Category: Current Events

Court says judicial review of church governance violates First Amendment protections A Texas appeals court has ruled that the United Methodist Rio Texas Conference cannot sue dozens of churches that disaffiliated from the denomination without completing formal procedures, saying the case raises questions of church governance that secular courts have no authority to decide. The…

All Saints’ Day, the Capuchin Crypt, and the Promise That Death Cannot Break Capuchin Crypt. Photos by the author. June 2025 There is a church in Rome that does not hide from death. It doesn’t cover it with flowers or soften it with marble. It meets death face to face, and dares to speak of…

Dimondale church fights occupancy limits after wedding fines, citing federal protections Property marketed as “The Tarrington” for ceremonies while congregation seeks full worship rights under the First Amendment and RLUIPA Seats filled for three September weddings at a longtime church site in Dimondale. Days later, Windsor Township posted nine citations totaling 4,500 dollars, according to…

The uproar over Project 2025’s “Sabbath overtime” reads like a scene straight out of America’s current political fever dream. Online pundits warn of creeping theocracy. TikTok prophets insist the blue laws are coming back. Cable commentators toss around words like “control” and “Christian nationalism” until they lose meaning. Take a deep breath. The truth, like…

I. The Scene in Brandon In 2018, Brandon, Mississippi—a growing suburb east of Jackson—opened its gleaming new amphitheater, complete with food vendors, traffic cones, and country music stars on tour. Not long after, Gabriel Olivier, a Christian evangelist, saw the crowds as a mission opportunity. He and several others arrived before concerts to preach, carrying…

Many readers have written to ask why we do not report more on persecution and suffering overseas. You see reports, photos, and messages online. You send them to us asking, “Why aren’t you covering this?” We understand that question. We feel the same burden. There are people right now enduring violence, hunger, and imprisonment because…

The right to own and the right to worship have long stood together, and both weaken when the state controls property. When Roger Williams fled persecution in the 1600s, he sought not only liberty of conscience but also land beyond the reach of state power. By founding Providence on principles of private ownership and voluntary…

“Free speech” is one of the most passionately debated topics of our time, fueling endless arguments on social media, in classrooms, and across dinner tables. We invoke the term to defend our own views and to condemn the words of others. It’s a concept so central to American identity that we often assume we understand…

When courts block a new law from applying to past events, they often cite the concept of a “vested right.” But what exactly does that mean, and how does it relate to the constitutional ban on retrospective laws? A recent decision by the New Hampshire Supreme Court in Ball v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester,…

Most religious liberty fights in court today aren’t just about belief. They’re about expression. Whether it’s a prayer on the 50-yard line, a wedding website, or a bakery counter, the real question is: Can the government make you say something you don’t believe? In my talk this weekend for the Adventist Today Sabbath Seminar, I…