Religious Liberty News
Stories on legal battles, faith in public life, and policies that affect religious freedom. The Daily Signal reports on challenges and victories surrounding First Amendment protections.
-
analysis
Will the Supreme Court Find Room at the Grotto?
On Oct. 1, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, Inc. v. Frederic and answer an important question: Does a regulation prohibiting a church from building a religious structure on its own property violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act? The answer is… -
news
Everett School District Settles After Religious Nonprofit Sues Over Violation of First Amendment Rights
A religious education nonprofit has settled its lawsuit against the Everett School District in Washington state after suing the district for violating its First Amendment rights. The Everett School District, whose board director admitted “animus” toward LifeWise Academy, will be required “to undergo religious liberty training, make changes to district policies governing religious activities,… -
opinion
Religious Liberty on Display in Virginia Elections
Catholics in all 70 parishes of the Diocese of Arlington heard the same letter read from the pulpit last month. Bishop Michael Burbidge asked every priest to urge a “no” vote on the two amendments to the Virginia Constitution that voters will decide on Nov. 3. This is religious liberty at work, and in much… -
news
2 Virginia Amendments Spark a Fight Over Life and Marriage
Summary ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Virginia Catholics are being urged to defeat two constitutional amendments on this year’s ballot that church leaders say would expand abortion, redefine marriage, and undermine religious liberty. At a forum Tuesday night at the Basilica of St. Mary, Catholic leaders warned that the measures would have far-reaching consequences across the commonwealth. The statewide… -
news
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in More Illegal Immigration, Religious Freedom Cases
The Supreme Court announced Thursday it will consider a case on the detention of illegal immigrants, as well as a case touching on religious liberty. In the case of Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha, justices will decide whether federal law requires the detention of illegal aliens pending their removal proceedings. The Trump administration targets illegal… -
opinion
What Could the Supreme Court Say About the Ten Commandments in Schools?
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to decide an issue that could be one of the most watched of the coming court term. In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit lifted the injunction against a Louisiana law requiring a Ten Commandments display in public school classrooms. In April, the same… -
news
Congress Hears Pleas for Release of God-Fearing Chinese Democracy Advocate
A top congressional panel on Wednesday examined the imprisonment of Chinese media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai and the state of press freedom and judicial independence in China. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, titled “A Son and Daughter’s Appeal to Xi Jinping to Release Their Dad, Jimmy Lai,” comes a week before the Chinese Communist Party… -
news
Pro-Abortion Agitators May Have Broken the Law by Disrupting Catholic Mass: Attorney
Pro-abortion agitators disrupted a Catholic Mass Saturday, standing between the congregation and the altar with a sign reading, “Pro-life? That’s a lie. You don’t care if people die!” The agitators rushed into Westminster Cathedral at the beginning of a Mass that preceded the March for Life in London. “Catholics had gathered in church to pray… -
exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: Chip Roy Sounds Alarm Over Islamic Development Near Military Base
Rep. Chip Roy has sent a letter to several high-ranking federal officials to voice his concerns about a planned Islamic development being built near a U.S. military training base in San Antonio. Roy, a Republican from Texas, is requesting that members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet look into the Islamic center’s planned community and “examine… -
news
‘I Think We’re in a War’: Texas Pastors Gather for Training on Islamification Threat
A group with special operations and intelligence skills and filmmaker Chris Burgard teamed up on Saturday to teach pastors in East Texas how to respond to the rise of Islam in the Lone Star State. The Allied Special Intelligence Group is an organization that uses its knowledge of special operations military skills, counterintelligence, and human… -
news
Supreme Court to Hear Case of Catholic Preschool Excluded From Colorado Program Over State’s LGBTQ Policy
The Supreme Court in November will hear the case of a Catholic school excluded from Colorado’s universal preschool program over its views on LGBTQ issues. On Tuesday, the high court released its calendar of arguments for November that includes the case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, scheduled for Nov. 3. The calendar also… -
opinion
Why Is the Archdiocese of Washington Less Protective of Religious Liberty Than Maryland?
For some, questions of religious liberty seem abstract. For us and our families, they are deeply personal. I (Arina Grossu Agnew) taught at an Archdiocese of Washington school for a year, the very school where my young son was later accepted for admission. As Catholics committed to raising him in the faith, my husband and… -
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… -
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
The SPLC’s ‘Hate Map’ Is Still Used to Limit Giving to Conservative Organizations
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s descent from its once-vaunted role as a sentinel against extremism has been precipitous and ironic. An organization whose “hate map” promiscuously equates parental rights groups such as Moms for Liberty with neo-Nazi organizations now stands indicted by the Department of Justice on charges of wire fraud, false statements, and conspiracy… -
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….