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 […]

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

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

“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

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.

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

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

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

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

Many of you enjoyed the article we shared over the weekend on Isaac Newton, and an alert reader kindly pointed us to a follow-up resource that seems too good not to miss. Kenneth Jørgensen’s 2022 doctoral dissertation, Isaac Newton as