Mississippi recently became the third state this year to sign a bill against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. The bill, set to take effect on July 1, 2016, allows businesses with religious objections to refuse their services to gay couples. This anti-LGBT legislation is potentially far-reaching in terms of discrimination, and allows Read More

On May 16, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States (the “Supreme Court”) issued an opinion remanding a string of cases related to contraception and contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. In its opinion, the Supreme Court vacated the decisions of the lower courts, and asked that the respective courts allow the parties 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

Other areas of the world have dealt with religion-based terrorist attacks on their soil long before the United States entered the stage begrudgingly in 2001. Since the attacks on New York, our country has been fighting terrorism around the globe in a constant struggle to keep our nation safe from the plots of zealots whose 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

Just recently, Mariah Walton publicly exclaimed that she plans to prosecute her parents for failing to seek medical care for her when she was a minor. Mariah, now 20, has pulmonary hypertension, and must carry an oxygen tank around with her (when she is not bedridden) so that she can breathe. Mariah alleges that her Read More

In a case that garnered less national attention than other cases that made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a small congregation in a suburb of Flagstaff, Arizona received a “win” when the Supreme Court ruling ended in their favor in June of 2015. The decision, though local in origin, may have farther reaching Read More

Religion has been a part of American culture since the founding of the nation. It has also been a major point of contention during some of the country’s most volatile periods. One of the most controversial decisions in recent years was Roe v. Wade, which held that women had a constitutional right to decide whether Read More