Personal Property Follows Real Estate

Religion Clause has the following post about a Virginia court ruling that Episcopal congregations that left the denomination cannot take their personal or real property with them. Break-Away Churches Want Court To Reconsider Personal Property Ruling

Slate: A Shunning in Seattle

Slate magazine has a thoughtful story about a former member of Seattle megachurch Mars Hill who instead of submitting to church discipline left. Church discipline, including shunning, is commonly litigated in the courts through defamation and similar claims. It is also an important issue for church leaders to deal with apart from the legal implications. This story gives a window into how Mars Hill handles these issues.
Read the story here: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2012/02/mars_hill_pastor_mark_driscoll_faces_backlash_over_church_discipline_case_.single.html

Catholic Bishops Speak up against Healthcare Law

Leaders of the Roman Catholic church have taken a very strong stance against a rule written under the new Affordable Car Act, including recently reading a letter in many congregations. The rule requires all employers, including religiously run hospitals, to provide insurance for contraception. The rule’s exemption for religious employers does not apply if the organization employs a certain number of people of different faiths.

Here is a collection of recent stories covering the controversy, including a very good piece on this morning’s Morning Edition by NPR’s Barbara Bradley Haggerty: 

• Catholic Bishops Revolt Against Birth Control Rules, Barbara Bradley Haggerty, Morning Edition Feb. 2, 2012  
• White House Press Secretary Responds To Bishops' Criticism of HHS Policy, Religion Clause, Howard Friedman, Feb. 1, 2012 
• Catholics hear anti-Obama letter in church, Brian Montopoli,CBS news, Jan. 30, 2012 
• Contraceptive mandate could face tough sledding in Supreme Court, David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2012  
• Obama Reaffirms Insurers Must Cover Contraception, Robert Pear, New York Times, Jan. 20, 2012