Category: Current Events

The 1990 Smith decision curtailed religious liberty claims, but later rulings have expanded the Free Exercise Clause beyond its original scope When the Supreme Court decided Employment Division v. Smith in 1990, it marked one of the sharpest contractions of the Free Exercise Clause in American history. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia held…

By Michael Peabody Don’t settle for stone when you’ve been given a Savior. The push to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom doesn’t come from a place of malice. It comes from people who care. I know some of them. They pray over their schools. They weep for their children. They see the confusion,…

What a Trade Principle Is Doing in Church-State Law—and Why It’s Creating New Legal Tensions In recent years, a once-obscure idea has quietly reshaped the legal landscape of religious liberty. Known as the “most favored nation” (MFN) theory, this concept has become a central part of how courts determine whether the government is treating religious…

Ruling cites “clear constitutional violation” as state plans further appeal In a decision issued August 4, 2025, a federal judge blocked enforcement of Arkansas Act 573, a new law requiring every public school classroom in the state to prominently display the Ten Commandments. The ruling granted a preliminary injunction requested by a coalition of parents…

Ruling denies dismissal motion and blocks state charges against entheogenic church leader On August 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish ruled in favor of a Utah-based entheogenic church, denying state and city officials’ motion to dismiss and issuing an anti-suit injunction that blocks the state’s ongoing criminal prosecution against its founder. The decision…

When a court issues a decision, the clock starts ticking. In the hours that follow, attorneys dissect the holdings, journalists race to publish interpretations, and advocacy groups seek to translate the legalese into public messaging. Yet the underlying task, understanding what the court actually said, remains as essential as ever. Artificial intelligence has recently stepped…

Three-judge panel rules unanimously that customer service roles fall under “ministerial exception” to anti-discrimination laws A federal appeals court on August 5 ruled that World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, acted within its constitutional rights when it withdrew a job offer to Aubry McMahon, a woman in a same-sex marriage, after learning of her marital…

The decision provides a legal roadmap for how disputes within religious nonprofits are handled under California law, sharply distinguishing between spiritual participation and corporate governance.

Judge rules Colorado’s SB 23-190 violates Free Exercise Clause in case brought by Catholic clinic Bella Health On August 1, 2025, a federal judge permanently barred Colorado officials from enforcing a state law that effectively prohibited “abortion pill reversal” treatment against a Catholic health provider, ruling that the law infringed on religious liberty rights protected…

California’s AB 495, billed as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act,” would let any adult with a “mentoring relationship” obtain legal authority over a child through a simple affidavit, bypassing court oversight and parental consent. Critics say the bill opens doors to kidnapping and medical decisions without parents’ knowledge. The measure also seals new joint-guardianship court…