RELIGION HEADLINES

(SRN NEWS) – Maryland’s Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of a 2023 law that ends the state’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits.  The legislation was adopted after a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report, which is nearly 500 pages, included details about more than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the archdiocese abusing over 600 children.  The archdiocese quickly filed for bankruptcy to protect its assets ahead of an anticipated deluge of litigation. 

New York’s Democratic governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill to shield the identities of doctors who prescribe abortion medications, days after a physician in the state was charged with prescribing to a pregnant minor in Louisiana. The new law, which took effect after it was signed Monday, allows doctors to request for their names to be left off abortion pill bottles and instead list the name of their health care practices.  Last week Louisiana indicted Dr. Margaret Carpenter and her company for allegedly prescribing abortion pills online to an underage girl. 

A Bible verse will be removed from the entrance of a new jail in central Michigan after critics said it was a government endorsement of religion. “Blessed are the peacekeepers for they shall be called the children of God” was prominently displayed at the Isabella County criminal justice center.  Sheriff Michael Main says he wanted to honor first responders and law enforcement, not promote religion.  The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, the leading atheist organization in the country, had threatened to launch a lawsuit if the verse stayed up. 

A man arrested for firing a shotgun outside an upstate New York synagogue shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 has pleaded guilty to federal charges.  Mufid Fawaz was arrested after shots were fired outside Temple Israel of Albany.  The Iraqi-born man was shouting “Free Palestine” when officers arrested him and later told investigators that he felt affected by events in the Middle East. Under a deal with prosecutors, the 29-year-old has pleaded to obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, amongst other charges.