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
Republican National Committee Urges Congress to Support Legislation Protecting Religious Liberty
The Republican National Committee has passed a resolution calling for Congress to approve the First Amendment Defense Act. The legislation and resolution are in response to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Critics of the ruling say the Supreme Court failed to allow for religious liberty protections…Kate Scanlon -
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Christian Baker Must Make Cakes Celebrating Gay Marriage, Appeals Court Rules
A custom cake baker in suburban Denver can’t cite his religious convictions in declining to make a wedding cake for two men, a Colorado appeals court ruled today. “Cake artist” Jack Phillips said he gladly serves gays and lesbians in his family business. But, Phillips said, he could not in good conscience design a wedding…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
3 Historical Developments That Explain Our Current Religious Liberty Battles
In recent political memory, religious liberty was a value that brought together conservatives, libertarians and progressives. As recently as 1993, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed by a nearly unanimous Congress and signed by a Democratic president. Today, the same value is a political liability. Bakers, photographers, and florists are being ruined, adoption…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Chris Christie: Conservatives Should Be ‘Unapologetic’ on Pro-Life Position
ATLANTA, Ga.—New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said today that conservatives should be “unapologetic” about their pro-life position. Christie, a Republican candidate for president, spoke at the RedState Gathering in Atlanta. In his speech, Christie referenced videos recently released by the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of aborted fetal organs….Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Why Little Sisters of the Poor Is Right to Be Concerned About Religious Freedom
The Obama administration continues its persistent attack on the Little Sisters of the Poor following their challenge to the Obamacare abortion drug mandate. Earlier this summer, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Little Sisters in their challenge to the Affordable Care Act requirement that they provide employees with health care coverage that includes…Elizabeth Slattery -
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Speaking Out: The Voices of the Growing Pro-Life Movement at the #WomenBetrayed Rally
According to Planned Parenthood’s website, most women “ultimately feel relief” after having an abortion. In fact, the website asserts that sustained “emotional problems” after an abortion are not typical—just like when a woman has a baby. “I’m here to refute those words,” said Andrea Pearson, regional coordinator from the pro-life organization Silent No More. Carrying…Diana Stancy -
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What These Pro-Life Groups Have to Say to Companies Donating to Planned Parenthood
On Tuesday, The Daily Signal published a list of companies that donate or have donated directly to Planned Parenthood, either through grants or through matching employee gifts. We used data from 2nd Vote, a website and app that tracks causes that corporations donate to. We asked each company about its donations to the nation’s largest…Kate Scanlon -
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Lafayette Shooting Victim Mayci Breaux Remembered for Pro-Life Views, Family Aspirations
Mayci Breaux will be remembered as much more than a slain victim of Thursday evening’s tragic shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana. Breaux, 21, was an honor student at Louisiana State University at Eunice, studying to become a radiology technician. We are in shock and mourning over the loss of one of our own, Mayci Breaux. Our…Chelsea Scism -
- Opinion
How So-Called ‘Equality Act’ Threatens Religious Freedom
Politico is reporting that the so-called “Equality Act” will be introduced today in Congress. The bill is the brainchild of the Human Rights Campaign—an influential, sophisticated and lavishly funded LGBT activist organization. The “Equality Act” is a misnomer. The bill does not protect equality before the law, but unnecessarily and unjustly violates freedom by creating…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Conservative Action Project: ‘We Must Act Now to Protect Religious Liberty in America’
The Conservative Action Project has released a “Memo to the Movement” on the state of religious liberty in the United States. The project was founded by former Attorney General Edwin Meese and includes leaders of over 100 organizations in the conservative movement. The signatories urge that “we must act now to protect religious liberty in…Kate Scanlon -
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Pro-Life Leaders Say Planned Parenthood Openly ‘Targets’ Black Community
Following allegations that Planned Parenthood is selling aborted fetal body parts for profit, black pro-life leaders are calling to defund the organization and address what they call “targeting” of their community. “It’s an open secret that they are targeting the black community, that they have located their facilities within a two-mile walking radius of a…Kelsey Bolar -
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Why Are ‘Customers’ So Angry About This New Book on Marriage and Religious Freedom?
Is the debate about marriage over after the Supreme Court’s June decision to redefine marriage in all fifty states? That’s what some Amazon.com reviewers are insisting after a new book was released last week. The book, “Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom,” is a roadmap from Ryan Anderson, a senior research fellow…Marguerite Bowling -
- Opinion
Oregon’s War on the Christian Bakers’ Free Speech
My parents immigrated to the United States in 1951, after surviving the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism. It never would have occurred to them that any American, such as Aaron and Melissa Klein of Oregon, would have their freedom to speak, their right to live their lives according to their religious beliefs and…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Conservatives Plot to Get Religious Liberty Bill to Obama’s Desk
Conservative members of Congress appeared confident today that a new bill designed to prohibit the federal government from taking “discriminatory action” against a person or institution based on his or its religious beliefs about marriage will reach the president’s desk sooner, rather than later. The bill, called the First Amendment Defense Act, was written in…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Want Religious Freedom? Then Let’s Pass the First Amendment Defense Act.
Two weeks ago, in a usurpation of the democratic process on par with Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court got marriage and the Constitution wrong. Its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges redefined marriage for the entire country. Nothing in the Constitution gives unelected judges the power to do so. But the court did it anyway, and now…Ryan T. Anderson -
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‘Full House’ Star Defends Christian Bakers: ‘I Don’t Think This Is Discrimination’
The talk show “The View” pitted two childhood stars against each other to discuss the controversial issue of Christian bakers receiving a $135,000 fine for refusing to bake a lesbian wedding cake. Candace Cameron Bure of “Full House” and Raven-Symoné of “That’s So Raven” went head to head discussing the hot topic issue, coming down…Samantha Reinis -
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Christian Bakers Fined $135K Over Lesbian Wedding Cake Raise More Than $210K
A fundraising campaign that was launched to help Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers fined $135,000 for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, has raised more than $210,000. The Kleins told The Daily Signal in an earlier interview that their income has virtually been cut in half since they were forced to…Diana Stancy -
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Christian Baker Makes Case for Not ‘Expressing’ Support of Same-Sex Marriage
The owner of a family business that makes custom cakes today asked a Colorado appeals court to strike down state rulings that he discriminated against a same-sex couple by declining to provide a cake to celebrate their wedding. “People shouldn’t be forced to choose between earning a living and exercising their fundamental rights.”—@AllianceDefend’s Jeremy Tedesco…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
Sorry, Slate: Oregon Did Put a ‘Gag Order’ on Those Christian Bakers
On Thursday, The Daily Signal published an article about Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Commissioner Brad Avakian ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, Christian bakers who had refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, to pay the couple $135,000 for “emotional” damages and issuing a gag order against the Kleins. On…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Mike Huckabee in Iowa: ‘Religious Liberty Is the Foundation of All Our Liberties’
FORT DODGE, Iowa—Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee—who won Iowa’s Republican caucuses in 2008—joined a room full of Iowans this morning to lay out the policies he would promote during his latest presidential run. Huckabee, who especially succeeded in winning over evangelicals in 2008, focused much of his speech on religious liberty, which he called “the…Leah Jessen