Posts tagged: First Amendment

Authoritarian Thugs Continue Their Persecution of Jack Phillips

Written by David Harsanyi

I’ve been writing about Denver-area baker Jack Phillips for over a decade now. It’s clear to me he’s going to be badgered into the grave by authoritarians intent on punishing him for thought crimes. From the first time his name appeared in the news until this day, the media have misled the public about him, about the case and about the law.

The latest chapter in Phillips’ Kafkaesque saga involves a transgender lawyer named Autumn Scardina, who demanded Phillips create a pink cake with blue frosting to help celebrate a gender transition.… Continue Reading

Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 Indictments Are an Attack on Political Speech

Written by David Harsanyi

If recklessly lying to voters were a crime, most everyone in D.C. would be serving life in solitary confinement at Supermax. But in a liberal democracy, as frustrating as it often is, political misconduct is settled by voters and elections, not partisan prosecutors or rioters.

Feel free to campaign and vote against Donald Trump if you like. I’m certainly no fan. If Trump wins in 2024, Congress can impeach and remove him if they choose.… Continue Reading

The Media vs. Free Speech on Twitter

Written by Tim Graham

Anyone who thinks the First Amendment is best represented by the “news” media is not paying attention to the way they wage war on freedom of speech for the conservative “rabble” on social media platforms.

Imagine if the media had attacked new media owners Jeff Bezos or David Zaslav with the kind of venom that they’re using on Twitter owner Elon Musk. No one would suggest it’s important for the government to monitor The Washington Post or CNN as potential sources of misinformation.… Continue Reading

The Disastrous Co-Belligerence of Never-Trumpers and Leftists

Written by Laurie Higgins

Listen to this article:

Never-Trumpers in a de facto alliance with leftist Trump-loathers of various stripes have apparently succeeded in their effort to elect a cognitively impaired man who claims to be Catholic while heartily endorsing a legal right to slaughter the unborn and making the public pay for their deaths.… Continue Reading

Pandering Democrats Protect Own Ideology But Say Nothing to Defend Free Speech

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

On May 10, 1933, students in 34 university towns across Germany gathered to burn more than 25,000 books. The works of authors like Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway and Helen Keller went up in flames.

At the same time, 40,000 people gathered to hear the German Minister of Public Enlightenment, Joseph Goebbels, give a speech applauding those who were “commit[ting] to the flames the evil spirit of the past.” The unwanted ideas of Western civilization fueled the bonfires of Berlin.… Continue Reading

An Important Win for Religious Liberty: Espinoza v. Montana

Written by John A. Sparks

Sometimes, the facts of a case have an emotional appeal in addition to a strong constitutional basis. Espinoza v. Montana certainly qualifies.

Kendra Espinoza, a hard working (three jobs) and determined single mom, decided to take her two daughters out of the local public schools and enroll them in Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, Montana. She explained that she “wanted them to be able to read the Bible and be taught how to pray, and taught from that faith-based perspective.”… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Pastor Cassell Discusses His Lawsuit Against Gov. Pritzker

Written by David E. Smith

Give me your young, your old, your faithful masses yearning to worship freely. This revision of The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus could well be the rallying cry of Pastor Steve Cassell of The Beloved Church in Lena, Illinois. On this edition of Spotlight, Pastor Steve joins me for a timely discussion regarding the perilous intersection of COVID-19, governmental “authority,” and Constitutionally-guaranteed personal liberties.

Pastor Steve and I consider how churches and people of faith should respond to Illinois’ lockdown and examine the dangerous precedent that could be established by our governor’s abuse of his executive power.… Continue Reading

Why Online Church Could be a Bad Thing for Religious Freedom in the Long-Term

Written by Jorge Gomez

Let’s start by giving credit where it’s due.

It’s admirable that houses of worship can adapt so quickly in times of crisis. Millions of Americans are staying spiritually engaged thanks to the incredible effort of churches and faith leaders who harnessed the power of technology, social media and the Internet. Even more remarkable is that churches surpassed virtual attendance records even though the quarantine forced them to transition overnight to online services.… Continue Reading

NO to Voluntary Christian Prayer in Schools. YES to Mandatory Muslim Prayer

Written by Daniel Horowitz

“Separation of church and state.” There may be no reference to, inference of, insinuation of, or display of religion anywhere in any government operation or public school, even if there is no coercion to participate in any Christian event or prayer. That is enshrined in every clause of the U.S. Constitution.

That is essentially what the Left has been telling us for years, and those principles have been enforced to varying degrees in many lower courts and, intermittently, even by the U.S.… Continue Reading

Speech Police and ‘Safe Spaces’

Written by L. Brent Bosell III

Freedom of speech is in the First Amendment for a reason. Freedom begins with the ability to speak your opinion without fear of censorship or violent reprisal or imprisonment. This is a precious human right, not something that most countries in the world revere like we have. But here in America, free speech is most dangerously under attack in the one place you would not expect: the universities.

Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla have created a new documentary on the subject called “No Safe Spaces.”… Continue Reading