Written by Don Byrd, these updates bring together the latest news impacting the conversation around religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
That funding would not only violate the Oklahoma constitution’s prohibition on “using public money for the ‘use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion,’" it would also run afoul of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
The conversation with Lauren Windsor, posing as a conservative Christian during an annual gathering of the Supreme Court Historical Society, seems to reveal a troubling perspective from Justice Alito.
The Ten Commandments carry deep religious significance for many observant Americans. Unfortunately, that has made them ripe for exploitation by those who seek to use the institutions of government to promote a religious perspective.
The decision impacts only the vaccination mandate examined in this particular case, but it does raise important general questions about how and to what extent an employee’s religious accommodation request can be scrutinized for its sincerity.
Florida’s leaders could look to Texas for how they handled this issue. "As a growing number of chaplains speak out, school districts will see that these proposals are not simple support for students but, in fact, are deeply problematic," Holly Hollman said.
Indiana is not the only state with courts considering whether there is a religious freedom right to an abortion in certain circumstances, an argument brought to the forefront once the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs ruled that there is no federal right to an abortion.