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.
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opinion
Two States That Are Working to Protect Religious Liberty
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… -
opinion
The Hypocrisy of Big Business Attacking Georgia’s Religious Liberty Bill
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… -
opinion
Why This Local Pharmacist’s Religious Liberty Case Could Go to Supreme Court
Can a state force pharmacists to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs at the expense of their religious beliefs? This is the central issue in a case the Supreme Court may agree to hear in its next term. In 2007, the State of Washington passed a law requiring all pharmacies to deliver “all lawfully prescribed drugs or devices”… -
opinion
What’s Religious Liberty Got to Do With the Common Good?
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… -
news
Tony Perkins on Religious Liberty: ‘We Have Just Begun to Fight’
Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, says the fight over religious liberty is just beginning, and he’s ready to fight. “To borrow a phrase from history, ‘we have just begun to fight,” Perkins tells The Daily Signal. “We will not shrink back, we will not be silent on our most fundamental freedom…. -
opinion
Obama’s Worrisome Interpretation of the Constitution Regarding Religious Liberty
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… -
opinion
Pope Francis Gives Strong Support to Religious Liberty in America
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… -
news
Victims of China’s Religious Liberty ‘Crackdown’ Appeal to Obama. But Will He Help?
Earlier this week, as devout American Catholics took to the streets of Washington to celebrate the arrival of Pope Francis, four Chinese human rights activists sat in a small, plain congressional office room on Capitol Hill. There were neither barricades nor the glaring lights of news camera crews at the press conference hosted by China… -
news
What Pope Francis Told Obama About Religious Liberty
Pope Francis, with allegiance to Catholic doctrine, spoke out in support of religious liberty to the 11,000 ticketed guests on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday. In his speech, the pope made clear that religious liberty is an important freedom in the United States. “With countless other people of goodwill, [American Catholics] are likewise… -
opinion
Lessons Learned From Kim Davis About Religious Liberty and Government Accommodation
“I just want to serve my neighbors quietly without violating my conscience.” With those words, Kim Davis resumed her post as the clerk of Rowan County Monday. Her statement serves as a good reminder of what this case has been all about—finding a way to allow public servants to discharge their duties to God and… -
news
Why This Libertarian Supports Gay Marriage and Religious Liberty
Many advocates of same-sex marriage are all for equal rights until it comes to the religious liberty rights of individuals and private business owners who don’t want to participate in same-sex weddings. But as Cato Institute constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro explains, you can be an advocate for both. I begin our conversation by… -
news
At Religious Liberty Rally, Victims Share Their Stories
DES MOINES, Iowa—Several Americans who have faced threats to their religious liberty united for a rally last week. “These threats are not imagined. They’re not made up,” rally organizer Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said. “These are real people, leading real lives who found themselves facing persecution simply for living out their faith.” The Odgaards’ Story… -
news
Fund Aims to Help Christian Baker Offset Wedding Cake Losses
Family and friends of a Christian cake designer hope to help him with a fundraising campaign after a Colorado court ruled Thursday that he must create cakes for same-sex weddings despite his religious beliefs. “Cake artist” Jack Phillips has said his bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, has lost more than a third of its receipts since he… -
news
Republican National Committee Urges Congress to Support Legislation Protecting Religious Liberty
The Republican National Committee has passed a resolution calling for Congress to approve the First Amendment Defense Act. The legislation and resolution are in response to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Critics of the ruling say the Supreme Court failed to allow for religious liberty protections… -
news
Christian Baker Must Make Cakes Celebrating Gay Marriage, Appeals Court Rules
A custom cake baker in suburban Denver can’t cite his religious convictions in declining to make a wedding cake for two men, a Colorado appeals court ruled today. “Cake artist” Jack Phillips said he gladly serves gays and lesbians in his family business. But, Phillips said, he could not in good conscience design a wedding… -
opinion
3 Historical Developments That Explain Our Current Religious Liberty Battles
In recent political memory, religious liberty was a value that brought together conservatives, libertarians and progressives. As recently as 1993, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed by a nearly unanimous Congress and signed by a Democratic president. Today, the same value is a political liability. Bakers, photographers, and florists are being ruined, adoption… -
news
Conservative Action Project: ‘We Must Act Now to Protect Religious Liberty in America’
The Conservative Action Project has released a “Memo to the Movement” on the state of religious liberty in the United States. The project was founded by former Attorney General Edwin Meese and includes leaders of over 100 organizations in the conservative movement. The signatories urge that “we must act now to protect religious liberty in… -
news
Conservatives Plot to Get Religious Liberty Bill to Obama’s Desk
Conservative members of Congress appeared confident today that a new bill designed to prohibit the federal government from taking “discriminatory action” against a person or institution based on his or its religious beliefs about marriage will reach the president’s desk sooner, rather than later. The bill, called the First Amendment Defense Act, was written in… -
news
‘Full House’ Star Defends Christian Bakers: ‘I Don’t Think This Is Discrimination’
The talk show “The View” pitted two childhood stars against each other to discuss the controversial issue of Christian bakers receiving a $135,000 fine for refusing to bake a lesbian wedding cake. Candace Cameron Bure of “Full House” and Raven-Symoné of “That’s So Raven” went head to head discussing the hot topic issue, coming down… -
news
Christian Bakers Fined $135K Over Lesbian Wedding Cake Raise More Than $210K
A fundraising campaign that was launched to help Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers fined $135,000 for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, has raised more than $210,000. The Kleins told The Daily Signal in an earlier interview that their income has virtually been cut in half since they were forced to…