The separation of church and state is a contentious issue throughout the United States, and this debate has led to several important legal decisions over the years. The Constitution states that America should not have a national religion, and this means it cannot offer preferential treatment to any particular religious teaching. It also means that Read More

In another Supreme Court case that was decided last year, the court unanimously found that the flag-raising program in Boston does not constitute government speech and thus the city’s refusal to fly a Christian flag violated the organization’s First Amendment rights. In the case Shurtleff v. Boston, the court further abandoned the Lemon Test discussed Read More

This past June, the U.S. Supreme Court further eroded the separation between church and state by ruling that the state of Maine must fund private religious instruction if it also funds private secular instruction. In the case of Carson v. Makin, all six conservatives on the Supreme Court decided denying public funds to private religious Read More

After Joe Kennedy was offered a job as a high school football coach in Washington state, he started praying after games. Kennedy was curious whether God agreed with his career change and accepted the position that would impact his faith. Kennedy claims that he left this prayer with confidence that God wanted him to coach Read More

Last year, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) focused on and was able to stop a Kansas public school from taking part in Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a yearly nonprofit activity supported by the Christian organization, Samaritan’s Purse. This case highlights the constitutional limits between public schools and religious practice. What Led to the Publication Read More

In a noteworthy situation that goes up against the Constitution’s ban on any “law respecting an establishment of religion,” the federal government will provide financial support to churches in the United States to aid in paying pastor salaries and utility bills. The new aid was approved as part of the gigantic, $2 trillion stimulus package Read More

Lawmakers in Florida are currently considering a regulation that would permit pre-game prayers before sports games. This bill is motivated in part by a recent lawsuit between a Christian school and the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). The proposed regulation would require the FHSAA to provide schools with 30 seconds for opening remarks over Read More

A town in Illinois was recently asked by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) to stop sponsoring religious trips to creationist museums as well as other religious performances. The trip in question included visits to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, which are located in a nearby Kentucky city. This trip highlights some of the Read More

The Montana Supreme Court recently struck down a tax credit for donations that fund scholarships for students at private schools on the basis that these credits are a type of unconstitutional aid offered to attend religiously affiliated schools. In its decision, the court said that the $150 tax credit is designed to aid private schools Read More

A complaint was recently filed against Muskegon Community College because it included a religious prayer at its 2018 graduation ceremony. The complaint was initiated by the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists in response to a prayer that was delivered during the 2018 graduation ceremony by a master of ceremonies. The Content of the Speech Read More