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
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… -
news
What Xi Said to Trump About Imprisoned Christians in China
President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping is hesitant to release imprisoned Christian Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper publisher. Trump told reporters he spoke with Xi during the Beijing state visit about imprisoned Christian Pastor Ezra Jin and said Xi was “giving very serious consideration” to his release. Jin, the pastor of Zion Church,… -
opinion
Faith, Fairness, and the Front Lines: Protecting the American Tradition
The National Day of Prayer reflects the enduring American tradition of turning to faith by seeking God’s protection and favor on our country, leaders, and communities. As early as 1668, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed an ordinance declaring a day of “Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, to implore God’s Mercy.” Days of prayer have evolved since then. Congress passed an… -
news
Christian Trump Supporters React to Post Slamming Pope
President Donald Trump slammed Pope Leo XIV for being “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” drawing backlash from conservative Catholics. Trump’s comments followed the pope’s criticism of the war in Iran. “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on… -
news
Rubio Announces Visa Restrictions on Anyone Carrying Out ‘Violations of Religious Freedom’
The State Department has announced new restrictions on visas for anyone who is seen to be supporting or conducting violations of religious freedom. “The United States is taking decisive action in response to the atrocities and violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday. The department “will restrict U.S. visas for those… -
news
Haircut in the High Court: How Justices Respond to Latest Religious Freedom Case
The Supreme Court heard a religious freedom argument Monday out of Louisiana concerning whether individual government officials may be forced to pay legal damages for violations of a primary First Amendment protection. In Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, the court is considering whether a prisoner can sue a prison official in his personal capacity… -
opinion
Religious Freedom Around the World: Rhetoric vs. Reality
For many countries, rhetoric surrounding religious freedom does not match reality. For example, look no further than Nigeria. There, the country ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1993, agreeing that everyone has the right to both the expression and exercise of religion. Those same rights are guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution….