Churches could benefit from knowing how to fight, with clear rules of engagement, focused statements of the issues, negotiation to achieve a compromise, and how to know when the dispute has concluded.
Author: Michael Peabody
No more Lemon tree – Supreme Court weakens Establishment Clause protections
The Court took an ax to the trunk of the Lemon tree and replaced it with a vague “history and tradition” rule.
Why Maine’s religious schools are likely to decline state funding
Why two Maine schools slated to receive public funds in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin will probably refuse to take the money. Last week we reported that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Maine law that blocked private religious schools from receiving taxpayer-funded aid. Carson v. Makin says…
Count the Cost: The Hidden Dangers of Government Funding of Religious Education
The integrity of the private parochial school system is at stake. Religious schools would, through their agreement to accept requirements for scholarships, make themselves vulnerable for regulation to the point that they have nothing unique to offer the world.
Court says Maine Must Pay for Religious Schools: A Trojan Horse for the Culture Wars?
This morning the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a Maine program that provides tuition assistance for parents to send their children to private schools cannot exclude religious schools. Carson v. Makin, 6/21/2022 https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1088_dbfi.pdf The Court said the current program’s religious exclusion violated the Free Exercise Clause and that neutral public funding would not violate the…
Supreme Court rules 9-0 that Boston violated 1st Amendment in refusing Christian flag at City Hall
This morning the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Shurtleff v. Boston (Dec’d 5/2/2022) that the city of Boston violated the free speech rights of a Christian group when it refused to allow them to participate in a city flag raising program.
Active Liberty: A Survey of Justice Stephen Breyer’s Religion Clause Decisions
A comprehensive review of retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s decisions in Free Exercise and Establishment Clause cases.
Tonga – Mandatory Sunday Rest Laws and the International Date Line
How Seventh-day Adventists thrive amongst the most restrictive Sunday laws in the world.
A Concept in Common: Are Sunday Blue Laws Making a Comeback?
While existing blue laws that specifically prohibit things like Sunday hunting may be disappearing, there is a movement to reintroduce the concept in ways that appeal to across the political divide.
Explainer: Supreme Court’s OSHA and HHS Vaccine Mandate Decisions
Both the OSHA and HHS vaccine mandates provided for religious accommodation which would be enforced through the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Without a Federal OSHA requirement, RFRA may only apply to HHS cases.