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
Tags: Air Force Reserve, Danielle Runyan, Department of Defense, Marine Corps Reserve, Mike Berry, Navy, Navy SEALs, religious accommodations, Religious exemption, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps
Federal Issues, Religious Liberty | David E. Smith | 
December 3, 2022 7:00 AM | 
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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
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
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
Tags: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, Aaron Klein, Alliance Defending Freedom, Amy Coney Barrett, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Kennedy, Brett Kavanaugh, First Liberty Institute, Jack Phillips, Jorge Gomez, Lorie Smith, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado, Melissa Klein, National Review, Oregon Supreme Court, religious freedom, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Sweet Cakes by Melissa, U.S. Supreme Court
Religious Liberty | David E. Smith | March 4, 2022 7:00 AM | Comments Off on SCOTUS Case of Colorado Web Designer Has Big Implications for Religious Liberty
Written by Jorge Gomez
A federal judge recently issued a temporary order preventing disciplinary action against two officers who requested a religious accommodation to the military vaccine mandate.
Judge Steven Merryday—serving on the District Court for the Middle District of Florida—strongly rebuked the military’s approach to religious accommodation requests. His order stated:
“The military is well aware of the frailty of their arguments in defense of their practices… The two service members are very likely to prevail on their claim that their respective branch of the military has wrongfully denied a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination.
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Written by Jorge Gomez & Lauren Moses
According to a recent survey conducted by the Freedom Forum, fewer people in our country consider religious freedom as the first and most foundational freedom.
It’s indeed alarming to see there’s waning knowledge about religious liberty being the cornerstone of a free society, the wellspring from which all other liberties flow.
We’re at a point in our nation’s history when religious freedoms—indeed all of our constitutional rights and freedoms—are under attack like never before.… Continue Reading
Written by Jorge Gomez
The Biden administration appears to be testing the idea of putting together a list of Americans who have religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Recently, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia announced a new records system that will store the names and “personal religious information” of all employees who make “religious accommodation requests for religious exception from the federally mandated vaccination requirement.”
But this is only one agency implementing this type of tracking system.… Continue Reading
Written by David E. Smith
As the new year approaches, we close out 2021 with a nativity-focused edition of Spotlight. In our first segment, we feature the homily given by the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of the Springfield Diocese, at the blessing of the nativity scene displayed in the Capitol rotunda of the Illinois Statehouse. The nativity crèche is a public expression of Christian faith and is presented, through private funding, by the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee.… Continue Reading
Written by Jorge Gomez
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)—joined by more than two dozen of his Democratic colleagues as co-sponsors—recently reintroduced the “Do No Harm” Act (DNHA), a bill they claim would help “restore the Religious Freedom Restoration Act’s (RFRA) original intent.”
To refresh your memory, RFRA is a federal law crucial to the protection of religious liberty. Signed into law in 1993 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, RFRA has stood for over a quarter century as a legal bulwark and helped protect Americans from government infringement on their constitutional rights.… Continue Reading
Written by David E. Smith
This week, Illinois Family Spotlight focuses on current issues regarding religious freedom and the U.S. judicial system. To start the podcast, Monte Larrick interviews well-known Colorado baker and cake artist, Jack Phillips and general counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner.
Phillips describes the persecution and targeting he has endured at the hands of the LGBT faction in his ongoing battle for religious freedom within the context of his business.… Continue Reading
