Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own. Last week, a U.S. District Judge rightfully ruled against Christian private school Bethel Christian Academy, which claimed the state of Maryland violated its religious freedom after being excluded from a taxpayer-funded school voucher program. The state government pointed out Bethel failed to comply with the state’s strict nondiscrimination policy requirements, such as including protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Judge Stephanie Gallagher wrote in her decision that “Bethel has not proven, with the present record, that the decision was made ‘solely’ based on its religious identity.” The Trump administration has come to Bethel’s defense , arguing the Maryland government is targeting the school because of the school’s strongly held religious views. This case is a precursor to another currently being heard by the Supreme Court, which will focus on whether the Constitution requires religious schools to be included in taxpayer-funded programs . Bethel’s case before the federal courts is a prime example of how religious institutions exploit the First Amendment’s free exercise clause in order to breach laws they disagree with. The clause is clear in that it prohibits the government from restricting the free exercise of religion. However, […]

By : Mark McDowell Tags: