John Kerry Calls for Release of American Pastor Imprisoned in Iran
[dc]I[/dc]ncoming U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry called for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, American citizen who was sentenced last week to eight years […]
Preferential Treatment, Persecution, or Loss of Privilege?
Some people believe that their religion obligates them to not only control themselves, but to control others as well. I believe that it is possible to make religious freedom as expansive as possible, and truly allow people to follow the dictates of their hearts as God (or whatever they believe in) leads them. Not only do I think that this is the solution that works best for our democracy, but I also happen to think that this is the solution that gets us closer to what God wants as well.
113th Congress Most Religiously Diverse Ever — and Why It Matters (Huffington Post)
Dwayne Leslie, Legislative Affairs Director for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists shares his perspective on the current U.S. Congress. EXCERPT: “The more voices, the […]
US Supreme Court to hear Arguments on DOMA and Prop 8 on March 26
The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled two days of oral arguments on two separate but related cases beginning on March 26, 2013. The Court will be hearing arguments on California’s Proposition 8 which amended the state constitution to disallow same-sex marriage is constitutional and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom Established Separation of Church and State
The Act, written by Thomas Jefferson, allowed Virginia to become the first state to separate church and state and remains part of Virginia’s constitution. It was later used as a model for other state constitutions as well as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2013 Introduced in U.S. Senate
On December 17, 2012 Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced “The Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2013” (S.3686) which would Amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of religion specifically in the areas of “garb, grooming, and scheduling.”
Top Religious Liberty Stories of 2012
Here are some of the top religious liberty stories of 2012, in no particular order.
Black Friday and Blue Laws: Renewed Calls for Uniform Rest Days
In a world of religious diversity coupled with a common system of of commerce, the institution of a common day of rest and its enforcement would necessarily require coercive methods to prevent individuals from carrying out interpersonal business activities, and place greater pressure on observers of other days of rest to violate their conscience by working on their rest days.
December 18, 2012 – PBS to Premiere First Freedom: The Right for Religious Liberty
FIRST FREEDOM: The Fight for Religious Liberty is the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they radically broke with the […]