They’re Back!!

High School Football Fans Fill Stands With Biblical Verses

 

The New York Times reported yesterday that high school football fans in a Georgia town have found a way to respond to the school district’s ending the practice of cheerleaders carrying banners with Biblical quotations onto the field. As previously reported, Fort Oglethorpe High School, concerned about potential litigation, ended the 8-year old tradition of the players breaking through paper banners painted by cheerleaders with New Testament verses. Cheerleaders switched to banners carrying secular slogans.” But now, fans calling themselves “Warriors for Christ” (a take-off on the team’s name), have filled the stands with their own signs carrying Biblical verses, along with others reading “You Can’t Silence Us” and “Living Faith Outloud.” The fans have also held large rallies and sold more than 1,600 T-shirts carrying passages from Deuteronomy and Timothy. Also at last week’s game, led by students, the team prayed on the 50 yard line before play began. The team captain shouted “In Jesus Name!” as players broke out of a huddle. The Times commented: “the backlash demonstrates the difficulty of separating church and state in communities, especially in the South, where many prefer the two merged.”

Assignment for October 26, 2009

Read Chapter Four-Equality Under the Constitution- of Sullivan, the required text.

I will hand out the 2nd short written assignment during class tomorrow.

Colbert’s Satirical Review of Arguments In Sunrise Rock Cross Case

There has been much commentary on last week’s oral arguments before the Supreme Court in Salazar v. Buono– the case involving the Sunrise Rock Cross located in the Mojave Preserve war memorial . (See prior posting.) In paticular pundits have focused on Justice Scalia’s questioning. (St. Louis Post Dispatch.) Stephen Colbert’s satirical take on the arguments is among the more interesting reactions to Scalia. Thanks to Don Byrd for pointing out this video clip:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Thanks to Religious Clause

Group Challenges Constitutionality of IRS Parsonage Allowance Provisions

The Freedom from Religion Foundation and 21 of its members, represented by Michael Newdow, filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the constitutionality of two provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that give special tax deductions to “ministers of the gospel.” the complaint (full text) in Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Geithner, (ED CA, filed 10/16/ 2009) alleges that Sections 107 and 265(a)(6) of the Revenue Code violate the Establishment Clause by discriminating against secular organizations and excessively entangling the government with religion because determinations whether the sections apply turn on religious criteria and inquiries.

Section 107 exempts from income the rental value of a parsonage, or the amount of a parsonage allowance, furnished to a “minister of the gospel.” Section 265(a)(6) allows a minister of
the gospel to claim deductions interest and property taxes, even though the money used to pay such amounts was received from a church in the form of a tax-exempt §107 allowance. The concern is not a literal interpretation of “minister of the gospel”– courts have not limited application of these IRS regulations to Christian denominations. (Background). Instead the objection is to the requirement that to be deductible, the parsonage allowance must be received as compensation for service performed in the exercise of a religious ministry. This requires an examination of whether the clergy person is performing religious worship or conducting the activities of a religious organization.

The lawsuit also challenges Sections 17131.6 and 17280(d)(2) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code which track the federal provisions being challenged. ABC News 10 reported on the lawsuit.

Assignment for October 19, 2009

Please finish reading Chapter 3 of the required text by Sullivan.  We shall conclude our discussion of “Freedom of Religion”.

Many of you have still not submitted your research paper topic to me by email.  It is due tomorrow.  If you put some thought into selecting your topic, writing your paper will be easier.

If you need help, consider reading “Coming Up with Your Topic” from the Dartmouth Writing Program:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/topic.shtml

Assignment for October 4, 2009

Please read  Chapter Three (3) of the required text-Sullivan.

Reminder:  You must email me your topic for the research paper on or before October 19, 2009.

Red Mass: lobbying high court or simple prayer service?

By Bill Mears
CNN Supreme Court Producer

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Chief Justice John Roberts attend Red Mass in 2005.

Read entire article.

The Torture Archive

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/torture_archive/index.htm

83,000 digitized pages of items related to torture might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this invaluable resource created by The National Security Archive at The George Washington University is a real gem and an important research tool. Released in August 2009, The Torture Archive contains primary source documents related to the “detention and interrogation of individuals by the United States, in connection with the conduct of hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.” The project started in 2006 with support from the Open Society Institute, and this archive brings together many documents which are currently available in different places on the Internet. On the site, visitors can view an interactive timeline of related events and search the entire database of documents by title, date, organization, or keywords. Additionally, some parties will want to watch the documentary film “Torturing Democracy“, which is available here as well.

***
Hat Tip to the Internet Scout Report. To subscribe to the Scout Report in text or HTML format, go to:
http://scout.wisc.edu/About/subscribe.php

* Supreme Court to Take Up PATRIOT Act with Review of Case on Humanitarian Assistance to Groups on Terror List *

In its first-ever review of the PATRIOT Act, the Supreme Court has announced it will decide the constitutionality of a controversial anti-terrorism law that makes it a crime to give any form of aid, including humanitarian assistance, to groups on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. The Supreme Court case centers on a lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of the Humanitarian Law Project. “Democracy Now” speaks to David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor and attorney in the case.

Listen/Watch/Read

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/1/supreme_court_to_take_up_patriot

U.S. v. Stevens – Ask an Attorney

On October 6, the United States Supreme Court will directly address the issue of animal cruelty for the first time in more than fifteen years. Last week, ALDF invited our supporters to send in questions about United States v. Stevens, a case involving the sale of dogfighting videos. In this Q & A session, ALDF Attorney Matthew Liebman answers your questions and clarifies the complexities of this important case.

Read ALDF’s U.S. v. Stevens Q & A session.