I can’t remember a time when there were more cases before the Supreme Court that could impact religious liberty and church-state law. Here is an updated calendar and run-down of the cases on my radar.
Cases across the country are addressing the tension between public health emergency orders due to the coronavirus and religious liberty rights, including drive-in churches.
For Holy Week, I am focused on the countless houses of worship across the United States that are exercising their faith with incredible acts of compassion, determination and essential services for their community.
After reviewing the CARES Act, for example, BJC General Counsel Holly Hollman concludes that although funding religious entities through the Paycheck Protection Program is likely to be found constitutional, the loan forgiveness provisions raise some troubling concerns.
The arrest of a pastor intensifies the debate over whether religious gatherings should, or even must, be exempt from public health orders. While some states and local governments have made a point of explicitly allowing religious gatherings to occur, others have not.
The U.S. Navy joined the trend among American military branches in expanding the ability of service members to wear religiously motivated head covering and beards.