season 1
listing: cards
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Ep. 20: Supreme Court in July!
July 16, 2020
The doctrine of the “ministerial exception” and the latest installment in the ongoing saga of...
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Ep. 19: SCOTUS disregards distinctiveness of religion in school funding decision
July 9, 2020
Amanda and Holly examine the troubling Supreme Court ruling that has major implications for funding...
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Ep. 18: White supremacy and American Christianity
July 2, 2020
We’re bringing you important conversations on white supremacy and American Christianity in this...
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Ep. 17: A landmark case for LGBTQ rights: What’s next for religious liberty?
June 18, 2020
This week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark case for LGBTQ rights, interpreting Title VII of the...
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Ep. 16: When religious liberty covers racism
June 11, 2020
As the conversation about racial justice continues in our country, we dig in to talk about race and...
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Ep. 15: Protests, the president, and the photo op with a Bible
June 4, 2020
After President Trump publicly addressed the unrest following the killing of George Floyd, peaceful...
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Ep. 14: Finding the right response to reopening
May 21, 2020
Churches are facing a barrage of challenges as they navigate whether, when and how to resume...
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Ep. 13: Who’s a ‘minister’ and who gets to decide?
May 14, 2020
On this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss this week’s Supreme Court arguments in cases involving the...
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Ep. 12: Not a charm: Contraceptive mandate returns to the Supreme Court for the third time
May 7, 2020
The controversy over the contraceptive mandate was back at the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Amanda...
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Ep. 11: Christian nationalism during the coronavirus pandemic
April 30, 2020
The dangerous political ideology of Christian nationalism is a persistent problem in our country,...
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Ep. 10: Lawsuits challenging COVID-19 directives
April 23, 2020
As religious communities deal with bans on mass gatherings, legal disputes are popping up across the...
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Ep. 09: Eboo Patel and interfaith collaboration
April 16, 2020
How do religious groups work together for the greater good? On this episode of Respecting Religion,...
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Ep. 08: Religious freedom in the age of coronavirus
April 9, 2020
As the coronavirus changes everything – including the topics for this podcast series – Amanda Tyler...
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Ep. 07: New laws – including the CARES Act – and houses of worship
April 2, 2020
As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus, Congress passed and the president signed...
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Ep. 06: Stay-at-home orders, religious freedom and RFRA
March 26, 2020
What does it mean for religious liberty when the government asks houses of worship not to hold...
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Ep. 05: Supreme Court cases on employment discrimination
March 19, 2020
The coronavirus is leading many conversations this week, and we’ll talk about how it has impacted...
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S7, Ep. 12: A disappointing religious freedom decision to end the SCOTUS term
July 2, 2026
What remedies does a person have if their religious freedom rights are violated in a state prison?...
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S7, Ep. 11: Immigration is a religious freedom issue
June 18, 2026
How is increased immigration enforcement impacting the right to religious freedom? Should some...
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S7, Ep. 10: Court update: Ten Commandments cases, Johnson Amendment dismissal, and SCOTUS actions
June 4, 2026
Catch up on all things court-related as Amanda and Holly run through some big decisions and changes...
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S7, Ep. 09: Why is there an upswing in anti-Sharia laws?
May 21, 2026
The “Christian nation” rhetoric and spectacle we’re seeing is not just bad history – it’s having...
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Best of: Were we founded as a ‘Christian nation’?
April 30, 2026
What do people mean when they say we were founded as a “Christian nation”? Is that true? Revisit...
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Best of: ‘How to End Christian Nationalism’
April 16, 2026
Is the separation of church and state in the Constitution? How does Christian nationalism overlap...
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Best of: Inside the ReAwaken America tour
April 2, 2026
Christian nationalism was on full display at the ReAwaken America tour, which was a series of...
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Best of: A decision that continues to create misguided claims: Kennedy v. Bremerton
March 19, 2026
A 2022 decision from the Supreme Court continues to sow confusion and misguided claims four years...
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Best of: Rob Reiner and ‘God and Country’ director Dan Partland on Christian nationalism
March 5, 2026
What is the cost of speaking out against Christian nationalism? In 2024, Rob Reiner came on the...
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Best of: But … is it Christian nationalism?
February 19, 2026
Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about...
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Best of: Dr. Walter Brueggemann on Christian nationalism
February 5, 2026
What does the Bible have to teach us about Christian nationalism? How does that political ideology...
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Best of: The myth of American ‘chosenness’ with Dr. Catherine Brekus
January 22, 2026
How does the myth of America being a “chosen” nation lead to the religious nationalism we see today?...
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Best of: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Remembering the January 6 attack
January 8, 2026
As Amanda’s sabbatical begins, we are revisiting previous episodes of the podcast. This week – in...
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S7, Ep. 08: ‘A vibrant and free civil society is core to religious liberty in our country’
December 18, 2025
In our last show of 2025, Amanda and Holly talk about some of the news from the past week –...
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S7, Ep. 07: Religion in the military and the latest from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission
December 11, 2025
The Trump administration created a “Religious Liberty Commission” in May, and it seems to be a mix...
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S7, Ep. 06: Updates on Oak Flat, the Johnson Amendment, and efforts to post the Ten Commandments
December 4, 2025
Hear Amanda and Holly react live to some breaking developments in today’s Respecting Religion...
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listing: cards
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Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer
The First Amendment does not require state governments to fund houses of worship, but this "church...
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Groff v. DeJoy
At Issue: Has the Supreme Court accurately interpreted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s...
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Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
A commercial baker's religious beliefs do not provide a blanket exemption to state laws that protect...
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Trump v. Hawaii
At Issue: Is the White House’s attempt to limit immigration from certain majority-Muslim countries...
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The American Legion v. American Humanist Association
At issue: Is a free-standing cross maintained by the government in the median of a busy intersection...
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Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
At issue: Should parents of students in private, religious schools receive financial benefits...
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Fulton v. City of Philadelphia
At issue: Do faith-based groups that voluntarily partner with the government to carry out...
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Carson v. Makin
At issue: Must a state include religious schools in its system of public education? BJC says: No....
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Ramirez v. Collier
At Issue: Can prisons prohibit all religious practice in the execution chamber? BJC Says: No. The...
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Kennedy v. Bremerton
At Issue: Can a public high school coach lead students in prayer while on duty? BJC Says: No....
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Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections
Prison guards cannot forcibly shave someone’s head if they are practicing a religion that requires...
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Roake v. Brumley and other Ten Commandments Cases
"When the state mandates a religious text on every classroom, it is not just decorating a wall; it...
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Oklahoma v. Drummond
Religion should never be compelled, and the government should not fund religious education.
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Every Generation Is the Founding Generation
July 13, 2026
As the country marks 250 years, we are not looking backward at a finished thing. We are looking around us at an unfinished one, and at the people still building it.
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Freedom Isn’t Just On Paper: Reflections on Juneteenth
June 18, 2026
Juneteenth is not just a day of remembrance; it is a day of accountability.
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Now Hear This: Religious Liberty at 250
June 16, 2026
Our American story is a special one. As we approach our 250th anniversary, we must not cede our country’s broad promise of religious liberty to...
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Why I testified at a congressional hearing on anti-Sharia laws
May 13, 2026
Today, I testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government at a hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia...
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In brief to Supreme Court, BJC defends damages for prisoner forcibly shaved
October 10, 2025
A prisoner forcibly shaved in violation of his religious liberty rights is entitled to monetary damages. That is the legal conclusion of a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in Landor v....
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Texas Attorney General promotes the Lord’s Prayer and appeals Ten Commandments loss
September 12, 2025
Recent events targeting our long tradition of ensuring religious freedom for all in public schools – both by protecting the free exercise of the students and prohibiting government-imposed religion on...
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Courts wrestle with religious accommodation disputes, including suit over preferred names
September 3, 2025
In a changing religious liberty landscape, even a half-dozen years may not be enough to resolve claims for religious accommodation from federal rules and employer policies. Here are updates on Kluge...
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BJC among organizations urging President Trump to end attacks on Johnson Amendment
August 6, 2025
The Johnson Amendment has protected nonprofits – including houses of worship – for more than 70 years from political pressure and additional dangers that come with endorsing and opposing candidates.
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New memo instructs federal agencies on religious accommodations allowing remote work
July 21, 2025
This latest guidance establishes religious accommodation as an important basis for allowing federal employees to work remotely, making clear that the Supreme Court decision in Groff v. DeJoy applies...
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Newly enacted national school voucher program undermines ‘public schools and religious freedom’
July 10, 2025
The national school voucher program in the new law is disguised as a tax credit scheme. It makes a mockery of our Founders’ principled opposition to forcing taxpayer support of religion.
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IRS announces new policy regarding houses of worship and endorsement of political candidates in settlement of lawsuit challenge
July 9, 2025
The IRS has refrained from enforcing the ban on church electioneering in recent years. This announcement makes it official with respect to houses of worship while keeping the so-called “Johnson...
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SCOTUS says Constitution lets parents opt out of instruction that interferes with religious upbringing
June 30, 2025
In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with parents seeking notice and the opportunity to opt their children out of public school curriculum that conflicts with the parents’ religious...
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Federal appeals court finds Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law unconstitutional as Texas enacts a similar measure
June 25, 2025
In Roake v. Brumley, Louisiana’s plan to mandate the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom again met a constitutional roadblock.
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Unanimous Supreme Court decision focuses on definition of ‘religious purposes’ in giving exemption to Catholic Charities Bureau
June 12, 2025
In its unanimous decision, the Supreme Court said that Wisconsin’s denial of a religious exemption under the state’s unemployment compensation laws violated the First Amendment rights of Catholic...
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BJC slams new Trump travel ban as a ‘moral failure and a constitutional affront’
June 10, 2025
One of the ugliest policies of the first Trump administration is back: President Donald Trump’s new travel ban prohibits or limits nationals from more than a dozen countries from entering the United...
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U.S. Supreme Court declines Oak Flat petition, allows for federal transfer of sacred land to mining company
June 5, 2025
The fight to save sacred land in the southwest won’t happen at the U.S. Supreme Court – at least, not right now. Over an impassioned dissent, the Court declined to take up the petition of Apache...
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On a 4-4 vote, SCOTUS retains ban on religious charter schools in Oklahoma
May 23, 2025
What was expected to be a major Supreme Court decision thankfully fizzled in a 1-page, unsigned opinion this week that ended a recent push for a religious charter school.
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Call to action: Federal voucher scheme, other troubling provisions in budget bill worry faith leaders ahead of vote
May 21, 2025
Now is the time for members of Congress to hear from their constituents on a number of concerning provisions in the budget reconciliation bill being hotly debated in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Apache Stronghold wins late reprieve as federal court halts transfer of sacred Oak Flat land to mining company pending Supreme Court review
May 14, 2025
The long-running legal dispute over the land known as Chí’chil Biłdagoteel — loosely translated in English as “Oak Flat” — has taken another turn. A federal court halted a planned transfer of the...
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BJC, other faith leaders and religious organizations tell Congress to reject a proposed school voucher tax scheme
May 13, 2025
Hundreds of faith leaders and dozens of faith organizations -- including BJC -- are raising their collective voices this week against dangerous new legislation that would create a national school...
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SCOTUS hears arguments in pivotal religious liberty case involving the unprecedented creation of religious charter schools
May 2, 2025
Oklahoma v. Drummond is a critical case, testing whether longheld Establishment Clause principles in the public school context will endure under the current Supreme Court’s trend away from protecting...
