Some interesting law & religion stories from around the web this week:
- On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, which concerns the constitutionality of prayers at local government meetings. It is the first time in 30 years that the Supreme Court has taken a case involving legislative prayer
- Christians on a committee rewriting Egypt’s constitution threatened to walk out on Thursday after disputes over portions dealing with Islamic Law
- On Tuesday, The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Pakistan declared that human cloning and sex change are un-Islamic acts, but that test tube babies are allowed under certain conditions
- A Minneapolis-area school bus driver was fired after leading children in Christian prayers on his bus. He is also a pastor and claims he has been praying with children without incident for many years
- The Illinois House has approved a bill to allow gay marriage. The bill will now go to Gov. Pat Quinn, who has said he will sign it into law
- A New Jersey couple is suing Governor Chris Christie, claiming the state’s law banning gay conversion therapy violates their constitutional rights to free speech, religious freedom, and the equal protection of the laws, because it prevents them from seeking treatment for their 15-year-old son
- The New Jersey school district that banned religious Christmas carols last week has reversed its decision. School children will now be allowed to sing pieces with traditional and historical religious origins
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the owners of Freshway Foods, who objected to providing insurance coverage for their employees for contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The court ruled against the corporations, who have asked the Supreme Court to take the case
- China claims it will stamp out the voice of the Dalai Lama in Tibet
- Later this month, Pope Francis will receive Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Last weekend, over 4,500 rabbis gathered in Brooklyn for the Annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries