The United States Supreme Court refused to issue a preliminary injunction to temporarily block a Maine rule requiring certain healthcare workers to take the COVID-19 vaccine or lose their jobs or medical practices, allowing for medical but not religious exemptions.
Author: Michael Peabody
On the Vaccine and Religious Liberty
We have received more contacts from readers about the COVID-19 vaccine than any other since we went live in 2008. This is understandable because most religious liberty issues only affect a few people, but almost everybody reading this is being asked to take “the jab” or potentially face some dire consequences. I read in…
Court to consider tax funding of religious schools, pre-viability abortion ban, and clergy activity at executions
This term, the Supreme Court will be revisiting the issue of whether states must fund religious schools, whether clergy members can say prayers during executions of inmates, and whether a state can ban abortion before viability. The following is a brief summary and analysis of the cases.
High Court hands Catholic Social Services narrowly drafted victory
The Supreme Court finds for a Catholic foster care service while sidestepping a larger free exercise of religion issue.
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Workplace Religious Accommodation Cases
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would not be hearing two major workplace religious accommodation cases.
Dr. C. Norman Farley passes to his rest
We are sad to announce the passing of Dr. C. Norman Farley in November 2020. He formally served on our Advisory panel beginning in 2016, and he, along with his wife Alice, have been great supporters and volunteers of ReligiousLiberty.TV and Founders’ First Freedom.
Supreme Court not likely to make individual FBI agents pay for allegedly violating Religious Freedom Restoration Act
On October 6, 2020, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case on the issue of whether individual FBI agents can be held financially liable if they are found to have violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The underlying case involves Muslim-Americans who alleged that individual FBI agents put them on the “no fly” list after they refused to act as informants against fellow Muslims in terrorism-related investigations.
“I dissent!” A Survey of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Religion Clause Jurisprudence
Ginsburg wrote little on the religion clauses, but she frequently joined with those Justices who favored a strong separation of church and state.
Ventura County Sues to Stop Church from Meeting Indoors
On August 2, 2020, the church again met indoors and Pastor McCoy said he was “willing to go to jail” and “willing for them to take our building” rather than comply with the state and local orders.
Court rules agency can decide if employers must provide contraceptive coverage
Supreme Court sidesteps the free exercise claim and grants government agencies the power to determine whether to apply the ACA contraceptive mandates to employers.