How the Supreme Court’s decision could affect the religious liberty rights of religious organizations and individuals
Category: Current Events
California Court Rules For-Profit Christian School May Require Teachers’ Faith Statements
In March 2015 a Ventura County Superior Court judge upheld the right of a for-profit Christian preschool to compel teachers to make a statement of faith and to obtain a statement by a pastor regarding how frequently they attend church, comment on their faith, and to endorse them as employees a Christian preschool.
Understanding RFRA: Is Religious Freedom the New Bigotry?
By Nicholas Miller – Is supporting religious freedom an act of bigotry? This question is seriously being asked in the wake of the recent media eruptions surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas. The firestorm surrounding these bills has brought the tension between religious freedom and gay rights to a new level of public scrutiny and focus.
Understanding RFRA: A History – From an Adventist Mill Worker to Hobby Lobby
Tracing the history of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act from a Seventh-day Adventist textile mill worker to Hobby Lobby.
Illinois Governor Issues Order Banning Compulsory Public Sector Union Fees
On February 9, 2015, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner announced an executive order that would stop public sector labor unions from requiring that all state workers pay the equivalent of dues.
Washington Bill Simplifies Accommodation for Religious Objectors to Labor Union Dues
In practical terms, SB 5552 would make it easier for the employee and union to agree upon a charity, and take the union out of the position of evaluating the theology of the employee.
Idaho: Northwest Religious Liberty Association Calls for Conscience Exemption to Anti-Discrimination Legislation
This week, in four days of testimony, the Idaho House State Affairs Committee has been considering House Bill 2 (HB2), that would add anti-discrimination protections for Idahoans based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Advocates have been promoting the “Add the Words” bill for nine years and this is the first year that the Legislature has held hearings.
U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Right of Prisoner to Wear Beard
By Michael Peabody – The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision today that the Arkansas Department of Correction violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) when it prohibited a prisoner from growing a 1/2 inch beard in accordance with his religious beliefs.
Opinion: A Different Perspective on the Year 2014
By Fabian Carballo – 2014 was a very interesting year, full of ironies and reoccurring themes. Here are some of the biggest stories that consumed our national attention for better or worse.
EDITORIAL: To Preserve Faith, Keep Church and State Separate
Last week, WorldNetDaily published an editorial by Scott Lively where he scolds American Christians for allowing religious pluralism to become accepted. Religious pluralism, Lively argues, violates the First Commandment which states, “Thou shall have no other gods before Me.”
In his article, entitled “The Deadly ‘Religious Liberty’ Trap,” Lively argues that the “wall of separation of church and state” metaphor had been wrongfully used as a “as a justification for declaring all religions to be equal with Christianity in America, and equally subservient to secular humanist authority.”
Lively’s solution to this situation “is to stop arguing for ‘religious liberty’ and resume our proclamation of the superiority of Christ and His Word over all opposing faiths (along with tolerance for people of other faiths – that’s how it worked before [Everson v Board of Education (1947)]. Its goal must be nothing less than an official reaffirmation of the Bible as our legal and cultural foundation, which would require overturning Everson and its juridical progeny.”