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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opinion
Why Are Lawmakers Changing Their Minds on Religious Freedom Law?
When Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to Twitter last night to echo opposition and concern from the NCAA about Indiana’s new religious freedom law, some were puzzled—especially since Schumer had sponsored a national religious freedom law that closely matches Indiana’s new law. “.@NCAA if you’re looking for a new place to hold 2021 #FinalFour –… -
opinion
Indiana Protects Religious Liberty. Why That’s Good Policy.
In a victory for religious freedom, earlier today Gov. Mike Pence, R-Ind., signed into law the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This is good policy that protects the fundamental freedom of Indiana citizens from unnecessary and unreasonable government coercion. The Indiana law is based on the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act—a law that has served… -
news
Mike Pence Signs Religious Freedom Bill
A bill known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been signed into law by the governor. Supporters of Indiana Senate Bill 101 say that the law protects the free practice of religion, and opponents say the law will allow gay and lesbian individuals to be discriminated against. For example, the law could permit business owners… -
opinion
Cruz, Lankford Move to Protect Religious Freedom of D.C. Private Schools, Organizations
On Wednesday, Senators Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and James Lankford, R-Okla., introduced resolutions of disapproval that, if passed by Congress and signed by the president, would effectively overturn two bad pieces of legislation passed by the D.C. council earlier this year. In January, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed two euphemistically titled bills: the “Reproductive… -
news
Should Pro-Life Organizations Be Forced to Hire Pro-Choice Employees?
Conservatives are urging Congress to overrule two pieces of legislation that could force religious and pro-life employers in the nation’s capital to do business in ways that go against their beliefs. The first bill in question, called the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act (RHNDA), seeks to protect individuals from being discriminated against by an employer based… -
opinion
Meet the 19th Century American Who Warned About Big Government, Religious Liberty Assaults
2015 marks a milestone in American history. One hundred and fifty years ago, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant and ended the Civil War. Shortly thereafter, Orestes Augustus Brownson (1803-1876), a prominent journalist and philosopher, published “The American Republic,” an erudite defense of the Federal Constitution. As noted in our… -
opinion
Positive Response to Indian Leader Modi’s Speech on Religious Freedom
Indian Prime Minister Modi has received praise at home and abroad for a speech he gave on February 17 that took a firm stand against religious persecution and violence and pledged equal treatment for all religions in India. His remarks were made to an audience of 1,200 Christians who had gathered to mark the canonization… -
news
Obama Helps Spark a Religious Freedom Debate in India
The issue of religious freedom has sparked heated debate in India in recent weeks, prompting the country’s prime minister to address the subject directly. At an event celebrating Indian Catholics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the crowd that “My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable… -
news
Pro-Life Group’s Graphic Signs Spark Debate Over Images of Abortion
A recent pro-life protest in Columbus, Ohio, drew a heated response from a neighbor upset by the group’s graphic depiction of aborted fetuses on signs across from his house. It’s also sparked questions of how far is too far when it comes to showing images of abortion. The signs of demonstrators, led by pro-life group… -
news
How This Christian Group Promotes a Pro-Life Message Through Running
It was a cold and cloudy day with poor visibility on the side of a mountain in Colorado when Dr. Pat Castle first encountered Padre Pio, the canonized Roman Catholic priest from Southern Italy, who was known for his healing powers and connection with supernatural occurrences. It was 2006, and Castle was about 10 minutes… -
news
‘It’s a Two-Way Street’: What Americans Think About Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty
A new Associated Press-GFK poll shows that more Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, but a majority believe businesses that provide wedding services shouldn’t have to participate in a same-sex marriage if they have a religious objection. According to the poll, 44 percent of Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it, and 15 percent… -
opinion
Congress Can Fix New D.C. Bills That Force Pro-Life Groups to Pay for Abortion, Religious Schools to Violate Beliefs
Over the weekend, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law two pieces of bad legislation. These policies will saddle religious organizations and employers with a choice of complying with coercive laws that force them to violate their religious beliefs and organizational missions, or staying true to their beliefs in defiance of unjust laws…. -
news
How Pro-Life Is Your State? This Map Holds the Answer
How does your state regulate the abortion industry? One pro-life group has released a map to help you find out. “The abortion industry should … not be allowed to keep profits high and standards low,” says @CharmaineYoest. Americans United for Life released the “2015 Life List” this week, ranking all 50 states based on their… -
opinion
Texas Pro-Life Law Prompts Judges to Weigh Health Risks of Abortion to Women
In the latest challenge to Texas’ so-called “pro-life law of the century” (passed as H.B. 2), last week a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case Whole Woman’s Health v. Lakey. Abortion providers, including Whole Woman’s Health Clinic in McAllen, Texas, sued the state to keep key provisions of… -
news
This Photo Inspired a Book, Film and Pro-Life Message Across the Globe
For the Armas family, one picture meant much more than a thousand words. In August 1999, doctors diagnosed Samuel Armas—who was still in his mother’s womb—with spina bifida, a congenital disorder that causes deformation of the spinal cord. To prevent her future son from suffering severe neurological damage, Armas’s mother, who was 21 weeks pregnant… -
opinion
BJP Can Do More to Protect Religious Freedom in India
The state of religious freedom in India is in question after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of parliament declared that on Christmas Day he would host a Hindu conversion ceremony, a ceremony where Christians and Muslims are publicly pressured to abandon their faith. While the conversion ceremony has since been temporarily called off after the BJP… -
opinion
D.C. Passes Bill That Could Force Pro-Life Organizations to Pay for Abortion Coverage
Today, the Council of the District of Columbia passed a bill that could force employers in the nation’s capital to cover elective abortions in their health plans and require even pro-life organizations to hire individuals who oppose their views on abortion. The bill will now go to Mayor Vincent Gray for approval. This latest attempt… -
opinion
Here’s How the Media Got the Latest Religious Liberty Bill Wrong
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 headline reads: “Bill would let Michigan doctors, EMTs refuse to treat gay patients.” But the bill does nothing of the sort. The bill, passed by the Michigan House last week,… -
news
If Fetal Surgery Can Save the Life of an Unborn Child, Why Do Some Oppose It?
Roughly 3 percent of babies born each year in the United States suffer from a complex birth defect, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. That number is lower than it would have been without the work of Dr. Michael Harrison, who pioneered maternal-fetal medicine and performed the world’s first open fetal surgery at the University of… -
news
This Town Has Displayed a Nativity for 50 Years. Now an Atheist Group Wants It Removed.
Residents of an Indiana town have been threatened with legal action by an atheist group if they don’t remove their nativity scene. Brookville, Ind. has displayed the nativity outside the courthouse every holiday season for the last 50 years. But according to WLWT, residents of the Indiana town say that for the last three years,…