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.
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- News
Sponsors of Georgia’s Religious Freedom Bill Decry Governor’s Veto
The sponsors of the religious liberty bill vetoed by Georgia’s governor say they are disappointed and disheartened by his action. Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, vetoed the legislation—called the Free Exercise Protection Act—on Monday, saying the bill did not reflect Georgia’s image as a state full of “warm, friendly, and loving people.” Sponsors said they…Mariana Barillas -
- Opinion
Georgia Governor Caves to Big Business, Vetoes Religious Freedom Bill
Georgia’s Republican Governor Nathan Deal has caved to pressure from big business and special interests and vetoed a very modest religious liberty bill. This shows the lack of courage of many in the political class, and it also highlights the extreme nature of the left and the business community. To these groups, even mild religious…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
Georgia Guts Religious Freedom Bill
On Wednesday night, the Georgia legislature introduced new language to its religious freedom bill and passed the bill in mere hours. Haste makes waste. This new language significantly waters down a religious freedom bill that had real force even though it was, as we pointed out three weeks ago, already lacking in certain respects. The…Ryan T. Anderson -
- News
A Palm Sunday Convergence of Pro-Life Runners From Across America
When you turn to God after experiencing the raw side of life and run more than 3,700 miles across the entire country, it’s fair to say you’re someone who can endure intense physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. But if you’re Jeff Grabosky, and in you’re in the midst of another long run, you’re not convinced…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
The ACLU’s Hypocrisy on Religious Liberty
Following the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared that it will no longer support the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) or state analogues. This is a stunning reversal, considering Religious Freedom Restoration Acts’ history. The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was introduced in…Tory McClintock -
- News
Big Businesses Side With LGBT Activists Against Georgia’s Religious Liberty Bill
Major corporations, including Google and Twitter, are coalescing in opposition to legislation in Georgia that would protect the right of individuals and institutions to practice their religion. Part of the state legislation prevents clergy from being required to perform same-sex marriages if doing so violates their religious beliefs. The state House and Senate last month…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Filibusted: Missouri Democrats Fail to Block Religious Liberty Bill Concerning Same-Sex Marriage
A minority of Missouri legislators held a much needed religious liberty proposal hostage in Jefferson City over the last two days. Democrats there filibustered for over 36 hours against SJR 39, a commonsense bill that would let Missouri citizens vote to ban government discrimination against people of faith because of their beliefs about marriage. This was the…Roger Severino -
- News
Why Millennials Lean Pro-Life
Millennials lean more pro-life than the generation preceding them because of advances in medical technology and science, leaders in conservative media said Friday. Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News Channel’s “The Five,” moderated the panel on the relevance of conservative principles to the millennial generation. Perino noted that a survey by the Associated Press found a…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Two States That Are Working to Protect Religious Liberty
With state legislatures entering the busiest time of their legislative calendar, a number of states are considering Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA) that would protect citizens’ fundamental rights from unreasonable and unnecessary government coercion. West Virginia and Georgia are among the states that have introduced state-level versions of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, which prohibit…Sarah Torre -
- Opinion
The Hypocrisy of Big Business Attacking Georgia’s Religious Liberty Bill
Last Friday, the Georgia Senate passed a good bill that protects religious freedom in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage. And already special interest groups and big businesses are trying to pressure the governor into refusing to sign the bill unless it is significantly watered down in the House. This is yet…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
New California Law Forces Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers to Advertise Abortions
Did you hear about the new bill that California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law? Under penalty of whopping fines, the new law orders the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and every other abortion facility in the Golden State to post a prominent notice in their waiting rooms, or give the mothers written or digital…Chuck Donovan -
- Opinion
Why This Local Pharmacist’s Religious Liberty Case Could Go to Supreme Court
Can a state force pharmacists to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs at the expense of their religious beliefs? This is the central issue in a case the Supreme Court may agree to hear in its next term. In 2007, the State of Washington passed a law requiring all pharmacies to deliver “all lawfully prescribed drugs or devices”…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Marching for Life 2016: The Pro-Life Movement’s Many Advances
Despite forecasts of historic snowfalls, large crowds are participating in today’s annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Americans from across the country have come to the National Mall on the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which invented a right to abortion on demand across…Sarah Torre -
- Opinion
Obama’s Hypocrisy on Religious Freedom
President Barack Obama’s 2016 proclamation for Religious Freedom Day, which was celebrated Jan. 16, rightly stated that religious freedom has long been considered one of America’s “most cherished ideals.” He wrote: The United States stands for the protection of equal rights for all people to practice their faith freely, without fear or coercion, and as…Melody Wood -
- News
Meet 4 Pro-Life Lawmakers Who Chose to Adopt
In college, Tim and Angela would counsel women facing an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. And they always suggested adoption as an option. Some took their advice. Many didn’t. Tim praises those who did, the mothers who gave up their children and “made one of the toughest and most loving choices there is.” When Tim and Angela…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Mike Pence Promises to Protect Religious Freedom in Indiana
Last March, Indiana became a hot zone in the culture wars when big business and the cultural left teamed up to water down Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). They alleged that RFRAs lead to rampant discrimination against gays and lesbians and, in a striking example of cultural cronyism, bullied the Indiana legislature into rolling…Roger Severino -
- News
Poll: 8 in 10 Americans Support Religious Freedom for Christians
A new poll shows that Americans prioritize protecting Christians’ religious freedom. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research’s poll found that 82 percent of Americans believe that religious liberty protections are important for Christians. Sixty-one percent of respondents said religious liberty protections are important for Muslims, “ranking Muslims as the least deserving of the…Leah Jessen -
- News
How This Governor Upheld Religious Freedom in Issuing Marriage Licenses
Acting to resolve a conflict between personal conscience and political duty on the subject of same-sex marriage, Kentucky’s new governor decided that marriage licenses don’t have to bear the name of the county clerk whose office issues the license. Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, announced his executive order last week along with four others. “To ensure that the sincerely…Leah Jessen -
- News
Pro-Life Group Says It Educates College Students About Planned Parenthood’s ‘True Nature’
Big, pink Planned Parenthood displays are popping up at college campuses across the nation. But it’s not what you think. The pro-life group Students for Life of America has organized a college tour where it puts up the displays to educate students about what it calls the “true nature” of the nation’s largest abortion provider. Students…Kate Scanlon -
- News
‘We Are Heartbroken’: Pro-Life Groups Condemn Shootings at Colorado Planned Parenthood
Pro-life leaders denounced the actions of the gunman who took the lives of three—a police officer and two civilians—and wounded nine others Friday in Colorado Springs, Colo. Police said Robert Dear, 57, gave up inside a Planned Parenthood clinic after a standoff that lasted hours. Here’s what leaders of pro-life organizations said in formal statements about Dear’s alleged…Kate Scanlon