Court: No religious rancor in flowers for gay wedding case

Court: No religious rancor in flowers for gay wedding case

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — State courts did not act with animosity toward religion when they ruled that a florist broke the state’s anti-discrimination laws by refusing on religious grounds to provide flowers for the wedding of a gay couple, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday. The court reaffirmed…

Court: No religious rancor in flowers for gay wedding case

Court: No religious rancor in flowers for gay wedding case

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — State courts did not act with animosity toward religion when they ruled that a florist broke the state’s anti-discrimination laws by refusing on religious grounds to provide flowers for the wedding of a gay couple, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday. The court reaffirmed…

Do Anti-Abortion Laws Violate The First Amendment?

Do Anti-Abortion Laws Violate The First Amendment?

Christians and Abortion New York Times Supreme Court reporter Linda Greenhouse recently wrote an op-ed in which she argues that recent anti-abortion laws are unconstitutional. According to her, they violate the Constitution’s First Amendment, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free…

Who’s the boss?

Who’s the boss?

What happens when employers and employees no longer see eye to eye The Toronto Humane Society in Toronto. Google Street View By Shaun Bernstein and Stuart Rudner When we provide counsel to employers, we continually repeat one key phrase: “Your workplace, your rules.” Generally speaking, an employee’s refusal to carry…

No, Laws That Restrict Abortions Don’t Violate the First Amendment

In a recent article in Newsweek , a writer suggested that there may be people whose religion requires them to perform abortions, and therefore laws restricting the practice violate the Bill of Rights’ guarantee of the free exercise of religion. In a similar vein, the New York Times ’s Linda…

Hey, Kamala Harris, End School Compulsory-Attendance Laws

Hey, Kamala Harris, End School Compulsory-Attendance Laws

By: Jacob Hornberger Imagine if Congress were to enact a law that required everyone to attend church on Sundays. The overwhelming majority of Americans would go up in arms. The concept of religious liberty is so deeply ingrained in our American heritage that there is no way that people, including…

Douglas Strang: Sharing religious beliefs at work – a human right?

Douglas Strang: Sharing religious beliefs at work – a human right?

Douglas Strang Douglas Strang looks at the case law on religious discrimination in the workplace. Some of the most challenging HR/employment law issues of the recent years have related to religious discrimination and in particular the question of whether an employee can rely on their religious beliefs as justification for…

Sweeping Religious Freedom Bill Heads to Senate

Sweeping Religious Freedom Bill Heads to Senate

Not with a toilet flush, but with a whimper, the Senate State Affairs Committee sent a sweeping religious refusal bill to the full Senate Monday evening, March 25, after several hours of testimony from Texas residents, social workers, lawyers, and numerous members of the clergy. The Senate State Affairs Committee…

Religion Prof Wants Government to Discriminate Against…Religion

Religion Prof Wants Government to Discriminate Against…Religion

Baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, manages his shop after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that he could refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs did not violate Colorado’s anti-discrimination law Monday, June 4, 2018, in Lakewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)…

Religious difference sparked jail fight

Religious difference sparked jail fight

Abdul Yamobi A trial date has been set for a Boone County Jail inmate accused of beating a Muslim inmate because he dislikes Muslims, according to court records. Michael D. Mathis, 24, of Lebanon, ruled A block, Muslim inmates reportedly told police after Mathis injured Abdul Yamobi, 54, Zionsville, on…

Religion news in brief

Religion news in brief

Collinsville Bible Baptist Paul Terrell, who played the trumpet for the Gaither Band for several years, will be performing at special services at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, at Collinsville Bible Baptist Church. Friday night’s topic will be "The Trump Shall Resound," with Terrell playing the trumpet as…

Quebec moves to ban religious symbols in public service

Quebec moves to ban religious symbols in public service

Canada’s Quebec province on Thursday unveiled controversial draft legislation that would ban a significant section of public servants from wearing religious symbols such as a crucifix, yarmulke or hijab. The measure which applies to police, teachers and others in positions of authority is expected to become law by June with…

Portland’s New Law Adds Job Protections for Atheists

Portland’s New Law Adds Job Protections for Atheists

Portland, Ore., has long prohibited religious discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation—but now the city will also expressly protect the nonreligious, including atheists, agnostics and others that don’t believe in a particular religion. Although discrimination based on the lack of religious beliefs is prohibited under Title VII of the…

Texas AG Probes San Antonio Chick-fil-A Contract Ban

Texas AG Probes San Antonio Chick-fil-A Contract Ban

(Photo by Rick Uldricks/Patch staff) AUSTIN, TEXAS — The attorney general of Texas said he has opened up an investigation stemming from the San Antonio City Council’s decision to exclude Chick-fil-A from an airport concession contract given the company’s opposition to same-sex marriage. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday…

Eight in 10 say it’s not acceptable for faith leaders to sway voters

Eight in 10 say it’s not acceptable for faith leaders to sway voters

Residents celebrating religious harmony at the Punggol North Racial and Religious Harmony Street Parade last year. A new report by the Institute of Policy Studies has found that most Singaporeans feel that having different religious views is no barrier to getting along when living in close proximity. When it comes…

Federal Rule Protects Nuns’ Stance on Obamacare Mandate

Federal Rule Protects Nuns’ Stance on Obamacare Mandate

A federal rule was just published in the Federal Register. A single rule in a document that runs over 80,000 pages long may seem a small thing, but this particular rule marks the defeat of what many Americans perceive as an extended assault on religious freedom begun by the Obama…