-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
In the rural Iranian town of Shahmirzad, Muslim cleric Hojatoleslam Ali Beheshti encountered two girls on his way to the local mosque for noon prayers. The cleric confronted the two girls and admonished one of them to cover herself more completely. “She responded by telling me to cover my eyes, which was very insulting to me,” Beheshti said.
Continue reading “Iran Cleric Learns The Benefit Of Covering Up”
I am still in Utah for a speech and I have spoken to many people here about the current presidential campaign. Many locals here have expressed dismay over the missteps of the Romney campaign. However, David Twede, 47, a scientist and managing editor of the online magazine MormonThink.com, says that his criticism of Mitt Romney has led to his being called to account — and possible excommunication — from the Church of Latter Day Saints. The fifth-generation Mormon says that Church elders demanded names of other Mormons with which he was working on the site. He says he was told “Cease and desist, Brother Twede.” The controversy has now been reported on the Washington Post, Huffington Post and a number of other sites – though primarily as a political story. From a legal standpoint, the case raises a classic conflict between free speech and free exercise that we have discussed in other areas.
Now here’s a question. What do you get for the groom who has everything? Apparently disciples of Jesus may have faced that dilemma after analysis of a centuries-old papyrus fragment refers to the “wife” of Jesus — possibly Mary Magdalene. The fragment, written in Coptic, states “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife …”
Continue reading “A Marriage Made In Heaven? Ancient Papyrus Fragment May Refer To Jesus’ Wife”
Muslim extremists have destroyed another religious shrine. We have previously discussed the destruction of these sites which are importantly not just religiously but historically. This time it is the tomb of a Muslim saint, Cheik El-Kebir, in Mali. Using hammers and picks, twelve members of the Islamic Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) destroyed the ancient shrine.
Continue reading “Muslim Extremists in Mali Destroy Another Islamic Shrine”
We have received a lot of requests for the briefing just filed in the Sister Wives case in Salt Lake City. As lead counsel, I am limited in what I can say about the case publicly. However, here is the final brief on the merits of the case, which is limited to 25 pages of argument under the local rules.
Continue reading “Brown Family Files Final Brief On Summary Judgment”
Various sites are reporting a bizarre and troubling story that the principal of the Beaumont Independent School District’s Taylor Career and Technology Center in Texas shutdown its adult cosmetology class after concluding that one of the male students looked gay. Principal Thomas Amons is being accused of shutting down the whole program because he allegedly knew he could be charged with singling out the one student on the basis of presumed sexual orientation. An instruction. Amons is a deacon at a Baptist church.
Three U.S. congressmen and a high-ranking government official gathered this week to praise a man heralded for his morals and leadership. That man is L. Ron Hubbard and Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Indiana Republican Rep. Dan Burton, Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis and Liz Gibson, Senior Program Manager at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gathered to celebrate his legacy.
Continue reading “Lawmakers and Federal Official Gather To Praise Hubbard And Scientology”
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Even as we watch the violent collision of politics and religion at American embassies around the world, here at home Presidential politics took a decidedly religious turn. Mitt Romney, trailing in several decisive purple states, has resorted to the “God Card.” Capitalizing on the omission (and later reinsertion) of God into the Democratic Party platform, Romney has recently added God into his stump speech, “I will not take God out of my heart, I will not take God out of the public square, and I will not take it out of the platform of my party.” [Insert Amen! here].
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
A press statement issued in the name of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, condemns the attacks on the mission in Benghazi. Also include in the statement is:
The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.
What is deplorable is that nowhere in the statement is a commitment to free speech that goes back to the very beginning of our nation. Continue reading “Deplorable”
Our erstwhile ally in Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is responding to the brutal murder of U.S. ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other embassy staff in Benghazi on Wednesday. Stevens was reportedly suffocated to death by the attacking mob which attacked the consulate because of a small film shown in the United States that was deemed as insulting to the Muhammad. Karzai then offered his own take on the murders by denouncing the “inhuman and abusive act” of the . . . filmmakers.
Continue reading “Karzai Denounces Filmmakers for the Murder of Americans in Libya”
Lenoir City High School is teaching its students a chilling message about free speech and journalistic freedom. Earlier in the year, the school barred Krystal Myers, an honor student and editor of the school newspaper, from writing a provocative article on being an atheist at a Christian school entitled “No Rights: The Life of an Atheist”. It is the type of article that can generate some insightful discussion among high schools, but School Director Wayne Miller censored the entire article to protect the school from “disruption.” Now, the school has reportedly transferred journalism teacher Richard Yoakley for the offense of merely supporting atheist and gay students at the school. He quit in response to the pressure.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Paul Ryan, Republican nominee for Vice President, said he believes that states should have the right to determine if prayer in public schools is allowed. In response to a question from a campaign volunteer, Ryan said that’s “a constitutional issue of the states.” Prayer in public schools is a hot-button issue for religious conservatives. Was Ryan simply pandering to the Republican base or does he truly not support the separation of church and state?
Continue reading “Ryan: Prayer In Public Schools Is A State Issue”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
We have previously discussed the case of Rimsha Masih, an 11-year-old girl who was accused of burning pages of a Quran. In an unusual turn of events, an imam at an Islamabad mosque, identified as Khalid Jadoon Chishti, has been arrested and charged with blasphemy for planting torn pages from a Quran in Rinsha’s trash bag which contained ashes.
Continue reading “Muslim Cleric Arrested For Framing Christian Girl”
Over objections over academic freedom and free speech, the California State Assembly passed a controversial resolution (HR 35) that calls on universities to crackdown on criticism of Israel. Passed by a voice vote, the resolution includes language that equates criticism of Israeli policies and actions as “anti-Semitism.” While the resolutions original purpose is laudatory and does include clear expression of anti-Semitism, its drafters decided to include criticism of Israel and its human rights record in a measure that at a minimum chills free speech by professor and students alike. Drafted by Republican Linda Halderman, there was no hearing or debate allowed on the resolution. Just a voice vote.
We have previously seen Muslim clerics instruct men on how to beat their wives in an Islamically correct way. Egyptian cleric Abd Al-Rahman gave the latest installment on Al-Nas television — affirming the need for men to beat their wives as did Mohammad.