Category Archives: law

A Note on the Religious Test Clause

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution provides that “…no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” The confirmation wars and culture wars of the past couple of decades … Continue reading

Posted in law | Comments Off on A Note on the Religious Test Clause

“Three Parent” Babies? No, More Like 2.001 (If That)…

Bioethicists are, for the most part, a pretty presumptuous bunch: who on earth do they think they are? In this case, however, highlighted by the Washington Post, they have got things right: An elite panel of scientists and bioethicists offered … Continue reading

Posted in law, Science & Faith | Tagged , , | Comments Off on “Three Parent” Babies? No, More Like 2.001 (If That)…

Free Speech is not a ‘European Value’

The Local (Spain): [Three Spanish feminists] are facing charges for crimes against religion for mimicking Spain’s Easter processions – replacing the Virgin Mary with a giant plastic vagina. Three women who carried a giant plastic vagina during a march to … Continue reading

Posted in Church & State, law | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Free Speech is not a ‘European Value’

Multiculturalism, Free Speech: Choose One?

National Secular Society: Labour MP Keith Vaz has expressed his support for the reintroduction of UK blasphemy laws – provided they “apply equally to everybody.” His comments were reportedly made at an event organised by the Muslim Council of Britain … Continue reading

Posted in law, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

Jerry Brown Gets It Right

Credit where’s credit is due: I am not exactly a member of the Jerry Brown fan club, but the California Governor’s decision to sign his state’s cautiously drafted assisted suicide law (perhaps too cautiously: to take one example, those with … Continue reading

Posted in Church & State, law, politics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Towards a more Balkanized America: Kim Davis & The Flight Attendant

While there is something more than a little unattractive about the relish with which the jailing of Kim Davis, the errant county clerk (a Democrat, as it happens) unwilling to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, has been celebrated … Continue reading

Posted in Church & State, law | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Cult of Suffering

In the course of commenting over on the Corner to a list of the ‘ten best revolutionaries’ (yes, the list was as dumb as you can expect), I included an extract from Paul Berman’s excellent Slate response to The Motorcycle … Continue reading

Posted in law, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Cult of Suffering

Against the “Ultimate Indignity”

The Economist is a magazine (or ‘newspaper’ as it likes to style itself) that has badly lost its way, abandoning the quirky classical liberalism of a three or four decades ago for a bien pensant Davos liberalism that is as … Continue reading

Posted in law | Tagged | Comments Off on Against the “Ultimate Indignity”

Religious Liberty!

Balkanization moves on merrily along. WABC: – A man is suing Costco for religious discrimination. He tells Eyewitness News exclusively that when he refused to work with pork, the major retailer sent him outside to gather carts. “Just because you … Continue reading

Posted in law | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Brittany Maynard’s Choice

Brittany Maynard died tragically young, but with dignity and in as much control as an unkind fate had allowed her, taking advantage of the law in Oregon that allowed her to obtain a prescription for the barbiturates that would end … Continue reading

Posted in law | Tagged , , | 2 Comments