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 […]

Justices question whether the law censors voluntary counseling protected by the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on October 7, 2025, in Chiles v. Salazar (No. 24-539), a case challenging Colorado’s prohibition on licensed therapists providing “conversion therapy” to minors. Counselor Kaley Chiles argues that the law violates the First Amendment by […]

Judge rules Missouri’s refusal to admit family members into execution chamber does not substantially burden inmate’s religious rights under RLUIPA or the First Amendment In the final days before his scheduled execution, Lance Shockley asked a federal court to allow his two daughters, both ordained ministers, to accompany him into the execution chamber and administer […]

Judge affirms First Amendment protections for Catholic confessions in stipulated injunction resolving months-long litigation A federal court in Tacoma will permanently bar the State of Washington from enforcing a 2025 amendment to its mandatory reporting law that would have required Catholic priests to report information learned in the Sacrament of Confession. The injunction, issued on […]

Look, I’m a Christian. I believe in Jesus, the resurrection, the Bible, and the blessed hope. I also believe that what happened at Brooklyn Faith Seventh-day Adventist Church during their “Countdown to the End” evangelistic series wasn’t outreach. It was overreach. And this isn’t politically biased – the same analysis applies whether you’re in the […]

Editor’s Note: Understanding the Law Without the Jargon This article is part of an ongoing effort to make the foundations of American law understandable to everyone, not just attorneys or academics. The goal is simple: help readers see how the Constitution and its key principles work in real life. Each piece takes one concept, like […]

Howard Friedman’s Religion Clause Blog highlights First Amendment disputes as the new Supreme Court term begins. When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its 2025–26 term on October 6, several cases will test the limits of free exercise and free speech. Legal scholar Howard Friedman, professor emeritus at the University of Toledo College of Law and […]

Despite prosperity, America remains far more religious than its economic peers, echoing Alexis de Tocqueville’s 19th-century observations. Chart from Ryan Burge – Substack In most of the world, prosperity and secularism rise hand in hand. From Norway to Japan, economic growth tends to coincide with declining religious devotion. Yet one country disrupts the pattern: the […]

Introduction: The Other Newton When we think of Isaac Newton, we think of an apple falling, the calculus he invented to explain it, and the laws of motion that changed science forever. Newton (1642–1727) was the archetypal genius of the Scientific Revolution—a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer whose discoveries reshaped how humanity saw the universe. But […]

By Michael Peabody – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging that its Reston, Virginia retail store denied a Jewish employee’s request for Sabbath accommodation and then fired him in retaliation after he raised internal complaints. The federal suit, filed on September 30, 2025, argues that Apple […]