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In oral argument, U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with the limits of public school parents’ opt-out rights
April 28, 2025
In oral argument in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court probed the issue of whether and to what extent parents of young schoolchildren enjoy a right under the Free Exercise Clause of...
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BJC urges U.S. Supreme Court to rule nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school unconstitutional
April 11, 2025
If the Court holds that states can or even must accept religious schools as charter schools, it would upend decades of Establishment Clause jurisprudence. As BJC's brief says, “The state may not...
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Kentucky faith leaders urge Gov. Beshear to veto bill erecting Ten Commandments monument at state Capitol
March 25, 2025
In a letter to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, dozens of faith leaders – including Christian leaders – explained why returning an enormous, permanent Ten Commandments monument to the grounds of the...
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Flurry of state legislature activity would promote religion in public schools
March 7, 2025
State legislatures across the country are back in session and are introducing troubling bills that, if enacted, will harm the cause of religious liberty for all.
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New poll: 29% of Americans espouse Christian nationalism, unchanged from 2023
February 14, 2025
PRRI questioned 22,000 Americans in all 50 states, and it measured support for Christian nationalism views by asking each participant whether and to what extent they agreed or disagreed with five core...
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Quaker congregations file suit challenging new White House immigration policy
February 5, 2025
A lawsuit filed by several Quaker congregations challenges the Trump administration's new policy as a violation of religious freedom protections under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act...
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U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear cases involving religious school funding, parent rights to opt out of grade school curriculum
January 29, 2025
In the last two weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a pair of religious liberty cases, one of which is a closely watched case in Oklahoma that may reshape the landscape of church-state...
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BJC urges federal appeals court to reject Louisiana law requiring public school classrooms to post the Ten Commandments
January 10, 2025
H.B. 71 represents a dangerous step toward the entangling of our civic and religious institutions. It chooses a particular version of a text sacred to Christians, picking sides and improperly...
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Protecting religious liberty in 2025 requires all of us to work together
December 23, 2024
As BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler wrote, "The response we need in this moment of crisis for many of our neighbors and our country is a recommitment to involvement in our democracy by every...
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White House announces strategy, action plan to counter Islamophobia
December 19, 2024
"Religious freedom must be for everyone, and this initiative encourages a deeper understanding of and accommodation for religious practices."
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Injunction halts New Jersey constitutional provision barring taxpayer funding for building or repairing houses of worship
December 19, 2024
“The ‘play in the joints’” historically afforded to states between the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause “seems to be over,” writes a judge in New Jersey.
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With battles in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, public school classrooms are a troubling religious liberty hotspot
November 26, 2024
A public school classroom should be a place where all students feel welcome regardless of their religious perspective. Instead, it is quickly becoming a laboratory for activists seeking to promote a...
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Voters soundly reject school voucher initiatives in multiple states
November 15, 2024
In this year’s November election, voters once again said “no” to school vouchers in ballot initiatives across three different states. The results send a clear message: Americans do not want taxpayer...
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New book from BJC’s Amanda Tyler offers concrete solutions to generational problem of Christian nationalism
October 21, 2024
A new book from BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler tackles the gravest threat to religious liberty in the United States -- Christian nationalism -- and explains what can be done about it.
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Oklahoma’s regulations leave little choice but to purchase specific Trump-endorsed Bible for public schools
October 15, 2024
The Bibles-in-classrooms directive already raises significant church-state issues, and now Oklahoma's request for bids to satisfy the requirement is so specific that it seems to leave only one option...
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In new lawsuit, religious nonprofit targets Johnson Amendment in order to endorse political candidates without losing tax-exempt status
September 30, 2024
The Johnson Amendment protects nonprofits from being entangled in electoral politics, and in turn it protects taxpayers from unwittingly providing tax exemptions to an agent of a political campaign.
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South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down school voucher program
September 19, 2024
Legal protections against the public funding of private and religious schools aren’t about limiting choice. They are about protecting the taxpayer and upholding our civic commitment to public...
