Written rules ease pastoral burdens and protect congregations from confusion A pastor facing a request to endorse a candidate or handle the presence of a known sex offender is caught in the middle of competing pressures. Congregants may expect one response, the law may require another, and personal instincts may pull in yet another direction….
Opinion: An Ethics Hotline Could Prevent the Next Pastoral Crisis
by Michael Peabody, Esq. When an Alabama pastor was arrested last week on three counts of witness intimidation, the details raised immediate concern among churchgoers and legal observers alike. According to authorities, several members of the congregation had reported that a registered sex offender was working near minors and holding responsibilities at the church. Those…
Update: Disputed Accounts at St. Elmo
The case involving the arrest of the pastor of St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to stir conflicting accounts within the congregation. On August 14, the pastor was taken into custody and charged with three counts of witness intimidation. Witnesses had told deputies that church members lost responsibilities and were escorted from the property after…
Death Row Case Raises Question: Can Belief Alone Be Evidence of Future Danger?
Fifth Circuit reviews punishment retrial where Satanism affiliation was introduced by prosecutors. When Irving Alvin Davis was sentenced to death in Texas for the 2002 rape and murder of 15-year-old Melissa Medina, the brutality of the crime itself was not in dispute. Medina was sexually assaulted, strangled, and dismembered. Davis later admitted he killed her…
Federal Court Blocks Texas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public Schools
On August 20, 2025, a federal judge in San Antonio issued an order granting a preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 10, a law requiring public schools to display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom . The case, brought by parents and religious leaders of various faiths, challenged the statute under…
James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder and Christian psychologist, dies at 89
From counseling rooms to national airwaves, his parenting advice and advocacy shaped late twentieth century family ministry and public debate. James Dobson’s life and legacy: from counseling rooms to national debates A psychologist turned broadcaster built Focus on the Family into a counseling and media hub, then carried family concerns into politics. Supporters say claims…
Ninth Circuit Says Oregon Can Deny Grants to Christian Ministry Over Hiring Policy, But Not Control Its Private Programs
Court allows nondiscrimination rules for state-funded youth work but blocks enforcement on unfunded initiatives. Analysis below. On August 18, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a decision in Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams, a case testing the boundaries between government grant rules and religious freedom . Youth 71Five Ministries is a nonprofit…
The Cross or the Crown? Wrestling with the Words “Christ Is King”
Once lifted as a hymn of surrender, the phrase now often echoes in public as a rallying cry, raising questions about how its meaning is being carried. Three words, ancient and unshakable: “Christ is King.” Christians have whispered them in prayer, sung them in worship, and leaned on them in times of joy and sorrow….
The Imaginary Grandma, the Real Mosque, and the Law That Keeps Religion Equal
Thanks for reading! Please share, subscribe, like, and comment. It really helps. Share ReligiousLiberty.TV In Oyster Bay, New York, an elderly woman worried about parking became a central character in a local controversy. According to town officials, she had spoken out against a proposed mosque in Bethpage, voicing fears about traffic and neighborhood disruption. Her…
Sean Feucht’s Concert Cancellations in Canada Ignite Legal Battle Over Free Speech and Religious Liberty (VIDEO LINKS)
Please subscribe, comment, like, and share. Subscribe now Attendees in Montreal were met with confusion and heightened security in July 2025 when multiple planned concerts by American worship singer Sean Feucht were abruptly canceled by authorities. Parks Canada and various municipalities revoked permits for six events across Eastern Canada, citing safety and concerns following a…