Religious Liberty

“The Supreme Court has chosen in a 5-4 ruling not to grant injunctive relief to churches in Nevada in light of the state’s arguably inconsistent Covid-19 guidelines. In doing so, the Supreme Court let stand what is wrong: churches are being treated differently than similar gatherings.” - Ed Stetzer

“Last Monday between 300 and 400 protesters gathered on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. But they didn’t shout ‘defund the police’—they worshiped, sang, and prayed>….The demonstrators were protesting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to ban singing and chanting in churches.” - WORLD

“Leaders of Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley are asking the high court to suspend the cap while the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals considers their claim that restrictions treating casinos and others more leniently during the pandemic is unconstitutional.” - BPNews

“Here are the fifteen most important Supreme Court victories involving religious freedom from 2011 to 2020” - TGC

“[W]hy has liberty increased even as white Christian power decreased? One key reason is that the argument for liberty is far more compelling than the argument for power.

“So far in 2020, the US has resettled fewer than 950 Christians from the 50 countries where it is hardest to be a Christian, according to Open Doors’s annual World Watch List. At this rate, the US will receive 90-percent fewer Christian refugees this year than five years ago.” - CToday

What the Ministerial Exception Will Mean for Religious Employers

“The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that religious schools are allowed to fire religion teachers for any reason they wish, a major expansion of protections for religious institutions against nondiscrimination laws.” - W. Examiner

“The Supreme Court on Wednesday voted 7–2 to allow employers with sincerely held moral or religious objections an exemption from an Obama-era mandate to provide contraception in their health-care plans.” - National Review

“The order, issued on July 1, includes sanitation guidelines for church buildings, suggests shortened services, and temporarily prohibits items that move among congregants, such as offering plates. Churches aren’t the sole focus of the order, with venues such as bars, restaurants, theaters, and museums being shuttered for at least three weeks.” - C.Leaders