Religious Liberty

Freeing contractors to hire fellow believers

First Amendment | The Trump administration proposes a rule extending religious exemptions to labor laws

by Steve West
Posted 8/20/19, 04:18 pm

The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new rule last week that aims to protect the right of religious government contractors to hire employees that share their faith. Though that right has existed for decades, the new regulation clarifies it applies to more than just churches.

Liberty at risk

Religious Liberty | A timely debate brings a sobering conclusion

by Joel Belz
Posted 8/15/19, 03:33 pm

Whenever, in recent times, the conversation among us evangelicals has turned to the so-called LGBTQ community, two themes surface frequently.

“Can you believe,” folks ask repeatedly, “how fast all this has happened?”

And second: “So where is the LGBTQ movement moving next? I can’t see any more taboos for them to cross.”

Both are thoughtful and legitimate questions. But too much focus on the past may have a tendency to obscure what lies ahead. We are what we are; we are what we have become—as repugnant as that reality might be. What are we going to do about it?

Another cross can stay

First Amendment | Federal appeals court rejects challenge to county seal containing cross

by Steve West
Posted 8/13/19, 04:02 pm

Federal appellate judges moved to preserve a historic county seal that features a cross, signaling a shift away from anti-religious precedent. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in its unanimous opinion that the cross on the Lehigh County, Pa., seal does not establish a state religion in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The cross represents the county’s early German settlers who fled persecution in their homeland seeking religious freedom in America.

Christian printer case moves forward

Rachel Lynn Aldrich | 8/13/19, 01:00 pm

Blaine Adamson is headed to the Kentucky Supreme Court to defend his right to decline to print T-shirts for a gay pride festival in Lexington, Ky. The festival happened in 2012. Court arguments are scheduled for Aug. 23.

Court rules in favor of cross on seal

Lynde Langdon | 8/09/19, 10:44 am

A federal court decision Thursday about a Pennsylvania county’s seal bodes well for religious symbols in public settings throughout the country. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Lehigh County can keep the Latin cross on its seal because it has historical and cultural significance beyond its meaning as a Christian symbol. The 3rd Circuit judges followed a new precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer in the case of the Bladensburg cross, a 40-foot World War I monument in Maryland that a group of atheists wanted taken down.

Walk the talk

Government | Mike Pompeo opens an important conversation on religious freedom

Mindy Belz | 8/01/19, 03:36 pm

Divine inspiration isn’t often highlighted in American diplomacy. Yet in his office Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a framed index card with words from Psalm 126: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

No room in the park

First Amendment | Student evangelists challenge Chicago’s restrictive speech code

Steve West | 7/23/19, 05:25 pm

Four Wheaton College students are requesting changes to a restrictive speech code affecting Chicago’s popular Millennium Park after the city blocked them from preaching or distributing Christian literature there.

InterVarsity defends its place on campus

First Amendment | Ministry says requirements for student leaders are a First Amendment issue

Steve West | 7/16/19, 05:40 pm

Wayne State University has joined the wave of colleges trying to dictate which students can serve as leaders of campus clubs and ministries.

Protecting veterans’ religious liberty

Religious Liberty | The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs updates its policy for VA facilities across the country

Rachel Lynn Aldrich | 7/09/19, 04:09 pm

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs updated its policies last week to better protect the religious liberty of U.S. military veterans and their families. The revised rules, effective last Wednesday, assure that religious displays and pastoral care remain accessible and protected from discrimination.

A pastor at drag queen story hour

First Amendment | Lawyers and police disagree about whether the arrest of a curious minister violated his rights

Rachel Lynn Aldrich | 7/02/19, 05:25 pm

Public libraries, which have long been battlegrounds for First Amendment rights, are at the center of a new fight involving LGBT advocates, community leaders, and concerned parents. Police in Spokane, Wash., arrested a pastor at a protest outside a drag queen story hour at the Spokane Public Library’s South Hill branch last month, igniting another local skirmish over free speech, religious liberty, and sexuality.

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