Judge Challenges Atlanta Policy Used to Fire Christian Fire Chief over Devotional
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In Cochran v. City of Atlanta, the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia said that the city’s restrictions on non-work speech, which were used to terminate Cochran, “do not set out objective standards for the supervisor to employ” and do not “pass constitutional muster.” CToday
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I'm Confused
I’ve been following the news for many years, and I’m trying to figure out the correct position on several matters. However, the more I read, the more confused I get. Let me tell you where I’m struggling and perhaps you can help me out.
Dress codes are bad.
Hardly a week goes by without a story about some student who was sent home because her clothing was in violation of school policy. Howls of indignation can be heard across the land! Most of these incidents take place in public high schools, though from time to time, a private school shows up as well.
In every story, the reporter is outraged that someone in authority would have the gall to tell anyone else how they ought to dress. This is America, where everyone should be allowed to determine for herself what is appropriate, and nobody has any business passing judgment. Whether the outfit seems provocative or offensive to others is irrelevant. Clothing styles, we are told, are extensions of individual personality and must be defended as freedom of expression. To force somebody else’s concept of appropriate attire upon another comes dangerously close to violating the constitutionally protected right to free speech. Dress codes are bad, very bad, and should be abolished immediately in any self-respecting free society.
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The Republican Party Doesn’t Own Christian Conservatives
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“He may not have lost by much—but with a tenfold increase in write-ins and a drop-off of 800,000 voters, it appears that Moore was too much for principled conservatives in Alabama.” - American Conservative
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Pro-lifers applaud DOJ's probe into Planned Parenthood
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The Justice Department has “requested unredacted documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicating it has launched a formal investigation into Planned Parenthood.” BPNews
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Pew: Americans Say Religious Aspects of Christmas Are Declining in Public Life
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Shrinking majority believe biblical account of birth of Jesus depicts actual events - Pew
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Why Masterpiece Cakeshop Deserves to Win
In any nation that aspires to be free, freedoms will clash, and there will be winners and losers. Speeding laws limit the freedom to drive fast in favor of the freedom to drive safely. Theft laws limit the freedom to take things we want in favor of the freedom to keep what’s ours. In the retail setting, antidiscrimination laws limit the freedom to sell selectively in favor of the freedom to buy what we want without being turned away because the seller doesn’t like “our kind of people.”
Soon, the Supreme Court will rule in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (if it hasn’t already by the time this post appears). When it does, it’s likely that one set of freedoms will be protected or expanded, and another set will be limited. Which freedoms should prevail?
Though I’m not a lawyer, several features of the case are clear to me, and they point toward the conclusion that the Court ought to rule in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop.
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UK Politicians Want to Ban Evangelical Franklin Graham: Accused of "Hate"
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“Graham is a conservative evangelical Christian known for his vociferous opposition towards gays and Muslims. Critics are afraid his Islamophobic statements will lead to increased prejudice.” World Religion News
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