Articles by Ryan T. Anderson

SocietyCommentary

Here’s How the Media Got the Latest Religious Liberty Bill Wrong

Ryan T. Anderson | December 13, 2014

Finishing off a week that was pretty bad for the media, CBS News is now spinning a story about a Michigan religious freedom bill. Their… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Why These Citizens Voted to Repeal a Bad ‘Civil Rights’ Law

Ryan T. Anderson | December 10, 2014

One way to prevent the government from violating your rights is to stop bad legislation in its tracks. Citizens in Fayetteville, Ark., did just that… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Many Faiths, Common View on Marriage: Men and Women Are Created for Each Other

Ryan T. Anderson | November 26, 2014

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m particularly thankful for marriage—both on a personal level and for the critical role it plays in society. Today,… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Sexual Liberty and Religious Liberty Can Coexist. Here’s How.

Ryan T. Anderson | November 09, 2014

Sexual liberty and religious liberty need not be in tension. Indeed, most Americans don’t want them to be in tension. It’s true there are bad… Read More

LawSocietyCommentary

No Constitutional Right to Same-Sex Marriage, Circuit Court Rules

Ryan T. Anderson | November 06, 2014

Earlier today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit overruled lower court decisions that had struck down state laws defining marriage as the union of… Read More

SocietyNews

The Government Should Stop Waging War on Those Against Same-Sex Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | November 02, 2014

It’s hard to imagine a more bedrock American right than being free to live according to your religious convictions. The very idea of being forced… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Democrat-Appointed Federal Judge: No Right to Same-Sex Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | October 22, 2014

On Tuesday, United States District Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez upheld Puerto Rico’s law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He concluded that… Read More

SocietyCommentary

President Obama Evolves on Marriage. And He Wants the Constitution to ‘Evolve’ With Him.

Ryan T. Anderson | October 21, 2014

President Obama has evolved on marriage. Again. After supporting marriage as the union of a man and a woman until just before the elections of… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Government to Ordained Ministers: Celebrate Same-Sex Wedding or Go to Jail

Ryan T. Anderson | October 18, 2014

For years, those in favor of same-sex marriage have argued that all Americans should be free to live as they choose. And yet in countless cases,… Read More

SocietyCommentary

The Defense of Marriage Isn’t Over

Ryan T. Anderson | October 07, 2014

Monday’s action from the Supreme Court is, as I noted, a setback for sound constitutional self-government and a setback for a healthy marriage culture. Rather… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Supreme Court Decision Will Lead to Gay Marriage in Five States. Why That’s Wrong.

Ryan T. Anderson | October 06, 2014

Today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review appeals from Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin on the definition of marriage. This means that lower… Read More

SocietyCommentary

The People, Not the Courts, Should Decide on Same-Sex Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | September 29, 2014

On June 26 of last year, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor,… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Federal Judge: U.S. Constitution Doesn’t Require Redefinition of Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | September 03, 2014

Does the U.S. Constitution require the states to redefine marriage? Earlier today a federal judge said no. Judge Martin L.C. Feldman upheld Louisiana’s constitutional authority… Read More

SocietyCommentary

7 Reasons Why the Current Marriage Debate Is Nothing Like the Debate on Interracial Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | August 27, 2014

Is opposition to same-sex marriage at all like opposition to interracial marriage? One refrain in debates over marriage policy is that laws defining marriage as… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Government to Farmers: Host Same-Sex Wedding or Pay a $13,000 Fine

Ryan T. Anderson | August 19, 2014

Should the government be able to coerce a family farm into hosting a same-sex wedding? In a free society, the answer is no. Family farms… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Judge Upholds State’s Authority to Define Marriage as Union of Man and Woman

Ryan T. Anderson | August 12, 2014

Last week a judge in Tennessee upheld that state’s Constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Though the… Read More

SocietyCommentary

The Government Should Stop Discriminating Against Religious Adoption Agencies

Ryan T. Anderson | July 31, 2014

Kelly Rosati, whose four children joined her family through foster care adoption, knows first-hand the pain and difficulties caused by a broken child welfare system…. Read More

SocietyCommentary

New York Times Reporter: ‘Some People Are Deserving of Incivility’

Ryan T. Anderson | July 31, 2014

As I recounted Monday at The Daily Signal, The New York Times reporter Josh Barro thinks some people are “unworthy of respect.” Yesterday Barro doubled-down… Read More

SocietyCommentary

My Exchange with Two New York Times Writers on Marriage Equality and Civility

Ryan T. Anderson | July 29, 2014

Can people respect each other and treat one another civilly even while disagreeing about marriage? No, according to New York Times domestic correspondent Josh Barro…. Read More

SocietyCommentary

Why This Judge Dissented—and Said There Is No Right to Same-Sex Marriage

Ryan T. Anderson | July 28, 2014

Today, in a 2-1 split decision, the 4th circuit ruled that Virginia’s marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Obama’s LGBT Executive Order Undermines Pluralism and Religious Liberty

Ryan T. Anderson | July 21, 2014

Today President Barack Obama issued an executive order barring federal contractors from what it describes as “discrimination” on the basis of sexual orientation and gender… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Court Rules Marriage Must Be Redefined Under 14th Amendment. Why That’s Wrong.

Ryan T. Anderson | June 25, 2014

Today the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an important ruling on Utah’s marriage amendment. This is the first time a circuit court has ruled… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Celebrate Father’s Day, Not Parent Day

Ryan T. Anderson | June 12, 2014

Dads matter. As we head into Father’s Day weekend, that statement may seem like a cliché. But the tragic reality is that if people seeking… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Not All Religious Liberty Cases Are Black and White. Many Are Gray.

Ryan T. Anderson | June 10, 2014

Sometimes religious liberty cases are black and white, but normally they’re various shades of gray and require careful critical thinking. They’re not so much a… Read More

SocietyAnalysis

Citizen Must Bake Cake for Same-Sex Wedding, Colorado Civil Rights Panel Rules

Ryan T. Anderson | June 02, 2014

On Friday, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruled unanimously that Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, must create wedding cakes for same-sex couples, even if doing so violates… Read More

SocietyCommentary

Six Things You Can Do to Support Marriage and Freedom

Ryan T. Anderson | May 23, 2014

How do we best advance the cause of marriage as the union of a man and woman, husband and wife, father and mother? This week… Read More

 Society

Laws Defining Marriage as Union of Man and Woman Do Not Violate Religious Liberty

Ryan T. Anderson | April 29, 2014

The United Church of Christ has brought a lawsuit against the state of North Carolina, claiming the state’s marriage amendment violates their free exercise of… Read More

 Society

It’s Time to Protect Religious Liberty in the Marriage Debate

Ryan T. Anderson | April 14, 2014

For years, a central argument of those in favor of same-sex marriage has been that all Americans should be free to live and love as… Read More

 LawSociety

Elane Photography Case Shows Why We Must Fight Against Government Coercion

Ryan T. Anderson | April 07, 2014

Today, the Supreme Court declined to review Elane Photography v. Willock—the famous case involving a photographer who politely declined to tell the story of a… Read More

 Society

Is Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage at All Like Opposition to Interracial Marriage? No.

Ryan T. Anderson | April 04, 2014

Is opposition to same-sex marriage at all like opposition to interracial marriage? One refrain in debates over marriage policy is that laws designating marriage as… Read More