Religious Liberty News

Congress may have just removed an important religious liberty provision from a major bill. Reports have surfaced that House and Senate members of the conference committee negotiating the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) have caved to the Obama administration’s veto threat and stripped the Russell Amendment, which would prevent the government…

Since both candidates in Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate have a record when it comes to religious liberty, you can bet the topic will come up—giving you the opportunity to talk with the people in your life about a deeply important issue. Unsurprisingly, religious liberty is a tricky topic to navigate because it’s personal. People…

There are troubling new developments in Russia. Russia’s parliament, the Federal Assembly, has just approved so-called anti-terrorism legislation that criminalizes free speech and that attacks religious liberty. If President Vladimir Putin signs this into law in the coming weeks, it will be illegal for Christians to share their faith outside of a church building, as if…

When it comes to religious liberty debates, big businesses don’t want the people to decide. Or at least they don’t want the people of Missouri to decide. While the more explosive battles in Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina about bills regarding religious liberty and LGBT accommodations have gained national attention, Missouri has flown mostly under…

The United States Commission on Civil Rights has issued a statement slamming what it described as “so-called ‘religious liberty’” laws in North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, and Tennessee that supposedly “target members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (‘LGBT’) community for discrimination.” A nine-page dissent released by two members of the eight-member commission defended both the commonsense…

The Walt Disney Company has long blurred the lines between fantasy and reality, creating alternate universes and new worlds through its theme parks and films. But now, Disney is seeking to completely abandon the encumbrances of reality by perpetuating the most fantastic of myths—that words are meaningless. And by claiming to stand on principle, Disney…

Erick Erickson talks to The Daily Signal about religious liberty, Hollywood values, bathroom laws, and why the coziness of big business with big government is causing problems for conservatives.

Following the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared that it will no longer support the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) or state analogues. This is a stunning reversal, considering Religious Freedom Restoration Acts’ history. The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was introduced in…

With state legislatures entering the busiest time of their legislative calendar, a number of states are considering Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA) that would protect citizens’ fundamental rights from unreasonable and unnecessary government coercion. West Virginia and Georgia are among the states that have introduced state-level versions of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, which prohibit…

Last Friday, the Georgia Senate passed a good bill that protects religious freedom in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage. And already special interest groups and big businesses are trying to pressure the governor into refusing to sign the bill unless it is significantly watered down in the House. This is yet…

Few Americans oppose religious liberty in the abstract. But what should happen when a general law or policy aimed at advancing the common good unintentionally burdens people of faith? Historically, Democrats and Republicans alike have supported accommodating or protecting religious citizens. Alas, this one-time consensus seems to be collapsing. Over the past year, owners of…

Speaking at a Democratic National Committee LGBT fundraiser on Sunday, President Obama observed that “religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.” Coming from a former constitutional law professor who is now chief executive of the United States, these remarks are a cause for concern. The sort of…

Yesterday on his flight back to Rome, Pope Francis was asked if he supported government officials who cannot in good conscience issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. His answer: “Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right.” Although it is unclear if Francis had in mind the recent imprisonment and…