The flame of wokeness — intolerance in the name of tolerance — wasn’t lit recently. It has been smoldering under the flag of liberalism for the past 100 years or so.

“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own,” G.K. Chesterton wrote in 1928. At the time, moral relativism was already making its long, slow march through the institutions that impart cultural values, including liberal church denominations.… Continue Reading

Written by David E. Smith

Why do so many women, a majority of them, support Joe Biden? Is it because of his abortion stance?

There was a surge of support for him in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision. Is that the reason? Are women so committed to the “my body, my choice” mantra of the left that they can’t see beyond this issue?

I don’t understand.

It’s not like the U.S.… Continue Reading

In our day of weaponized government and intolerance for honest speech, it isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario where politicians would willingly relegate our individual freedoms – guaranteed to us in the U.S. Constitution – to the voters in the states to decide what levels of liberty – and restrictions of those liberties – they would allow going forward.

For those of us in blue states, it isn’t a stretch to imagine how this would play out for the Second Amendment.… Continue Reading

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court released an order list taking action on several cases we’ve been watching.

Most notably, the Court declined to review Missouri Department of Corrections vs. Finney. Justice Samuel Alito issued a five-page statement about the Court’s denial. This includes a direct reference to First Liberty’s Supreme Court victory in Carson v. Makin.

In this case, multiple conservative Christians were excluded from a jury in an employment discrimination case brought by a lesbian plaintiff.… Continue Reading

Following the Court’s decision in Dobbs, legislatures in pro-life states across the nation have taken steps to curtail or dramatically reduce the availability of abortion.… Continue Reading

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

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 U.S. Supreme Court is under all-out attack. Recent headlines reveal a concerted effort to manufacture an “ethics” scandal about Justice Clarence Thomas, the Court’s leading conservative and one of the foremost defenders of religious liberty. Justice Neil Gorsuch has also been the target of this smear campaign.

Democrats in Congress, along with their allies in left-wing radical groups and the media, are bringing back calls for radical court “reform.” A constitutionally suspect “judicial ethics” bill was introduced and the U.S.… Continue Reading

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

Last week the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a number of rulings reaffirming an originalist interpretation of America’s Constitution and its federalist assumptions. Perhaps the most important of these was the decision to rescind Roe v. Wade and return the issue of abortion to the people and their respective states, where it belonged in the first place. This was a tremendous victory for millions of faithful Christians who have fought for decades to see this day.… Continue Reading

The confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson have been a relatively peaceful affair. In comparison to the ruthless attacks on Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, there has been relative civility surrounding the D.C Court of Appeals judge. While it is likely that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be confirmed, it is good to take a dive into her actual rulings and responses to questioning, not just her resume.… Continue Reading

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

As members of the Democratic Party recently doubled down on their calls to pack the U.S. Supreme Court, Justices Stephen Breyer and Amy Coney Barrett issued a series of responses to those pushing to rig the Court for ideological and political gain.

In an interview with Fox News, Justice Breyer warned of the dangers of altering the structure of the Court. When asked about the idea of increasing the number of justices on the bench, he responded:

“Well, if one party could do it, I guess another party could do it…On the surface it seems to me you start changing all these things around, and people will lose trust in the court.”

James Madison once wrote, “Government is instituted to protect property of every sort” and that “conscience is the most sacred of all property.” Yet just before July 4 weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court, by denying an appeal in an important religious liberty case, has essentially abrogated both property and conscience rights, as well as the right to use one’s own property in accordance with deeply held religious beliefs. So much for self-evident truths, inalienable rights, and the institution of government to secure these rights.… Continue Reading

June could be a critical month for religious freedom in America like never before. Over the next few weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to release most of the decisions for its current term—including cases in which First Liberty is fighting to defend people of faith and religious organizations.

Below, we’ll recap several First Amendment cases pending before the nation’s highest court and how the outcome in each of these could be a turning point for the constitutional freedoms of millions of Americans.… Continue Reading

Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 78 that the U.S. Supreme Court would be the weakest branch of government because it had “no influence over either the sword or the purse.”  Why then the panic and flaming hair on the Democrat side of the isle with the elevation of Amy Coney Barrett to that Court?  What gives?  She claims to be an originalist, and by definition an originalist ignores his or her own policy preferences and yields to the intention of the U.S.… Continue Reading

As the American political world gears up for what promises to be one of the most acrimonious, bitter, and embarrassing confirmation hearings in the history of the federal judiciary, I’m curious if anyone has picked up on a common theme when it comes to these reputation desecrations we call senatorial “advise and consent.”

Out of sheer curiosity I conducted an informal, and extraordinarily unscientific survey of a small group of 5 politically aware colleagues and friends.… Continue Reading

Democrats never have any doubts about their court nominees. They know with certainty that once their picks are on the court, they will be willing to do anything in a real case to interpret the U.S. Constitution the way they see it. They will rule with the party’s preferred political outcomes regardless of past precedent or the plain meaning of the Constitution. There is no reason why conservatives cannot have that same confidence that GOP nominees will rule on the side of the original meaning of the U.S.… Continue Reading

read more… Continue Reading

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

In a shocking 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, based on “sexual orientation,” LGBT individuals are entitled to protection against workplace discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Joining Monte Larrick for a jam-packed discussion of this ruling and its ramifications is Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth and The Center for Morality.

Monte and Peter explore the possible changes Illinoisans can expect as a result of the court’s misguided decision and they specifically address how private sector businesses, churches, Christian schools, and faith-based organizations could be impacted.… Continue Reading

This op-ed will be hard-hitting. It’s time to tell the unvarnished truth. It is lengthy because I cannot shorten what needs to be said. If you care about Constitutional freedom, you will take the time. If your goal is to take America down the path of socialism, perhaps you might be interested in reading this in order to to better understand your adversary.

Although it is hard for me to believe, we are a divided nation.… Continue Reading

So, when the U.S. Supreme Court numbered abortion among our precious constitutional rights, we expected everlasting bliss? Anything but the present knock-down-drag-out over Roe v. Wade and its prospects for survival?

I mean, we’re stunned to see state legislatures moving to outlaw abortion? Why? On what grounds? America is presently absorbing a major political science lesson. To wit, a social revolution commenced and overseen by a coterie of philosopher kings — Platonic guardians, you could say — is a non-starter.… Continue Reading

When Pete Buttigieg, the little-known mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, he stunned the political world with his meteoric rise in the polls.  Buttigieg was everywhere in the news and on television, thanks to a savvy campaign team that included political operative Lis Smith, who boasted, “I want him on everything.”  In a month, he had raised 7 million dollars, a significant sum for a political nobody starting from scratch in a national campaign.… Continue Reading

With a fraudulent Russian collusion claim no longer in their hip pocket, Democrats are still optimistic about recapturing the White House and the U.S. Senate in 2020.

But they are tired of competing.  To ensure the desired outcome, they’ve proposed steps that would finish off the national, two-party system for all intents and purposes.

First, they oppose any efforts to strengthen the border and reduce illegal immigration.  They want to ensure a massive flow of undocumented Democrats and recruits for the Free Stuff Army.… Continue Reading

Like never before, the American public faces a stark choice in the run-up to the 2020 elections that could not offer a more distinct antithesis in policy – one which would lead to two very different Americas.  The first is based upon the historic Judeo-Christian values that have made our nation great; the second is a sharp repudiation of those values in favor of a secularistic society that is shockingly hostile to people of faith.… Continue Reading

When it comes to the most significant moral issues of our time, no one should be surprised by immoral actions of modern liberals. You can be saddened, shocked, angry, disgusted, and the like, but you should not be surprised.  This is certainly true when it comes to the issue of even infanticide.

For decades, Democrats have dehumanized the unborn and argued against protecting the most innocent and helpless among us, even when they escaped death in their mothers’ wombs.  … Continue Reading

Extreme leftists such as U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives this year. They have a lot of radical policy ideas they’d love to see enacted, but the reality is that they are powerless to implement any of them as mere individual members of Congress. But a dangerous and erroneous premise has persisted in our political system that if somehow those individuals got appointed to federal judgeships, they would have the ability to unilaterally enact any policy they choose by granting legal groups standing in court cases – and have that decision be regarded as the law of the land.… Continue Reading

There is one single major cause for the chaos surrounding Republican SCOTUS confirmations over the past thirty years – the fulcrum for the entire exercise of humiliating conservative judges.  It’s not the Democrats, it’s not the left, and it’s not the feminists.  They aren’t the crucial factor.  They simply take advantage of it.

Quite simply put, it’s the GOP weak links.

Let’s be clear on terminology: these are not RINOs.  Of the four who succeeded in disrupting the Brett Kavanaugh nomination, none fits the classic mold of the RINO – the go-along-to-get-along type who adapts liberal principles and policies to reap benefits at the expense of rank-and-file Republicans.  … Continue Reading

Written by Laurie Higgins

Fictional 21^st Century Woman at her “reveal” party:

Mom, Dad, Family, Friends, there’s something inside me!  Lol, no, it’s not a tumor. It’s a human. It’s got boy DNA (so, not me. lol). I just need to find out if he’s defective. Oh, and I’ll revisit my life goals and career path, check my bank account, and meditate on how I feel about him. If I choose to let him live, y’all can call him a baby! 

If we are so busy “owning the libs” that we ignore the libs festering within our own ranks to the point where “our party” agrees with 90 percent of what the libs want, isn’t it time we focused on cleaning our own house?

