The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday night in Gateway City Church v. Newsom, (Sup. Ct., Feb. 26, 2021) issued an injunction that will allow petitioner churches to hold indoor worship services while their appeal is disposed of by the 9th Circuit and a petition for certiorari is filed and acted upon by the Supreme Court. In the case, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to enjoin enforcement, while the appeal is ongoing,…

In King v. New York, (ND NY, Feb. 26, 2021), a New York federal district court rejected a wife’s contention that New York’s no-fault divorce law violates the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses by infringing her Christian religious belief that marriage is permanent and cannot be dissolved by the state. The court said in part: … [A] finding that H. King must remain married against his will because of L. King’s religious convictions would defy…

In Valley Baptist Church v. City of San Rafael, (CA App., Feb. 26, 2021), a California state appellate court held that the “property taxation” exemption for property used exclusively for religious worship (California Constitution Art. XII, §3(f)) applies only to ad valorem taxes. Therefore plaintiff church was not exempt from the San Rafael’s Paramedic Tax which is assessed on the basis of property square footage, not property value.…

Korea JoongAng Daily reports that for the first time yesterday, Korea’s Supreme Court held that a non-religious conscientious objector is entitled to an exemption from annual reservist training: Reading the top court’s ruling, presiding Judge Lee Heung-goo said, “Although it is not based in religious belief, the defendant’s rejection of reservist training stems from a sincere conscientious objection grounded in his ethical, moral and philosophical convictions. We therefore see this as a justifiable application of…

In a decision handed down yesterday, Malaysia’s highest court– the Federal Court– imposed significant limits on the power of Malaysian states to enact Islamic legal prohibitions, including laws that ban homosexual relationships.  The court struck down Section 28 of the Shariah Criminal Offences (Selangor) Enactment 1995– a law of the state of Selangor that makes “sexual intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” a criminal offense under Shariah law. Sections 377…

In W.D. v. Rockland County, (SD NY, Feb. 22, 2021), a New York federal district court dismissed free exercise, equal protection and due process challenges to an order of the Rockland County Department of Health requiring children between 6 months and 18 years of age to be vaccinated against measles in order to enter any place of public assembly, including for educational or religious purposes. The order did not apply to children with medical exemptions,…