Religious Freedom News
The Daily Signal provides coverage of religious freedom issues in the United States and around the world, with reporting on policy, legal challenges, persecution, and the impact on people of faith.
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opinion
How a Lawsuit Seeking to Silence Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission Actually Proved Its Point
Last month, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department released a draft report highlighting threats to religious freedom, and left-leaning activist groups revealed the very need for the report in suing to silence the commission’s message. Trump signed an executive order in May 2025 establishing the Religious Liberty Commission, tasking it with producing a report on the… -
exclusive
Christian PA Fired Over Transgender Referrals, Pronouns Wins $410K Settlement as Hospital Adopts New Policy
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A Christian physician assistant fired after refusing to participate in transgender procedures and use preferred pronouns has reached a settlement with the University of Michigan Health-West, which agreed to adopt new religious freedom protections for employees and pay $410,000. “All I wanted to do was provide the best care possible to… -
opinion
New York’s Attack on the Free Exercise of Religion
Seven members of the Little Sisters of the Poor left their order’s motherhouse in La Tour Saint-Joseph, France, on Aug. 28, 1868, and headed for the coast. Three days later, they boarded the Napoleon III steamship and began a trip across the Atlantic. Two weeks later, they arrived in New York. Then, a few days after… -
opinion
Nigeria’s Delay in Blasphemy Case Is Major Red Flag for Religious Freedom
A young man has been sitting in prison in Nigeria for the past six years with the possibility of a death sentence over his head. His name is Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. He is a Sufi musician. The state of Kano in northern Nigeria wants to execute him for the alleged crime of sharing a handful of… -
news
Catholic Teacher Fired in UK for Answering Questions About ‘Religion and Abortion’
A school in the United Kingdom fired a teacher for saying she was pro-life, and now she’s fighting the case at an employment tribunal. Sarah Morse, a United States citizen, had been a teacher for over 20 years and had recently begun teaching at Arbroath High School in Scotland when students who were curious about… -
opinion
OMB’s Proposed Grant Reform Promises a Major Victory for Religious Liberty
Americans should not have to surrender their constitutional freedoms to partner with a government program. Churches that receive federal grants should not have to hide their crosses. Religious charities should not have to secularize their missions. And citizens should not face higher fees to speak on public property simply because officials dislike their political or… -
opinion
Texas Expects Students to Know the Bible Because It Is Part of Our History
On June 26, the Texas State Board of Education voted on the new K-8 social studies standards. These revised standards remove critical race theory, reject disputed claims about Islam’s influence on the Alamo, restore instruction on classical Greek and Roman influences, and—most controversially—include instructing students about America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. The motion passed 9-5. As you… -
opinion
Reclaiming Religious Liberty From Distortion
Government commissions come and go. Most deliver their reports to polite applause and prompt obscurity. But the Religious Liberty Commission that recently presented its draft report to President Donald Trump deserves a look that extends well beyond the Oval Office. At stake is something fundamental to the American character: our distinctive religious pluralism and the constitutional architecture… -
opinion
Trump v. Pope Leo XIV? Where Do Washington and Rome Go From Here?
The following is an excerpt of Daily Signal Politics Editor Bradley Devlin’s interview with Paul Kengor, editor of The American Spectator and author of the new book “American Pontiff,” for the “Signal Sitdown,” which premieres on the Daily Signal’s YouTube page at 6:30 a.m. EDT on July 8. This transcript has been edited for clarity…. -
opinion
Religious Freedom at Stake in Spain
Imagine a government deciding which parts of a church are sacred. The altar, yes. The nave, no. The chapels, the dome, the atrium, the vestibule, and great bronze doors—no as well. The faithful may pray here, but not there, and only after passing through a state-run exhibition with a political and ideological message before entering. It might sound invented, but it is happening right now in Spain. … -
opinion
Rep. Mark Harris: The Faith That Made America Free
As America approaches her 250th birthday, we will look back to Philadelphia; to the signing of the Declaration of Independence; and to the courage of the men who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of liberty. The declaration was not written merely in rejection of England’s rule. It was… -
analysis
The Left’s Socialist Wave Will Come for Religion Next, Catholic Bishop Warns
Catholic Bishop Robert Barron is warning Christians to take seriously the implications of far-left socialists who rack up victories in Democrat primaries across the country, most recently in Colorado. The popular preacher and founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries didn’t mince words in an X post Monday, a week after self-described socialists scored big… -
news
Religious Freedom Report Reveals How Secularism Forces Some Americans Out of Public Life
President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission released a 224-page report on Friday on the threats to religious freedom, recommending policy changes. The Religious Liberty Commission, established by executive order last May, interviewed more than 100 witnesses across seven hearings. The hearings produced a common theme: “Far too often in our national life, religion is treated… -
news
Flight Attendants Fired Over Opposition to Equality Act to Finally Get Their Day in Court After 9th Circuit Ruling
Alaska Airlines fired two Christian flight attendants for expressing opposition to the company’s endorsement of the so-called Equality Act, and while a district court rejected their lawsuit, an appeals court revived the case, giving them their day in court. The flight attendants, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, both Christians, responded to Alaska Airlines’ announcement of… -
opinion
SCOTUS: Prison Officials Who Violated Prisoner’s Free Exercise Rights Not Liable for Money Damages
Few Americans would read the facts in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety without being disturbed. According to Damon Landor and the state of Louisiana, prison officials shaved his dreadlocks against his will and in violation of his religious beliefs as a devout Rastafarian. Even more appalling is the fact that Landor… -
opinion
Protecting Religion: The Battlefield of the Future
On June 6, 1876, as the United States approached its centennial anniversary, President Ulysses S. Grant addressedthe youth of America. “My advice … no matter their denomination,” is to hold fast to faith, to not merely know one’s religious precepts, but to live them. By Grant’s counsel, in this would be the flourishing of the… -
exclusive
Israeli Genocide of Christians and Muslims Is an Intentionally False Claim, Christian IDF Major Says
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A lifelong and decorated member of the Israel Defense Forces told the Daily Signal that Western media has fabricated lies about the persecution of Christians in Southern Lebanon and Israel. “They are speaking for me without asking for my permission,” Shadi Khalloul said. “The Qatari propagandists, like Al Jazeera, Tucker Carlson,… -
opinion
Peter Xu: The Billy Graham of China
This is an adapted excerpt from “China’s War on Faith” by Sam Brownback with Michael Arkush, released May 12 from Republic Book Publishers. Peter Xu never lost faith in his Lord and Savior. Not even when death was near. In 1997, Peter hung from the metal bars of a sliding prison door for nearly four hours…. -
exclusive
GOP Leadership Announces Nomination of Religious Freedom Commissioner
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have nominated a new commissioner to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Gene Mills, a religious leader and president of the Louisiana Family Forum, will serve alongside eight others to ensure religious freedoms are protected around the world. “I am… -
news
Key Health Agency Protects Conscience Rights, Combats Anti-Christian Bias
The federal agency devoted to health care has reorganized its civil rights office to restore key conscience protections and reverse the alleged anti-Christian bias under former President Joe Biden. “Faith-filled Americans should not be forced to choose between their profession and their conscience, and faith-based organizations should be able to operate on the same level…