Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:
- The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a Louisiana abortion law from taking effect until Feb. 7 to give the justices more time to review the filings.
- A resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to grant asylum to Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian who was recently acquitted of blasphemy charges by the Pakistan Supreme Court.
- The House Natural Resources Committee kept “so help you God” in the oath administered to witnesses testifying before the panel after an apparent effort to remove the language sparked anger among Republicans.
- The European Court of Human Rights rejected the appeal of twice-excommunicated bishop Richard Williamson for his 2010 conviction of inciting hatred for comments he made denying the Holocaust during a televised interview.
- An Alabama lawmaker introduced a bill that, if passed, would require public schools to offer Bible literacy courses as an elective.
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Thursday that requires public schools to teach LGBT history.
- The Colorado House Health and Insurance committee approved a bill that, if passed, would require school districts that provide sex education courses to teach a curriculum that includes more than abstinence-only.
- The Kenyan Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that had allowed female Muslim students to wear headscarves in Christian schools.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos addressed the President’s Conference of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and spoke of their faith as an integral part of their work as government leaders.
- 14 Catholic dioceses in Texas released a list identifying 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children.
- India’s Supreme Court denied bail to Sister Concelia of the Missionaries of Charity, who is accused of cooperating in the sale of a child.
- A federal magistrate judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the city of Tampa (FL) from banning conversion therapy for minors because it violates therapists’ free-speech rights under the First Amendment.
- The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill outlawing the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure, except in the case of a medical emergency.
- A founder of Denver’s International Church of Cannabis was ordered to pay a fine of $71 after being found guilty of public marijuana consumption and violating the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act.
- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel agreed to reconsider her predecessor’s opinion about whether the state’s civil rights act includes protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- The Lansdale Public Library (PA) hosted a story time reading program with local drag queen “Annie Christ” as protestors and counter-protestors clashed outside.
- Members of the UK’s House of Lords withdrew an amendment to a bill on marriage and civil partnerships that would have removed an exemption for members of the clergy who do not wish to conduct same-sex weddings.
- NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended the Reproductive Health Act amid criticism from Catholics and religious leaders by saying that he was “not here to legislate religion.”
- Several leaders of pro-life organizations wrote to President Trump, urging him to follow through on his campaign promise to defund Planned Parenthood.
- The Kenai Peninsula Borough agreed to pay the ACLU $80,000 in attorney’s fees resulting from litigation over the borough’s prayer policy, which was found to violate the Alaska Constitution’s establishment clause.
- A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with vandalism of the Swaminarayan Temple in Louisville (KY).
- Follow up from Thursday’s AtW: A federal judge denied the stay of execution sought by Alabama death row inmate Domineque Ray, who claimed prison officials are violating his religious rights by not permitting his Muslim spiritual advisor to be with him in the execution chamber.