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Between 2010 and 2012, lawmakers in at least 32 states introduced bills to ban state courts from considering foreign or religious laws in their decisions.
On Monday, the Oklahoma Senate passed a bill intended to prevent the use of foreign law in state courts. The bill contains language from model legislation designed to limit the use of sharia, or Islamic law. A new interactive map details similar bills introduced or enacted in 32 states between 2010 and 2012.
On Nov. 20, a Pakistani court ordered blasphemy charges dropped against a Christian teenager who had been accused of burning pages from the Quran. A new Pew Forum analysis finds that as of 2011 nearly half the countries and territories in the world have laws against blasphemy, apostasy or defamation.
Between mid-2009 and mid-2010, religious restrictions rose not only in countries that began the year with high or very high restrictions, such as Indonesia and Nigeria, but also in many countries that began with low or moderate restrictions, such as Switzerland and the United States. The report looks at restrictions due to government actions as well as acts of violence and intimidation by private individuals, organizations and social groups.
A new survey report finds that Catholics who are aware of U.S. bishopsโ concerns about restrictions on religious liberty generally agree with the bishopsโ concerns. Yet there are no significant differences in the presidential vote preferences between Catholic voters who have heard about the bishopsโ protests and those who have not.
Restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose in 23 of the worldโs 198 countries (12%), decreased in 12 countries (6%) and remained essentially unchanged in 163 countries (82%) between mid-2006 and mid-2009, a new Pew Forum report shows. More than 2.2 billion people โ nearly a third of the worldโs population โ live in the 23 countries with increasing government restrictions or social hostilities involving religion.
Whenever churches or religious organizations find themselves involved in civil litigation, courts first must determine whether the First Amendmentโs religion clauses bestow a unique legal status on religious organizations that puts some of their decisions and actions beyond the reach of civil laws.
Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center