Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:
- The Third Circuit held that a Pennsylvania prisoner’s free exercise rights were not violated when he was deprived of chaplain visits for ten days, since the prisoner failed to file a request slip in accordance with procedures and did not explain how the lack of visits adversely impacted his practice of religion.
- The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump’s executive order permitting state and local governments to turn away refugees; the suit was filed by the religious non-profit organizations that claim the order violates the Refugee Act of 1980.
- The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a juror in a federal fraud case who stated the Holy Spirit told him the defendant was not guilty; the opinion noted that the juror based his decision on a “perceived divine intervention.”
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee indicated he would sign a bill to protect adoption agencies that refuse to place a child for foster care or adoption in a home that is in “violation of the agency’s religious convictions or policies.”
- Pope Francis named Francesca Di Giovanni as Secretariat of State, making her the first woman to hold a managerial position in the Vatican.
- The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas held that an attorney has standing to challenge the practice of Texas judge who invites chaplains to hold a prayer service in the courtroom before calling his docket for the day.
- Air Force General John “Jay” Raymond was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence using a Bible, drawing criticism from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which called it a “repulsive display. . .of Christian supremacy.”
- The U.K. Minister of Defense issued an apology to service members whose sexual orientation was outed by military chaplains; the chaplains violated the seal of confession and informed military superiors that military members were lesbian, gay, or bisexual.
differences, what can we learn about the interaction between religion and migration? Do faith-based organisations play a role within the refugee regime? How do religious traditions and perspectives challenge and inform current practices and policies towards refugees? This volume gathers together expertise from academics and practitioners, as well as migrant voices, in order to investigate these interconnections. It shows that reconsidering our understanding and approaches to both could generate creative alternative responses to the growing global migration crisis. Beginning with a discussion of the secular/religious divide – and how it shapes dominant policy practices and counter approaches to displacement and migration – the book then goes on to explore and deconstruct the dominant discourse of the Muslim refugee as a threat to the secular/Christian West. The discussion continues with an exploration of Christian and Islamic traditions of hospitality, showing how they challenge current practices of securitization of migration, and concludes with an investigation of the largely unexplored relation between gender, religion and migration. Bringing together leading and emerging voices from across academia and practice, in the fields of International Relations, migration studies, philosophy, religious studies and gender studies, this volume offers a unique take on one of the most pressing global problems of our time.