Although the U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily suspended its remaining docket due to our current public health crisis, two cases with far-reaching implications to religious education are still going to be decided this term. Taken together in fact, these two cases reveal a fundamental incoherence to the legal strategy utilized…
Lawyer says Colorado Springs church’s argument to stay open amid public health order isn’t valid
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Leaders at a Colorado Springs church said that they had the Constitutionally protected right to keep their in-person services despite a public health order, but a legal expert says that argument may not have merit. Colorado Springs Fellowship Church tells KRDO it is exercising its First…
Judge upholds governor’s power to ban large gatherings
Buy Now A Merrimack County Superior Court judge rejected a lawsuit charging the ban on large gatherings due to risks from COVID-19 violates constitutional rights to free speech, free assembly nd religious freedom. Here, Gov. Chris Sununu walks to the podium before speaking at a press conference on the coronavirus…
Court delays arguments; religious liberty, abortion rulings await
WASHINGTON (BP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has paused part of its work in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) with decisions in important cases regarding religious liberty, sexuality and abortion still to be announced. The high court announced March 16 it has postponed oral arguments scheduled for March 23-25 and…
Texas judges say religious beliefs allow them to refuse same-sex weddings
In this April 28, 2015 file photo, demonstrators stand in front of a rainbow flag of the Supreme Court in Washington, as the court was set to hear historic arguments in cases that made same-sex marriage the law of the land. Two Texas judges say their religious beliefs allow them…
These Churches Refuse To Close Over COVID-19. Does the Constitution Protect Their Right To Remain Open?
State governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by ordering residents to avoid gathering together in large groups, including gatherings held for the purpose of religious worship. Some churches are reportedly refusing to comply with such edicts and holding in-person religious services anyway. As the Associated Press reports : Rodney…
Texas judge sues for the right to refuse to marry gay couples
A judge in Texas is suing a state commission because he wants to be able to refuse to marry same-sex couples. Jack County District Judge Brian Umphress sued all 13 of the members of Texas’s Commission on Judicial Conduct because they gave another judge an “official warning” for refusing to…
The Perils of Relying on the Wrong Clause—Grounding the Ministerial Exception at the Supreme Court
After a quiet stretch in the wake of Employment Division v. Smith (1990), cases about the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment are proliferating at the U.S. Supreme Court. Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission recently signaled the potential for large changes…
A National Day of Prayer During a Mishandled Pandemic Is a National Day of Distraction
As the coronavirus continued to kill , hospitalize , and harm thousands of people this weekend, President Trump declared that Sunday was, rest assured, a National Day of Prayer. “We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these,” he…
The Supreme Court and the freedom of religious organizations to employ whom they choose
The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear another case regarding the freedom of religious organizations to employ people who share their sincerely held beliefs. The most recent case, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, Agne s, comes from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which…
Mid-Missouri Festival of Faiths will focus on religion and schools
The third annual Mid-Missouri Festival of Faiths will focus on the connections between religion in schools. “Religion in Public Schools” will bring together people from various religious traditions and spur discussions on the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, said Robert Pinhero, an education and training consultant. Presented by the Capital Area…
A Resource for Religious Liberty
For anyone interested in the fate of religious freedom in America Religious Liberty: Core Court Cases may be the most important guide to contemporary controversies over religion in the public square a nonspecialist can own. At least the price is right; the text of the 244-page book is also available…
Kadhi’s court to keep off Christian, Muslim divorces
The man filed for divorce at a Kadhi court in Kibera. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP Kadhi’s courts cannot determine a divorce case between a Muslim and Christian couple, the High Court has ruled while restoring a marriage between a Catholic woman and her Muslim husband. Justice Aggrey…
Thank God for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parents
An anti-discrimination law designed to protect LGBTQ citizens but that forces a Catholic organization to violate its tenets is unconstitutional. A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia…
U.S. Supreme Court turns away religious bias claim against Walgreens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. FILE PHOTO: A sign…
Flowers: Thank God for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parent case
Buy Now Christine Flowers A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services with an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex unions. The Philadelphia Inquirer published…
Flowers: Thank God for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parents
A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex unions. The Inquirer ran a story…
DOJ backs Kentucky wedding photographer suing over local LGBT ordinance
Chelsey Nelson is a wedding photographer and blogger in Louisville, Kentucky The U.S. Department of Justice has sided with a Kentucky-based photographer suing a city over an ordinance that compels her to service same-sex weddings. The Justice Department announced last Thursday that it filed a statement of interest brief on…
Flowers: Our justices should protect this religious organization’s rights
Mar 2, 2020 at 3:01 AM A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex…
Flowers: Our justices should protect this religious organization’s rights
Mar 2, 2020 at 3:01 AM A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex…
U.S. Supreme Court turns away religious bias claim against Walgreens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. FILE PHOTO: A sign…
Christine M. Flowers: Thank goodness for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parents
Flowers A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex unions. The Inquirer ran a…
Commentary: Thank god for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parents
By Christine M. Flowers Philadelphia Daily News A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to…
U.S. Supreme Court Turns Away Religious Bias Claim Against Walgreens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The justices declined to…
Thank god for Supreme Court’s look at same-sex foster parents | Christine Flowers
Jonathan Newton A few years ago, an LGBTQ couple approached Bethany Christian Services and expressed an interest in becoming foster parents. Bethany Christian, which maintained a contract with the city of Philadelphia to provide foster care, turned them down based on a religious opposition to same-sex unions. The Inquirer ran…