The first round of questioning from many of the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee included religious liberty topics.

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, BJC urged senators to question Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s judicial philosophy when it comes to religious freedom because “her record as a judge in church-state matters is slim.”

In Tanzin v. Tanvir, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) categorically bars successful plaintiffs from receiving a monetary award.

A statement on Obergefell issued by Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by Justice Samuel Alito accompanying the rejection is making headlines. As BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler explained in response: exaggerated, dire warnings only increase the tensions between religious liberty and other important civil rights.

It is worth a breath and a moment of pause for some thoughtful reflection on the religious liberty legacy of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett is an opportunity for committee members to demonstrate their understanding of, and commitment to, the constitutional admonition that there is no religious test for office in the United States.

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) remains a spectacular example of effective legislation, protecting against unnecessary burdens on religious exercise in two areas of focus.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a final rule that, among other things, bars public universities from denying organizational privileges to faith-based student groups that have discriminatory membership or leadership restrictions.

Sudan’s transitional government signed an agreement this week stating that its “constitution should be based on the principle of ‘separation of religion and state.”

Members of Congress are demanding an investigation into allegations that Muslim detainees at a U.S. ICE facility are being forced to choose between meals that are spoiled and meals that violate the tenets of their faith because they contain pork.