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
How to Avoid Another Kim Davis Situation, Without Surrendering on Religious Freedom
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Sept. 10. Kim Davis is out of jail and taking a few days off before going back to work as the Rowan County, Ky., clerk. In the meantime, it’s worth reflecting on what we’ve learned thus far from the controversy. After all, it will not be the last….
Over 70 Pro-Life Leaders Oppose Any Bill Funding Planned Parenthood
More than 70 pro-life leaders signed a memo by the Conservative Action Project to oppose any government spending bill that provides taxpayer funding to abortion provider Planned Parenthood. “The American culture respects human life,” states the memo, whose signatories include conservative leaders such as Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly and Focus on the Family founder James…
In Obamacare Mandate Case, Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Religious Freedom
Thursday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a challenge to the Affordable Care Act requirement that employers offer their employees health care coverage that includes Plan B, ella, and other potentially life-ending drugs and devices—or fill out a form notifying the Department of Health and Human Services of their religious objection…
Pro-Life Groups Launch Website to Help Patients Find Alternatives to Planned Parenthood
A group of pro-life organizations have launched a website to help patients seeking health care find alternatives to Planned Parenthood. The Daily Signal previously reported that Alliance Defending Freedom and Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the Susan B. Anthony List, compiled a map of alternative health centers across the United States. Now, that…
Office Depot CEO Apologizes for Store’s Refusal to Print Pro-Life Flier
The CEO of Office Depot has apologized for a store’s refusal to print a pro-life flier. The office supply store received complaints of religious discrimination from customers after its rejection of the flier. Maria Goldstein, a Roman Catholic, ordered 500 copies of a pro-life flier to be handed out at her parish from an Office…
Lessons Learned From Kim Davis About Religious Liberty and Government Accommodation
“I just want to serve my neighbors quietly without violating my conscience.” With those words, Kim Davis resumed her post as the clerk of Rowan County Monday. Her statement serves as a good reminder of what this case has been all about—finding a way to allow public servants to discharge their duties to God and…
Why This Libertarian Supports Gay Marriage and Religious Liberty
Many advocates of same-sex marriage are all for equal rights until it comes to the religious liberty rights of individuals and private business owners who don’t want to participate in same-sex weddings. But as Cato Institute constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro explains, you can be an advocate for both. I begin our conversation by…
Pro-Life Leaders Demand Removal of ‘Racist’ Margaret Sanger Bust From National Portrait Gallery
A group of pro-life leaders will hold a press conference Thursday in Washington, D.C., to demand that a bust of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, be removed from the National Portrait Gallery. The bust of Sanger is currently displayed in the National Portrait Gallery’s “Struggle for Justice” exhibit. In an interview, ForAmerica Chairman Brent Bozell,…
At Religious Liberty Rally, Victims Share Their Stories
DES MOINES, Iowa—Several Americans who have faced threats to their religious liberty united for a rally last week. “These threats are not imagined. They’re not made up,” rally organizer Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said. “These are real people, leading real lives who found themselves facing persecution simply for living out their faith.” The Odgaards’ Story…
Teacher Protests Union’s Planned Parenthood Donations, Fights for Ability to Donate to Pro-Life Charity
A Pennsylvania teacher is suing the state’s largest teachers union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, for preventing her from donating her nonmember fees to a pro-life charity. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Linda Misja, a teacher at Apollo-Ridge High School, said she has never paid for representation by the union, which she does…
Fund Aims to Help Christian Baker Offset Wedding Cake Losses
Family and friends of a Christian cake designer hope to help him with a fundraising campaign after a Colorado court ruled Thursday that he must create cakes for same-sex weddings despite his religious beliefs. “Cake artist” Jack Phillips has said his bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, has lost more than a third of its receipts since he…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…