Tag

Religious Freedom

All articles tagged with #religious freedom

legal21 hours ago•3 min saved

UK Woman Faces Trial Over Silent Prayer in Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a 49-year-old Christian activist from Malvern, has pleaded not guilty to five new charges in Birmingham, England, for silently praying near an abortion clinic. The charges stem from alleged breaches of the Public Order Act within a 150-meter buffer zone established in October 2024. Her legal team argues the prosecution constitutes 'thought policing' and violates human rights, while prosecutors maintain the case concerns intent to interfere with abortion services. A judge is expected to decide next month whether the case proceeds to trial, potentially not before January 2027.

via Fox News|

#abortion-buffer-zones #birmingham-magistrates-court #isabel-vaughan-spruce

politics11 days ago•3 min saved

Hegseth Establishes Direct-Report Office to Elevate Military Religious Affairs

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), a new entity reporting directly to him to advocate for military chaplains and secure funding for spiritual support. The office aims to bypass bureaucratic barriers that Hegseth claims previously sidelined religious services, though critics argue it disproportionately elevates Christian influence within the military.

via Military Times|

#defense-policy #military-chaplains #pentagon

world1 month ago•126 min saved

Hong Kong Court Upholds Cardinal Zen Conviction in Security-Era Crackdown

A Hong Kong court upheld Cardinal Joseph Zen’s 2022 conviction over fundraising for the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, a case tied to Beijing’s security crackdown that has curbed protests and shaken civil liberties in the territory. Zen and others say the case underscores broader limits on freedoms, including religious liberty, even as authorities defend the security law as necessary for stability.

via AP News|

#cardinal-zen #freedom-of-expression #hong-kong

us-news1 month ago•25 min saved

Maine Court Upholds Dad's Authority Over Daughter's Church Attendance in Custody Fight

Maine’s top court upheld a custody ruling that granted the father decision-making power over whether his daughter could attend his evangelical Calvary Chapel church, banning the mother from taking her to church or reading the Bible. The court said exposing the child to negative messages about the other parent was harmful and rejected the mother’s First and Fourteenth Amendment challenges; Liberty Counsel said it will seek US Supreme Court review.

via New York Post|

#child-custody #family-law #maine

politics1 month ago•14 min saved

Texas Treats Everyday Muslim Practices as Political Threats

In Texas, routine Muslim religious practices—prayer, hijab, religious arbitration, and even mosques—are increasingly framed as political threats, with officials launching investigations and using funding leverage against Muslim groups. The move is part of a broader pattern of Islamophobia in U.S. politics post-9/11, though scholars stress that sharia is not a rival legal system and private religious arbitration operates within the bounds of state law.

via The Conversation|

#islamophobia #mosques #politics

world1 month ago•1 min saved

Jerusalem Nun Assault: Attacker Cleared Due to Mental Health Finding

A man who attacked a French nun in Jerusalem was acquitted on mental health grounds, drawing condemnation from the French Consulate and Israeli officials over concerns about religious coexistence and rising hostility toward Christianity in the city.

via BBC|

#jerusalem #mental-health-acquittal #nun-attack

world3 months ago•4 min saved

Kenya Court Rejects Rastafari’s Narrow Cannabis Exemption Bid

Kenya’s High Court has dismissed the Rastafari Society of Kenya’s bid to legalise cannabis for religious worship, upholding the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and finding no solid evidence that cannabis is an essential element of Rastafari faith. The judge said any exemption would require a sound constitutional basis and called for frank, national discussion on cannabis; the group plans to appeal the ruling as penalties for possession, cultivation, etc., remain under the current law.

via BBC|

#cannabis #high-court #kenya

courts-and-law3 months ago•22 min saved

Supreme Court narrows Rastafarian’s ability to sue over forced dreadlocks

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Damon Landor, a Rastafarian inmate, cannot sue Louisiana prison officials in federal court for forcibly shaving his dreadlocks in violation of a court order; the decision, grounded in procedural legal techniques, marks a departure from recent expansions of religious freedoms and leaves Landor’s related state-law claims intact.