The biggest news of the day outside the Kavanaugh cloture vote in the U.S. Senate is that one Republican, Lisa Murkowski from the solid red state of Alaska, voted against him.… Continue Reading

How did we get here? The Kavanaugh U.S. Supreme Court nomination circus didn’t happen by accident. The emergence of incredible — and by “incredible,” I mean the literal Merriam-Webster definition of “too extraordinary and improbable to be believed” — accusers in the 11th hour was no mistake.

It is my contention that this grand unearth-and-destroy spectacle was planned, coordinated and facilitated by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats and their staffers.

After the FBI finishes its Freshmen Booze Investigations, Federal Barfight Interrogations and Fraternity Barfing Incidents probe of every last Yale and Holton Arms acquaintance and publicity hound ever photographed with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, every cog in the Resistance Wrecking Machine must be investigated:

Protest Orchestration.… Continue Reading

That was the late Joe Sobran’s ironic take mostly on the courts’ blatantly unconstitutional usurpations over the past few decades.

The most powerful evidence that federal judges have eclipsed the other branches of government is the circus surrounding President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.  This should not be as big a deal as it is.

If you missed it, dozens of screaming women, some costumed, were dragged from the confirmation hearings.… Continue Reading

The progressive Left is in a panic over the U.S. Senate’s coming confirmation vote on President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

How do we know this? They keep telling us.

In a national conference call sponsored by People for the American Way (PFAW), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, said, “We’re in the fight of our lives.”

PFAW’s Marge Baker echoed Ms. Warren by exclaiming that this is “a critical, critical, critical fight.”… Continue Reading

Soon the U.S. Senate will hold hearings as to whether or not to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. One can only imagine the fireworks to come.

Beware of the Saul Alinsky model of the politics of personal destruction. Saul Alinksy, a Marxist and the father of the community organizers, wrote Rules for Radicals (1971), in which he states, “In a fight almost anything goes. It almost reaches the point where you stop to apologize if a chance blow lands above the belt” (pp.… Continue Reading

The warning is bleak and dire. “People will die” we are told with gravitas and concern. And the warning comes from the academic elite, from students, faculty, and alumni of Yale University Law School. Yes, people will die if Justice Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed.

This is the latest example of apocalyptic fear-mongering associated with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. To paraphrase the collective hysteria of the left, “Kavanaugh’s confirmation would mean the end of the world!”… Continue Reading

Investigating President Trump’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh brought back memories of law school and a nettlesome problem I observed in America. Here’s how I came to believe a Justice Kavanaugh will be good for America.

As part of being on law review all members write a piece called a “note”. It’s not an “article” since it’s a piece being written by a law student, not a lawyer.… Continue Reading

If conservatives really want an originalist on some of the most consequential issues of our time, it is important to ask nominees to the court questions about the role of the courts in constitutional interpretation compared to other branches of the government. If we could sit down for an hour hour of time with any high court nominee, here are the 15 questions and issues we would discuss.

Constitutional interpretation

1. Does the U.S.… Continue Reading

People on the left are outraged when you question their patriotism, their dedication to the nation as founded and their respect for the U.S. Constitution as originally written, but they continually vindicate our concerns.

The most recent example is the left’s unhinged mania at Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s inclusion on President Trump’s list of potential U.S. Supreme Court appointees. In times of perceived crisis — and this is certainly one of those times for leftists — they show their colors, and you can color them militantly opposed to Barrett, in large part because of her Catholicism.… Continue Reading

The U.S. Supreme Court’s longest serving justice announced his retirement shortly after casting the deciding vote on a string of decisions that were seen as wins for the conservative side of the bench. Kennedy’s stepping down didn’t come as a surprise. There have long been rumors in Washington that he was considering hanging up his robe. With a Republican-controlled Congress and White House, the timing couldn’t be better, so as to ensure his seat would be filled with someone from the right side of the ideological spectrum.… Continue Reading

The Springfield Nativity Scene Committee* (SNSC) recently held its annual opening day ceremony for their privately sponsored and funded display depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.  This display marks the 10th straight year that this display has had a place in the center of the State Capitol Rotunda.  This is possible, thanks in large part to the help of the Thomas More Society, including our guest Tom Brejcha. … Continue Reading

There have been a whole lot of news distractions since President Donald J. Trump took office.  Some of them he brought upon himself, but most are ploys of the liberal media and part of the far left’s agenda to cripple his presidency.

Daily media obsessions with things like Russia have hidden a very positive result of the Trump election.   In his first 200 days, President Trump has nominated 44 federal judges including U.S.… Continue Reading

At a recent Face the Truth Tour event, Monte Larrick interviewed Eric Scheidler, the Executive Director of the Pro Life Action League. They discuss why the Pro Life Action League does this tour where pro-baby activists and volunteers converge on a busy intersection displaying signs depicting aborted human beings.

