Religious News
The Daily Signal reports on faith and religion in America, covering Christian, Jewish, and other faith communities, with analysis and commentary on cultural trends, religious liberty, and moral issues that influence public life.
-
- Opinion
I’m a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors. Why I’m Appalled at the Comparison of Christian Bakers to Nazis.
It’s November 1938, and the Nazis have confiscated a silk factory owned by the same Jewish family for over a decade, arresting the owner. Fast forward to 2014, and a state official has compared a Colorado Christian baker to the same group that took away what belonged to the Jewish silk factory owner—the father of…Jackson Richman -
- News
Religious Freedom Advocates Rebuke Al Franken for ‘Hate Group’ Slur
One of the nation’s most respected champions of religious liberty draws a line at being called a hate group by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. During a confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor nominated by President Donald Trump to a federal judgeship, Franken said Alliance Defending Freedom is a hate group…Ken McIntyre -
- News
Sen. Mike Lee: Christian Baker Case About First Amendment, ‘Compelled Speech’
Sen. Mike Lee is warning that the case of a Colorado baker in legal peril for refusing to bake a specialty wedding cake for a same-sex couple’s commitment ceremony is about more than religious liberty or LGBT rights, but about whether the government can compel speech. “The government cannot force you to speak where you…Fred Lucas -
- News
Underreported: Christian Baker Reacts to Government Official Comparing Him to a Nazi
In 2014, Colorado Civil Rights Commissioner Diann Rice compared Jack Phillips, a Christian baker who was sued for declining to make a cake for a same-sex ceremony, to perpetrators of the Holocaust. She said: I would also like to reiterate what we said in … the last meeting [concerning Jack Phillips]. Freedom of religion and…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Report Shows More Violations of Americans’ Religious Freedom
Hostility toward religion is on the rise in the United States, according to a new report. The report, recently released by the Family Research Council, shows an increase in the number of incidents involving “religious freedom violations” since the first report was released in July 2014. The original report spanned over a decade and contained 90…Christine Roe -
- News
Students File Lawsuit After School Denies Pro-Life Club Approval
A religious nonprofit organization is suing Parkland School District in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, after Parkland High School deemed a pro-life student club too controversial and subsequently refused to approve its charter. The national public interest law firm Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit against the school district, high school, and three administrators Tuesday after Elizabeth Castro and Grace Schairer submitted their proposal…Grace Carr -
- News
Lawyers Ask Supreme Court to Hear Second Religious Liberty, Same-Sex Marriage Case
Less than one month after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review the case of a Colorado baker who declined to make a cake for a gay couple’s wedding celebration because of his religious beliefs about marriage, lawyers asked the high court to combine it with a similar case involving a florist from Washington…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Religious Freedom Advocates Fire Back After ‘Hate Group’ Smear Over Jeff Sessions Speech
The Southern Poverty Law Center, once revered but now often ridiculed, again attacked a prominent religious liberty organization as an “anti-LGBT hate group” after Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke at its conference in California. “The Southern Poverty Law Center is the real hate group here,” @Vadum says. The Christian legal aid group, Alliance Defending Freedom,…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Hawaii to Force Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers to Advertise Free Abortions
All five of Hawaii’s pro-life pregnancy centers will be forced to choose between advertising free abortions and defying the state’s demands starting Wednesday, after Gov. David Ige allowed a mandatory disclaimer bill to become law Tuesday night. Mirroring a 2015 California law, Hawaii’s edict forces locally funded pregnancy centers to post and distribute to each…Jay Hobbs -
- News
Pro-Life Leaders Rally to Support Charlie Gard
U.S. pro-life leaders are asking the British government to honor parental rights and allow the parents of a terminally ill infant to seek medical care abroad. “In the tragic case of Charlie Gard, the British government has unjustly decided that his life doesn’t have the value of others,” said Tina Whittington, executive vice president of Students…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
We Hear You: Bernie Sanders, Religious Freedom, and Fake News
Editor’s note: What could be more appropriate this Fourth of July weekend than to round up some audience comments on basic American freedoms such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press? Happy Independence Day.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: There is a disconnect in the statement Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., put on his Senate website after…Ken McIntyre -
- News
Defender of Religious Freedom Sues Nonprofit Tracker GuideStar Over ‘Hate Group’ Labels
A conservative organization dedicated to upholding religious liberty has sued the leading tracker of U.S. nonprofits for publicly listing it as a “hate group.” “It is dangerous to label organizations as hate groups when they’re not, [and] people have used that information to commit acts of violence.”—@MatStaver Liberty Counsel is taking GuideStar to court after…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Pro-Life Group Claims Twitter Has ‘Suppressed’ Its Message
A pro-life group is claiming Twitter has “suppressed” its ads. Live Action, a nonprofit organization founded by Lila Rose to promote the end of abortion, released a statement Tuesday about its clashes with the social media giant. Twitter censorship accusations have been growing increasingly frequent in recent years. “While Planned Parenthood is allowed to advertise…Katrina Willis -
- News
Christian Baker Fears Loss of ‘Everything’ Unless Supreme Court Upholds Right Not to Make Cakes for Gay Marriages
By deciding to hear the appeal of a Colorado baker, the Supreme Court could make its first ruling next year on whether government may coerce some Christians, Jews, and Muslims to use their creative gifts to celebrate same-sex marriage. The high court announced Monday that it would review the case of baker Jack Phillips, who…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
Religious Liberty Scores a Win at the Supreme Court
In a big win for religious liberty, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church’s case against the state of Missouri. The case involved discrimination by the state in giving out publicly funded grants. In an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, seven members of the court agreed that Missouri had…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
Pro-Life Leaders Raise Concerns Over Senate Draft of Health Care Bill
Some national pro-life leaders say they are concerned that the Senate’s health care bill draft, released Thursday, which currently includes pro-life provisions, will ultimately fail to include pro-life protections once the bill is finalized. “The expectations of the pro-life movement have been very clear: The health care bill must not indefinitely subsidize abortion and must…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Trump Nominee Not Hindered by Bernie Sanders’ Religious Litmus Test
No thanks to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., President Donald Trump’s pick for the Office of Management and Budget is one step closer to his new job. After a faith-based grilling that left Sanders red-faced and Americans in shock, Russell Vought’s nomination squeaked out of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by the narrowest…Tony Perkins -
- Opinion
Circuit Court Win for Religious Freedom on Gay Marriage
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously on Thursday that a Mississippi law that protects religious liberty and the rights of conscience in light of the redefinition of marriage may go into effect. In the decision, the circuit court overruled a previous judgment from a district court judge who had declared the Mississippi…Ryan T. Anderson -
- News
Opposite Sides of Cultural War Meet to Debate Religious Liberty and Discrimination: Here Is What They Said
Amid the ongoing national debate about religious liberty and discrimination, two conservatives and a liberal wrote a book to present their views and discuss where Americans go from here. At an event last week at The Heritage Foundation, the three co-authors—Ryan T. Anderson, John Corvino, and Sherif Girgis—sat down to discuss their book, “Debating Religious…Christine Roe -
- Opinion
Sanders’ Religious Test Goes Against Founders’ Vision
What does a man’s theology have to do with the U.S. economy? A lot, if you’re Russell Vought. The respected economist, President Donald Trump’s pick for deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget, thought he’d have to answer some tough questions at his Senate hearing last week. But like most of us, he…Tony Perkins