A guideline for list members

[Volokh, Eugene]

    Here's a general guideline:  The purpose of the list is to provide a
forum for law professors to discuss questions having to do with the law
of government and religion.  For historical reasons, non-academics and
even nonlawyers may participate on this list (though that's not the norm
for many other lawprof lists with which I'm acquainted).  But the goal
should generally be to foster a scholarly discussion of relatively
technical questions of the law of government and religion.
 
    Questions that go far beyond the law of government and religion --
e.g., when juries should vote their conscience independently of their
instructions, or whether abortion should be constitutionally protected,
or the like -- are thus not suitable for the list.  Likewise for
questions or assertions that are cast at too high a level of generality
to contribute to a valuable discussion (e.g., "Is the separation of
church and state good or bad?").  A good rule of thumb is that if a
question doesn't refer to any Religion Clauses caselaw, or any related
statute, or any established Religion Clauses doctrine, or any specific
proposal for development of some sort of Religion Clauses doctrine, it's
not suitable for this list.
 
    The one exception relates to items that provide useful or
interesting factual information, such as the story that started this
thread.
 
    If you're not sure whether the material is on-topic, please err on
the side of exclusion, or, if you prefer, e-mail me first.
 
    I'm sorry to have to get into this, but my view is that these kinds
of topical limits are important for the list to be useful to its
intended target audience, which is something I try hard to maintain.
Please accommodate me on this.
 
    The list custodian


________________________________

	From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
[mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of JOHN LOFTON
	Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:46 PM
	To: religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
	Subject: Re: JOHN LOFTON / Question, Please -- Jurors....
	
	
	OK, so tell me, please, when my question is OK to ask. Thank
you. JL
	

	John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com
	Recovering Republican
	
	"Accursed is that peace of which revolt from God is the bond,
and blessed are those contentions by which it is necessary to maintain
the kingdom of Christ." -- John Calvin.


	-----Original Message-----
	From: Volokh, Eugene <VOLOKH at law.ucla.edu>
	To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
<religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu>
	Sent: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 3:44 pm
	Subject: RE: JOHN LOFTON / Question, Please -- Jurors....
	
	
	    What's lacking in any concrete sense is any link between the
question and the law of government and religion -- or, more
specifically, the link between the question and the exclusion of
atheists from jury service, and whether or not that is or should be
permissible (especially given Torcaso v. Watkins).
	 
	    Eugene


________________________________

		From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
[mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
<mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu?> ] On Behalf Of JOHN LOFTON
		Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:42 PM
		To: religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
		Subject: Re: JOHN LOFTON / Question, Please --
Jurors....
		
		
		The question is hardly abstract; jurors face it every
day. JL
		

		John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com
		Recovering Republican
		
		"Accursed is that peace of which revolt from God is the
bond, and blessed are those contentions by which it is necessary to
maintain the kingdom of Christ." -- John Calvin.


		-----Original Message-----
		From: Volokh, Eugene <VOLOKH at law.ucla.edu>
		To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
<religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu>
		Sent: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 3:39 pm
		Subject: RE: JOHN LOFTON / Question, Please --
Jurors....
		
		
		    Folks:  Please let's focus on technical legal
discussions of the questions of the law of government and religion.  If
someone wants to tie these questions to Torcaso v. Watkins, or for that
matter to other legal principles, that's great.  But discussions at this
level of abstraction, with no tie to concrete legal matters, is not
helpful on the list.
		 
		    The list custodian


________________________________

			From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
[mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
<mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu?> ] On Behalf Of JOHN LOFTON
			Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:37 PM
			To: religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
			Subject: JOHN LOFTON / Question, Please --
Jurors....
			
			
			Are they to be judges only of "the facts" or
also "the law"? And if not "the law," sez who? What is a juror to do if
he believes law is unjust -- un-Godly, un-Constitutional?
			
			
			
			John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com
			Recovering Republican
			
			"Accursed is that peace of which revolt from God
is the bond, and blessed are those contentions by which it is necessary
to maintain the kingdom of Christ." -- John Calvin.
			
________________________________

			Plan your next roadtrip with MapQuest.com
<http://www.mapquest.com/?ncid=mpqmap00030000000004> : America's #1
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________________________________

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Mapping Site. 

	_______________________________________________
	
	To post, send message to Religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
	
	To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see 
	
	http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw
	
	
	
	Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be
viewed as private.  
	
	Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are
posted; people can 
	
	read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly)
forward the 
	
	messages to others.
	
	
	
________________________________

	Plan your next roadtrip with MapQuest.com
<http://www.mapquest.com/?ncid=mpqmap00030000000004> : America's #1
Mapping Site. 

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