Religious Liberty

“In the new cases, two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles chose not to renew contracts for two fifth-grade teachers based on what they said was poor performance.

“These cases are very fact-specific and turn on the specific language of the bans in question. But there is another, more important reason for the courts’ division…. Under the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Employment Division v. Smith (1990), no right to an exemption exists where a law is neutral and generally applicable, that is, where the law does not target religion for disfavored treatment.

“For the third consecutive day, the justices heard oral arguments by means of a telephone conference because of restrictions brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The religious freedom case was among 10 in which the high court postponed oral arguments from late March and April.” - BPNews

“The Justice Department is pushing back against Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s stay at home order, arguing that churches have been unfairly affected.” - National Review

“Needless to say, this is an area that is fast-moving. And, it’s clear that courts are dealing with a variety of constitutional concerns, as well as public health orders that take radically different approaches. In some cases, local governments have reached agreements or clarified positions in a way that address plaintiffs’ concerns.” - BJC

“We don’t like submission, we like to rule. This was the first sin - a desire to be as gods and determine what is right and wrong on our own - and it continues to be the source of all our sin. We do not want this man, that man, or any man for that matter, to rule over us (Luke 19:14).

“Attorney general speaks out against coronavirus restrictions that apply to worship but not other similar activities—like fast-food parking lots.” - CToday

“On Thursday, Phillips and his attorneys … asked a state court to dismiss a case brought against them not by the state of Colorado, which after years has seemingly given up on persecuting the Christian baker, but by an angry transgender lawyer and activist now pursuing him for declining to make a cake explicitly celebrating gender transition.” - W. Examiner

“Mayor Simmons has demonstrated a level of incompetence and irresponsibility in three areas.

“Secondly, this is a Romans 13 situation and not an Acts 5:39 situation. In Acts 5:39 the government was attempting to stop the spread of the gospel. In such an instance you must go against the government. But consider a few things about Romans 13:1-7” - SBC Voices