via The Washington Post|

#courts-and-law #dreadlocks #prisons

law3 months ago•2 min saved

SCOTUS narrows damages route in Rastafari dreadlocks case

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Damon Landor cannot pursue damages under RLUIPA against individual Louisiana prison officials who shaved his dreadlocks, limiting the law’s reach to cases involving state or local actions and not claims against individual officials. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority that RLUIPA does not permit suits against non-consenting officials, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing the decision undermines prisoners’ religious rights. The 2020 incident at Raymond Laborde Correctional Center involved officials handcuffing Landor and shaving his head despite his Nazirite vow and religious objections, with the state noting policy changes to prevent similar issues for Rastafari prisoners.

via NBC News|

#law #prison-policy #rastafarian

world3 months ago•3 min saved

Crackdown on China's underground church deepens with two leaders detained

Police raided the Early Rain Covenant Church in Jiangyou during Sunday service, detaining two leaders and interrogating more than 30 congregants (including children); most were later released after identity checks, highlighting ongoing government pressure on underground churches in China.

via BBC|

#china #early-rain-covenant-church #police-raid

politics4 months ago•7 min saved

Hegseth's DoD reshuffle exposes the cracks in Christian nationalism

This opinion piece argues Hegseth's 'streamlining' of DoD religious designations to favor Christian labels exposes Christian nationalism as incoherent and exclusionary, revealing intra-Christian tensions (notably with Mormons) and a broader threat to religious freedom as the movement defines who counts as 'American'.

via Salon.com|

#christian-nationalism #department-of-defense #mormons

health4 months ago•3 min saved

US Realigns Childhood Vaccination Schedule with Peer Nations’ Best Practices

The White House issues an executive order directing the CDC and ACIP to review and update the U.S. core childhood vaccine schedule to reflect best practices from peer, developed countries, emphasizing public trust and parental authority; vaccines remain fully covered by private insurance and public programs, and states are guided to align policies with the updated schedule while protecting religious freedom and equal protections.

via The White House (.gov)|

#acip #cdc #health

world4 months ago•35 min saved

European Court Finds Turkey Violated Greek Orthodox Clergy Rights

The European Court ruled against Turkey in a Greek Orthodox clergy rights case, finding that Ankara violated the rights of the Greek Orthodox Church and its clergy, a decision highlighting religious freedom and potentially impacting Turkey–Greece relations and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

via GreekReporter.com|

#clergy-rights #european-court #greek-orthodox

politics4 months ago•2 min saved

Thousands Attend National Mall Prayer Rally as Founding-Faith Debate Envelops 250th Anniversary

Thousands gathered on the National Mall for Rededicate 250, a daylong Christian-centered prayer rally tied to the United States' 250th birthday, with Trump and evangelical leaders expected to speak. The event highlighted a ongoing debate over whether the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, drawing pushback from religious-progressive groups who emphasize religious freedom and church-state separation; a Jewish rabbi and other faith leaders attended to represent religious diversity. Organized by Freedom 250 with White House backing, the rally faced scrutiny from Democrats over the nonprofit’s structure and finances, while counterprogramming and protests were planned by secular and faith-based critics.

via PBS|

#evangelicalism #politics #prayer-rally

immigration5 months ago•26 min saved

Trump moves to seize Mount Cristo Rey land for border barrier near El Paso

The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit to seize 14 acres at Mount Cristo Rey, a Catholic shrine near El Paso, to install border barriers and surveillance technology. The Diocese of Las Cruces says the move violates religious freedom and would damage a sacred site visited by thousands yearly; the government says the land is needed to secure the border and has offered about $183,000. Separately, construction of 30-foot border barriers south of the mountain is underway under a $95 million contract, highlighting a broader push to use eminent domain for border security.

via The Texas Tribune|

#border-wall #el-paso #eminent-domain