There are few subjects that are more polarizing than the debate over the legality and use of contraception. It is for this reason that any decision from the country’s highest authority will be highly anticipated and then greatly debated itself. Knowing a  little history of the controversy surrounding contraception use in the United States can Read More

  The Biloxi School District in Biloxi, Mississippi has attempted to make changes in response to a complaint that was made by a national freedom-from-religion advocacy group regarding religion in schools. This change was made to help ensure that school officials do not participate in or promote religious events. How the Case Began Freedom from Read More

  A group of demonstrators at Boca Raton Community Middle School would like a teacher who has expressed alternative religious views removed from the faculty. Language Arts teacher Preston Smith has erected a Satanic religious display over the holiday season that features a pentagram and sign declaring “In Satan We Trust” that stands next to Read More

A New York teacher recently had a case heard in Second Circuit Court of Appeals court concerning the display of religious items in her classroom. The lower court previously ruled against the teacher. Individuals who are interested in the ongoing debate about religious expression in the classroom should understand some information about this case. Backgrounds Read More

As American citizens, we know that our most basic constitutional rights protect freedom of religion as outlined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The First Amendment contemplates the separation of church and state, as we have discussed before, and ensures our absolute right to practice a faith of our choosing. The government Read More

The First Amendment of the United States constitution effectively gave us the separation of church and state that we know today. The First Amendment contains two cornerstone clauses by which the founding fathers emphasized this separation. The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause prevent Congress from prohibiting the exercise or the regulation of religion. Read More

On May 26, 2016, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, citing separation of church and state, held that two religious institutions may not receive their allotted $11 million in state grants. The Court’s holding stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) in 2013.  The ACLU-NJ Read More

Much of the case law surrounding sports and religion in recent history has focused on the high school or collegiate level. The “Friday Night Lights” traditions that bind school age sports stars to their parents and predecessors are often steeped in religion, be it through prayer, cheers, or statements of good luck. For much of Read More

When the country was first founded after the rebellion of 13 colonies, many argue that the sentiment of the colonies was typically that each newly formed state should be able to control its own destiny while benefiting from the strength gained from a central federal government. The fight for “states’ rights” versus federal oversight has Read More

In 1993, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was passed. The reasons put forth in support of this legislation included a growing fear among people that the provisions in the Constitution protecting citizens’ religious freedom were being ignored and slowly encroached upon by other laws. Through its passing, church leaders could continue to act Read More