim.  While that bill is an insult to women and right thinking men everywhere, I submit that it is further evidence that the longest “war” on record, is still going strong in this country.  One of the most controversial examples of how women in general and rape victims in particular,  can be turned into the criminals by the public and even the police and prosecution is the case of an alleged gang rape in August, 2012,  in Steubenville, Ohio.

The victim was a 16-year-old girl who after passing out at a party from drinking and/or date rape drugs was allegedly repeatedly raped and abused by members of the Steubenville Big Red football team. The details of what the victim endured are both heartbreaking and disgusting.  I apologize in advance for the lurid details, but they are necessary to fully understand how egregious the attacks were and how egregious the post crime attacks on the victim and her family were. Continue reading “The War on Women Continues in Ohio” →

Religion, Torts

The Limits Of Catholic Morality

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

catholic healthOn New Year’s Day 2006, 31-year-old Lori Stodghill, seven months pregnant with twin boys, was vomiting and out of breath. She called her obstetrician, Dr. Pelham Staples, and he instructed her to go to the emergency room at St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, Colorado. Her husband Jeremy, drove her to the hospital where Lori later suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing due to a pulmonary embolism. Staples never ended up coming to the hospital. Lori’s unborn sons stayed with her.

Continue reading “The Limits Of Catholic Morality” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics, Religion, Society

Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Illinois Cross Case

BaldknobcrossThe U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to hear a challenge by an Illinois atheist to the use of public funds to renovate the 111-foot-high Bald Knob Cross of Peace on the highest mountain in Southern Illinois. The court never considered the merits because Robert Sherman was found to have no standing to bring the lawsuit. I have previously written about my opposition to the Supreme Court’s narrow definition of standing — rulings that effectively insulate some constitutional violations from review as in our lawsuit against the Libyan war.

Continue reading “Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Illinois Cross Case” →

Bizarre, International, Religion

Legos or Logos? Turks Protest Latest Lego Set

Screen-shot-2013-01-25-at-10.21.08-AM220px-İstanbul-AyasofyaAustria’s Turkish community has launched an international campaign against Lego because it insists that a Lego model sold as “Jabba’s Palace” is based on the sacred Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul. It is a curious argument since the only similarity is the use of a classic domed palace structure. I have been to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (which is spectacular) and I fail to see the clear duplication. Ironically, the original church was dedicated to the Logos not the Legos, which might be the source of the confusion.

Continue reading “Legos or Logos? Turks Protest Latest Lego Set” →

Bizarre, International, Politics, Religion, Science

Paleontological Perversity? Saudi Religious Police Shutdown Dinosaur Exhibit

220px-Marasuchus170px-Ministry_of_Interior_Saudi_Arabia.svgThe Saudi Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is a religious police force that has been a constant presence in the Kingdom arresting woman having coffee with colleagues or forcing young girls to burn to death in fire rather than run out without their scarves. Now the religious police in Dammam marched into a popular dinosaur exhibit and shut it down without any explanation of why the dinosaurs threatened the virtue of good Muslims.

Continue reading “Paleontological Perversity? Saudi Religious Police Shutdown Dinosaur Exhibit” →

Religion, Science, Supreme Court

Hobby Lobby CEO Files Lawsuit

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

hobby-lobbyOklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby’s founder and CEO David Green has filed a lawsuit challenging the health care mandate to provide what Green “believe[s] are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance.” Green goes on to say: “Being Christians, we don’t pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don’t cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill.”

The District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma denied Green’s motion for a preliminary injunction The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied the applicants’ motion for an injunction and Justice Sotomayor also denied the application for an injunction pending appellate review.

Continue reading “Hobby Lobby CEO Files Lawsuit” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Sister Wives Case Now Set For Final Ruling

240px-sister_wives_tv_series_logoI am still in Salt Lake City, but we have had a great number of inquiries on yesterday’s hearing in the Sister Wives case. The two motions for summary judgment were argued with the state presenting its case through lead counsel Jerry Jenson and my presenting the case for the Brown family. Judge Clark Waddoups was obviously well-versed in the record and asked probing and fair questions to both sides. He has now taken the case under review for a final decision on the merits. I prefer not repeat or comment on statements in court from either myself or the judge. A few articles from the hearing are linked below.
Continue reading “Sister Wives Case Now Set For Final Ruling” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Federal Court Set To Hear Final Arguments In Sister Wives Case

On Thursday, the federal court in Salt Lake City is set to hear final arguments in the Sister Wives case. The hearing on the motions for summary judgment will be heard on Thursday, January 17th at the federal courthouse in Room 102 before Judge Clark Waddoups. The Brown family has challenged Utah Code Ann. § 76-7-101 (West 2010) under seven constitutional claims, including due process, equal protection, free speech, free association, free exercise, the establishment of religion, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. As lead counsel, I am limited in what I can say about the case publicly beyond the statement below.

Continue reading “Federal Court Set To Hear Final Arguments In Sister Wives Case” →