RELIGION HEADLINES

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(SRN NEWS) – Early voting has begun in Wisconsin for a seat on the state Supreme Court.  The election is viewed by some analysts as a kind of proxy for the nation’s political battles and it has attracted a lot of funding from outside the state.  The Wisconsin court is set to consider cases involving abortion and redistricting.  The election will determine whether the court remains under liberal control or flips to a conservative majority.  Regular in-person voting will take place on April 1st with experts saying the race is too close to call at this point. 

Yeshiva University in New York has agreed to recognize an LGBT student club after years of legal disputes that at one point reached the Supreme Court.  The iconic Jewish school says it has reached an agreement with the students to end the litigation and will officially recognize the club, which will “operate in accordance with the approved guidelines of Yeshiva University’s senior rabbis.”  The club, in a separate statement, confirmed the agreement and said it will enjoy the same privileges as other student organizations on the New York campus. 

The Texas state Senate has advanced bills that would require public school classrooms to display the 10 Commandments and allow districts to provide students with time to pray during school hours.  The votes are the latest sign of confidence by conservative lawmakers that courts will codify their opposition to church-state separation into federal law and spark a revitalization of faith in America.   Republican Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston says “Our schools are not God-free zones.  Litigious atheists are no longer going to get to decide if students exercise their religious liberties.” 

Syria has a new interim constitution, and it is based on Islamic law.  International Christian Concern reports that the document, which will govern Syria for five years, states that “Islamic jurisprudence will be the principal source of all legislation and the president must be Muslim.”  The constitution also proclaims religious freedom and says it will protect minority faith groups in the country.  Syria’s small Christian minority is waiting to see what the new government, formed by an Islamic militia group, will do to deliver on its promises of religious tolerance.