Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009, Page 64
The Supreme Court of Canada in July ruled 4-3 that the Alberta government has the right to
demand that members of two Hutterite communities must be photographed in order to
receive driver‘s licenses. The Hutterites believe that the Second Commandment‘s ban on
―graven images‖ prohibits their photographs being taken willingly, so they sued the province
for infringing on their religious freedoms and because a failure to get licenses would
threaten their communal lifestyle. The court said: ―The negative impact on the freedom of
religion of colony members who wish to obtain licenses does not outweigh the benefits
associated with the universal photo requirement.‖ The Hutterite attorney suggested that the
community might agree to photographs if the pictures were mandated, and thus not
―willingly‖ posed.
The California Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by Los Angeles of 1998 and 2001 federal
court decisions holding that members of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (Hare Krishnas) have a right, sanctioned by the California Constitution, to
distribute literature and speak to travelers in pre-screening open areas at Los Angeles
International Airport, but not to solicit money. The sect‘s lawyer now argues that the
Krishna‘s solicitation rights might even extend beyond the airport‘s metal detectors and
onto the planes, so long as the soliciting Krishnas have tickets. Much of the oral argument is
over whether the airport is a ―public forum‖ according to the state constitution. This
question will probably be considered in light of the U.S. Supreme Court‘s 1979 decision to
uphold a ―reasonable ban‖ on solicitation, following its ruling that airports are nonpublic
forums under the federal constitution.
The Supreme Court of Canada in June ruled 6-1 that ―mature minors,‖ that is, certain
children under the age of 16, can legally refuse medical treatment, but only if they are
deemed capable, after very careful consideration and assessment by authorities, of
understanding the nature and consequences of their medical decisions in extremely serious
cases. The decision arose in the context of an appeal by a young Jehovah’s Witness who
was forcibly transfused three years ago, at the age of 14. She failed to persuade the court
that Manitoba‘s law permitting child-welfare authorities to apprehend and force her to
undergo blood transfusions violated her religious rights. The June decision included new
guidelines to help settle legal conflicts over court-ordered medical procedures.
Surveys indicate that many Americans think God can help heal their illnesses, and that
three-quarters believe God can cure those whom medical science has failed. Yet many
doctors see religion and spirituality as barriers to medical care. A holistic approach, on the
other hand, asks physicians to understand the role of religion and spirituality in patient
care, and such considerations are now beginning to inform medical education. Physicians
responding to one survey frequently noted Jehovah‘s Witnesses and Orthodox Jews as
especially concerned with the spiritual aspects of healthcare. ―It is important for
[physicians] to remember that a broader range of people see spirituality and religion as
important to their healthcare,‖ says Wendy Cage, of Brandeis, University, who is now
writing ―Paging God: Religion in the Halls of Medicine.‖
Khalid Kelly, a former Dublin alter boy, now living in Pakistan‘s Swat Valley, recently told a
reporter that he is undergoing training as a jihadist and looks forward to going to
Afghanistan to fight against the British and the Americans. His three-year-old son, Osama,
lives on Britain. After working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, with ―a very cushy lifestyle,‖ as he
put it, Kelly was introduced to radical Islam while serving time in a Saudi jail for
bootlegging. Back in Britain, he joined radical Islamic groups and worked to recruit young
Muslims to jihad. He hopes Pakistan emulates Iraq, with ―beheadings and kidnappings. ..
We are told to terrorize the enemies of Islam. The world will become a dangerous place.
Everybody had better start embracing Islam or people will start flying planes into buildings
again.‖
The Supreme Court of Canada in July ruled 4-3 that the Alberta government has the right to
demand that members of two Hutterite communities must be photographed in order to
receive driver‘s licenses. The Hutterites believe that the Second Commandment‘s ban on
―graven images‖ prohibits their photographs being taken willingly, so they sued the province
for infringing on their religious freedoms and because a failure to get licenses would
threaten their communal lifestyle. The court said: ―The negative impact on the freedom of
religion of colony members who wish to obtain licenses does not outweigh the benefits
associated with the universal photo requirement.‖ The Hutterite attorney suggested that the
community might agree to photographs if the pictures were mandated, and thus not
―willingly‖ posed.
The California Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by Los Angeles of 1998 and 2001 federal
court decisions holding that members of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (Hare Krishnas) have a right, sanctioned by the California Constitution, to
distribute literature and speak to travelers in pre-screening open areas at Los Angeles
International Airport, but not to solicit money. The sect‘s lawyer now argues that the
Krishna‘s solicitation rights might even extend beyond the airport‘s metal detectors and
onto the planes, so long as the soliciting Krishnas have tickets. Much of the oral argument is
over whether the airport is a ―public forum‖ according to the state constitution. This
question will probably be considered in light of the U.S. Supreme Court‘s 1979 decision to
uphold a ―reasonable ban‖ on solicitation, following its ruling that airports are nonpublic
forums under the federal constitution.
The Supreme Court of Canada in June ruled 6-1 that ―mature minors,‖ that is, certain
children under the age of 16, can legally refuse medical treatment, but only if they are
deemed capable, after very careful consideration and assessment by authorities, of
understanding the nature and consequences of their medical decisions in extremely serious
cases. The decision arose in the context of an appeal by a young Jehovah’s Witness who
was forcibly transfused three years ago, at the age of 14. She failed to persuade the court
that Manitoba‘s law permitting child-welfare authorities to apprehend and force her to
undergo blood transfusions violated her religious rights. The June decision included new
guidelines to help settle legal conflicts over court-ordered medical procedures.
Surveys indicate that many Americans think God can help heal their illnesses, and that
three-quarters believe God can cure those whom medical science has failed. Yet many
doctors see religion and spirituality as barriers to medical care. A holistic approach, on the
other hand, asks physicians to understand the role of religion and spirituality in patient
care, and such considerations are now beginning to inform medical education. Physicians
responding to one survey frequently noted Jehovah‘s Witnesses and Orthodox Jews as
especially concerned with the spiritual aspects of healthcare. ―It is important for
[physicians] to remember that a broader range of people see spirituality and religion as
important to their healthcare,‖ says Wendy Cage, of Brandeis, University, who is now
writing ―Paging God: Religion in the Halls of Medicine.‖
Khalid Kelly, a former Dublin alter boy, now living in Pakistan‘s Swat Valley, recently told a
reporter that he is undergoing training as a jihadist and looks forward to going to
Afghanistan to fight against the British and the Americans. His three-year-old son, Osama,
lives on Britain. After working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia, with ―a very cushy lifestyle,‖ as he
put it, Kelly was introduced to radical Islam while serving time in a Saudi jail for
bootlegging. Back in Britain, he joined radical Islamic groups and worked to recruit young
Muslims to jihad. He hopes Pakistan emulates Iraq, with ―beheadings and kidnappings. ..
We are told to terrorize the enemies of Islam. The world will become a dangerous place.
Everybody had better start embracing Islam or people will start flying planes into buildings
again.‖