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Judge issues injunction in case involving exclusion of Jewish students from campus facilities during protest over war in Gaza
August 22, 2024
The lawsuit alleges that officials failed to protect the right of Jewish students at UCLA to full access of university facilities during protests in the spring about the war in Gaza.
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Oklahoma, Texas push forward with Bible curriculum requirements in public schools
August 12, 2024
While all eyes are understandably focused on the national election right now, these stories are good reminders that what happens in state legislatures and agencies has an enormous personal and...
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Florida district court: City-organized prayer vigil violates Establishment Clause, even without Lemon test
July 30, 2024
For decades, the Lemon test had guided courts in evaluating Establishment Clause cases, but the Kennedy decision abandoned it, replacing that guide with a vague “historical practices and...
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What does Project 2025 say about religious liberty and the separation of church and state?
July 19, 2024
What Project 2025 envisions for religious liberty and the role of religion in governance, both explicitly and implicitly, is striking and troubling.
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Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down state’s religious charter school as unconstitutional
July 3, 2024
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...
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Secret recordings reveal contrasting views of Justice Alito and Chief Justice Roberts on role of religion and morality at SCOTUS
June 21, 2024
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.
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BJC urges Louisiana Governor to veto law requiring public schools and colleges to post Ten Commandments in every classroom
June 3, 2024
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...
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Federal court grants injunction reversing university’s denial of religious exemptions from COVID vaccine mandate, spars over inquiry into employees’ sincerity
May 31, 2024
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...
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Florida enacts troubling law authorizing volunteer chaplain programs in public schools
May 23, 2024
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...
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Appeals Court maintains halt on Indiana’s abortion ban against plaintiffs who claim a religious liberty right to terminate pregnancy
April 25, 2024
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...
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‘Released time’ religious instruction programs for public school students expanding with ‘plug and play’ curricula, state legislation
April 11, 2024
A controversial program is spreading across the country that offers grade school children optional Bible instruction during the school day.
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First Muslim appeals court nominee in doubt
March 27, 2024
There is no place for subjecting a nominee to questions that demonstrate hostility to their faith, or otherwise suggesting that being Muslim is incompatible with being a federal judge.
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Nine federal agencies announce final rule restoring religious liberty rights discarded by Trump administration
March 15, 2024
The Biden administration announced a final rule, jointly issued by nine federal agencies, entitled “Partnerships with Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations.”
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9th Circuit rules the destruction of Oak Flat likely does not substantially burden religious exercise, campaign to save Oak Flat continues
March 7, 2024
These disputes could result in the most significant ruling yet by the Court on the application of RFRA, impacting not only the fate of Oak Flat but numerous religious freedom disputes.
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Alabama Chief Justice uses theology to support controversial frozen embryo ruling
March 4, 2024
Largely overlooked in the firestorm of reaction focused on the consequences of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling was the troubling, religion-based rationale in a concurrence.
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Members of Congress demand explanation for Christian nationalism-embracing guest chaplain in letter endorsed by BJC
February 22, 2024
More than two dozen members of Congress sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and the House Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben, to voice their concern about an invited guest...
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Is politics today’s biggest threat to faith?
February 15, 2024
Writing for TIME magazine, author and sociology professor Dr. Samuel Perry makes the case that the growing secularization of America is in part a result of our broken politics.
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Iowa, Utah advance ‘RFRA’ bills during spring legislative sessions
February 8, 2024
There are 25 states with a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) law, and another handful of states have similar language in their state constitutions. Now, legislatures in Utah and Iowa are poised...
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BJC creates ‘chaplain’ vote tracker for top 25 largest school districts in Texas as deadline approaches
January 24, 2024
Texas SB 763 lets anyone who can pass a background check call themself a “chaplain” and have access to children in public schools.
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HHS announces final conscience protection rule, repealing some Trump administration provisions
January 18, 2024
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a final rule governing the Biden administration’s interpretation and enforcement of laws protecting health care providers that object...
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