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
What’s in Senate’s Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Why It’s Threat to Religious Freedom
The U.S. Senate is considering legislation that could have dire consequences for religious freedom. The so-called Respect for Marriage Act goes beyond codifying same-sex marriage in federal law to make the acceptance of gay marriage compulsory. “The so-called Respect for Marriage Act will just simply lead to more attacks on Americans’ religious liberty,” says Jay…Virginia Allen -
- News
Faith Leaders Warn So-Called Respect for Marriage Act Will Hack Away at Religious Freedom
Leaders of faith-based institutions warned The Daily Signal on Tuesday that the Democrat-led Respect for Marriage Act, which is expected to be voted on by the Senate Wednesday, would hack away at the religious freedom of faith-based groups. HR 8404 “provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages,” repealing provisions that define marriage as between…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Jewish University Launches New Strategy Amid Religious Freedom-LGBT Conflict
An Orthodox Jewish school at the forefront of the battle for religious freedom has presented an interesting compromise: Rather than endorse the LGBT student club that is currently suing the school for recognition, it will launch its own club that it says will help LGBT students while obeying the Law of Moses. Yeshiva University announced…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Since When Does Freedom From Discrimination Require Destroying Religious Freedom?
An op-ed Wednesday in The Washington Post laid out how the left is attempting to dismantle what Congress once unanimously recognized as “undergird[ing] the very origin and existence of the United States”: religious freedom. Specifically, Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, argues in the op-ed that the constitutional right to…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Will Determine If Customers Can Sue Businesses for ‘Emotional Distress.’ This Has Serious Implications for Religious Freedom.
In Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, the Supreme Court will decide whether Congress meant to create a private right of action to sue for compensatory damages for emotional distress under existing federal civil rights laws. While this case has flown largely under the radar, it will have colossal implications for the ongoing legal battle to protect religious freedom,…Sarah Parshall Perry -
- News
After 8 Years, Barronelle Stutzman’s Court Fight for Religious Freedom Ends in Settlement
A great-grandmother’s eight-year court battle for her religious freedom finally has come to an end. “This week, I have put to rest the last legal considerations for a decision my husband, Darold, and I made nearly a decade ago,” Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman said in a written statement Thursday. Stutzman, who describes herself as…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Seattle Homeless Ministry Stands Up for Religious Freedom, Asks Supreme Court for Justice
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission has been serving the homeless and needy of its community for nearly 90 years. But now, the Washington Supreme Court has given it the Hobson’s choice of changing its religious beliefs or closing its doors. “[O]ur beliefs are everything to us,” Scott Chin, president of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, says, adding…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
7 Takeaways From International Religious Freedom Summit
More than 30 faith traditions were represented at the inaugural International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., held between July 13 and 15. The aim of the summit was to create a coalition of organizations that fight for international religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time. Here are seven takeaways from the summit: …Makenna McCoy -
- Opinion
Equality Act Slams the Door on Religious Freedom
The Supreme Court’s recent decision, Fulton v. Philadelphia, is justifiably getting mixed reviews. Catholic Social Services sued the city of Philadelphia, through the Philadelphia Archdiocese, for canceling its 50-year contract with the Catholic social services agency because it refuses to certify same-sex couples as foster families for the purpose of foster care. The Supreme Court…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Biden Abandons Religious Freedom as First Among Rights
The Biden administration is making a stark departure from past administrations in how it talks about, and treats, religious freedom. In his remarks May 12 on the release of the 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken correctly asserted that “religious freedom is a human right,” one at the heart of…Grace Melton -
- News
Indiana Court Delivers Religious Freedom Victory to Catholic School
An Indiana court delivered a religious freedom victory Friday to a school in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, confirming the school’s right to ensure that staff promote an authentic Catholic education. A former Catholic high school teacher, Joshua Payne-Elliott, sued the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in July 2019 in the case Payne-Elliot v. Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Payne-Elliot was…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Equality Act Would Cancel Religious Freedom
To say that the Equality Act, which the U.S. Senate will soon take up after its passage in the House, has changed over the years is a huge understatement. The first version of this legislation, introduced in 1994, prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, but did not apply to religious organizations. Today, however,…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
In Age of ‘Reality Czar,’ Preserving Religious Freedom More Important Than Ever
A recent New York Times column suggested, among other things, the appointment of a cross-agency government task force to deal with disinformation headed by a “reality czar.” Apparently, George Orwell’s “1984” is no longer considered a cautionary tale, but for some has become an instruction manual. Truth be told, a government that even considers the…Lathan Watts -
- Opinion
How Americans View Religious Freedom at the End of a Trying 2020
There’s no denying that 2020 has been a trying year. Churches all over the nation closed their doors because of COVID-19. Rioters burned and looted businesses in cities from Portland, Oregon, to Kenosha, Wisconsin. And a contested election has left many Americans concerned for the country’s future. Amid the trials and tribulations of this year,…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Here’s How COVID-19 Restrictions Curb Religious Freedom
Exactly how have COVID-19 restrictions on churches and other places of worship affected First Amendment freedoms? What happened when the Supreme Court last week blocked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s limits on religious gatherings? What about the situation in California, where Godspeak Calvary Chapel’s pastor, Rob McCoy, reportedly turned his church into a “strip club”…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
The Assault on Religious Freedom During COVID-19
During the course of the COVID-19 crisis, an ongoing, and very legitimate, national debate has continued about the wisdom of lockdowns. The decision to shut down social and commercial activity in the name of health is itself arbitrary. Then, the decision to decide what to shut down and what not to shut down, what activities…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Protecting First Amendment Rights to Free Speech and Religious Freedom
This article is an excerpt from the “2020 Mandate for Leadership: A Clear Vision for the Next Administration.” It looks back at policy decisions made by the Trump administration over the past four years. You can purchase your copy of “Mandate 2020” here. Free Speech Three changes have occurred over the past four years. First, in…Emilie Kao -
- News
HHS Acts to Preserve Religious Freedom at Hospitals During Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services took two important steps Tuesday to protect religious freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency’s Office for Civil Rights announced that patients at hospitals within the University of Maryland Medical System may receive visits by clergy amid the pandemic. And, the office said, a medical student at…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Separates Church and State to Protect Religious Freedom
The Supreme Court strengthened the separation of church and state Wednesday and, for once, that’s a good thing. The “separation” most people think of was created by the Supreme Court by interpreting the First Amendment’s ban on an “establishment of religion” far too broadly. That has fueled a campaign to keep religion, and even religious…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
Case Pitting Job Anti-Bias Laws vs. Religious Freedom Set for Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a pair of consolidated cases, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel, that will examine the so-called ministerial exception. That’s a legal doctrine that protects freedom of religion by exempting religious institutions from the application of anti-discrimination laws to employees…Nicole Russell