Monte and Eric also discuss pending legislation for taxpayer funded abortion (HB 40) in Illinois, and the possibility of overturning of Roe v.… Continue Reading

The above headline is from an informative short post by Dennis Bryne over at the “Barbershop.” The topic is “gerrymandering,” the now 200-year-old fight over how legislative district lines are drawn.

Every ten years it’s big news here in Illinois — and, of course — around the country. Following each U.S. census, legislative districts are reapportioned and district lines are redrawn.

Whichever party happens to be in power has the chance to create districts that favor their own candidates.… Continue Reading

On this week’s edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick talks to John Mauck, an attorney and partner of the Mauck and Baker law firm based in downtown Chicago.  Mauck and Baker is nationally known for representing churches, religious institutions, businesses, and individuals.

John gives us an update about their lawsuit against HB 217, a new law which bans professional counselors from helping minor children who are struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction. … Continue Reading

In a move vigorously applauded by social conservatives and simultaneously denounced by same-sex “marriage” advocates, President Donald Trump has appointed Roger Severino to head the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Civil Rights.

Severino formerly served as the Director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society. As Director, his three main focuses where on religious liberty, marriage, and life issues.

His track record of defending religious liberty, natural marriage, and the sanctity of life go further back then his time at the Heritage Foundation.… Continue Reading

Written by Robert Knight

Post-modern progressives, contrary to popular belief, are not irreligious. They worship at the altar of government power, lifting the chalice of “diversity” and eating the bread of “tolerance.”

Under their arms they carry certain portions of the U.S. Constitution, plus copies of court rulings that are considered sacred and “settled” – but only if they advance progressive notions of progress. All others are open to revision.

For example, progressives have pledged to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling that recognizes the individual right to collective political speech in unions and nonprofits.… Continue Reading

Written by Daniel Horowitz

This week, President Donald Trump fulfilled his promise to nominate a very qualified and intelligent conservative judge. Neil Gorsuch is likely a very good pick. However, given the past history, the enormous post-constitutional pressure even in some circles of the conservative legal movement, and so much terrible court precedent, it is yet to be determined if Gorsuch has the resolve to not get sucked into the swamp.

This point was best encapsulated in a statement from U.S.… Continue Reading

Written by Tom Neven

Written by Gary L. Bauer

At the White House this morning, President Obama announced his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court — Judge Merrick Garland of the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

The media are dutifully attempting to spin Garland as a “centrist” or a “consensus choice.” Consider this headline from the Los Angeles Times: “It’s Going To Be Hard For Conservatives To Oppose The Careful, Moderate Merrick Garland.”

Don’t be fooled, my friends.… Continue Reading

By Monte Larrick

We are thrilled to be able to endorse a solid Republican candidate for U.S. Senator, and a challenger to incumbent liberal Republican Mark Kirk.  James Marter is pro-life, pro-marriage and understands the importance of religious liberty.  On the other hand, Illinois’ incumbent junior senator has a long record of actively opposing conservative Christian values. Kirk has voted to continue tax dollars for Planned Parenthood, publicly celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage, co-sponsored the radical Equal Rights Amendment and voted against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.… Continue Reading

Donald Trump says a lot of things. We’ve become all too used to that now. Some of these things should probably be taken with a grain of salt — “Only Rosie O’Donnell” comes to mind — but some deserve to be analyzed more closely.

Here’s an example. Remember Trump’s discussion about U.S. Supreme Court Justices back in August with Bloomberg Politics? Mark Halperin asked Trump, “Is there someone out there today who isn’t on the [Supreme Court], but say, this is the kind of person I would consider for the court?… Continue Reading

Over the course of the past few months I gathered articles about the question of “judicial supremacy” — are U.S. Supreme Court decisions “the law of the land,” or are they rulings on cases?

Here is that page of excerpts, quotes, and links: Judicial Supremacy: Not in the U.S. Constitution, Not the Intention of the Founding Fathers.

Republicans and conservatives rarely even attempt to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution to the uninformed and misinformed.… Continue Reading

Written by Maggie Gallagher
On June 26, a narrow majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices struck down the traditional definition of marriage, ruling all 50 states must recognize same-sex unions as marriages.

The four dissenters included the usually mild-mannered Chief Justice John Roberts, who called the majority opinion “dangerous to the rule of law”: “The majority’s decision is an act of will, not legal judgment. The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent.”… Continue Reading

Written by Leonardo Blair

As the U.S. Supreme Court readies to hear arguments in favor of same-sex marriage on Tuesday, April 28, Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), urged pastors across America to preach and pray against it because “marriage was God’s idea, and He will preserve it, with or without us.”

“We know that marriage is intended to be sacred, beautiful, and nourishing. If you do not influence your congregation’s understanding of marriage, who will fill the void?… Continue Reading