Category: Religious Liberty

How Christianity Has Advanced Freedom & Equality for All

Written by Dr. John D. Wilsey

Everywhere we look, we see confidence in the American experience on the wane. A recent Wall Street Journal/NORC poll found that patriotism has declined among Americans from 70% to 38% since 1997. Part of the explanation for that alarming trend is how the left creates a narrative that America is inherently a racist and oppressive nation.

Furthermore, that narrative has asserted that Christianity is a harmful religion, creating division, violence, misogyny and justifying slavery.… Continue Reading

Momentum Grows to Protect Religious Freedom in Public Schools

Written by Jorge Gomez

First Liberty’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court victories in our Coach Joe Kennedy and Treat Children Fairly cases continue bearing fruit.

Thanks to these wins, our legal experts predicted this would be a school year with more religious liberty than ever before. By God’s grace, our prediction is turning out to be true. Multiple states are moving to protect religious liberty in schools.

For decades, public school districts often misunderstood their obligations under the First Amendment.… Continue Reading

Practicing Christians Are Now Fascists And Terrorists?

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

What would you say if you were asked what one worldview poses the greatest threat to life, liberty, and human flourishing?

Would your answer be Marxism and its march across history that has left 100 million men, women and children dead in its wake?

Would it be the Third Reich’s socialism and the untold numbers of Jews executed in its “work camps” such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau and Buchenwald?

Or maybe you’d say it’s radical Islam and the bloodlust of Boko Haram, al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf or the Taliban?… Continue Reading

Pro-life Activist Who Was Treated Like a Terrorist Finally Acquitted

Written by Brian Wencel

The next generation of culture warriors hope to make a difference and they are an answer to our prayers. We hope to encourage and mentor these young contributors so they can take the baton from us in the future. God’s gift of liberty and self-government must be fought for and protected. The fundamental principles of faith, virtue, marriage and family must be upheld and taught. Please pray for these bold young culture warriors and extend to them some grace as they hone their skills.I am sure many of you know the story of Mark Houck, a pro-life activist and father of seven who was accused of harassing and shoving 73-year-old abortion clinic escort, Bruce Love, in an incident last year. Mark and his 12-year-old-son were doing sidewalk counseling at an abortion clinic in Pennsylvania. Mr. Love started verbally harassing the 12-year-old and that’s when the pushing ensued. Local authorities decided not to press charges against Mr.… Continue Reading

SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Religious Freedom Case Involving Postal Worker

Written by Jorge Gomez

Big news: The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear our case involving former postal worker Gerald Groff, who was wrongly forced out of his job because of his religious beliefs.

Along with First Liberty, he is represented by Baker Botts LLP, the Church State Council and the Independence Law Center.

The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is not required to grant a religious accommodation for an employee to observe the Sunday Sabbath.… Continue Reading

Kirk Cameron Banned From Reading Book About ‘Love and Self-Control’ at Public Libraries

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

It’s December 2022, and the winner of this week’s woke Olympics goes to the nation’s public libraries.

Here’s how news outlets across the country are reporting the story.

“’Growing Pains’ star Kirk Cameron has a new Christian children’s book out, but he’s being banned from hosting story hours at publicly funded libraries across the nation. Cameron’s book, ‘As You Grow,’ teaches the value of producing the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”… Continue Reading

Federal Appeals Court Rules Favorably for Thousands of Air Force Service Members

Written by Jorge Gomez

This week, a federal appeals court issued a favorable ruling impacting thousands of military service members. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld an injunction protecting U.S. Air Force service members from being punished or involuntarily terminated from the military for requesting religious accommodations to the vaccine mandate. Importantly, this protects First Liberty’s own Senior Counsel Danielle Runyan, a member of the Air Force Reserve, whose religious accommodation request was denied.… Continue Reading

U.S. Senate Considering Two Bills That Could Harm Religious Liberty

Written by Ethan Tong

Congress is considering two major bills, the “Right to Contraception Act” (H.R. 8373) and the “Respect for Marriage Act” (H.R. 8404), Both bills have already passed the U.S. House and are currently pending in the U.S. Senate.

At first glance, their names sound benign. But don’t be fooled. Both threaten religious Americans who want to live according to their deeply held beliefs. If signed into law, these could cause serious damage to religious liberty in our country.… Continue Reading

Will the “Disinformation Governance Board” Censor Religious Viewpoints?

Written by Jorge Gomez

The Biden administration recently announced the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB). The agency—which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—is purportedly being created to ensure the safety of Americans by stopping “false information that is deliberately spread with the intent to deceive or mislead.”

The draconian Ministry of Truth that was once a dystopian fantasy now appears to be a reality in our country. The Biden administration is giving power to a group of bureaucrats who will—without court oversight or electoral accountability—decide whether your speech, viewpoints and beliefs constitute “disinformation.”… Continue Reading

SCOTUS Case of Colorado Web Designer Has Big Implications for Religious Liberty

Written by Jorge Gomez

The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced it will hear 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, a free speech case that could have major implications for religious liberty. This is a case being handled by our friends at the Alliance Defending Freedom.

It involves Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer from the Denver-area who declines to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, because of her religious beliefs. The case is expected to be heard during the Court’s next term, which begins in October.… Continue Reading