One of the most well-known aspects of the Universal Life Church (ULC) is the ability of its ministers to officiate weddings. Combined with the relative ease of becoming a ULC minister, this makes it an obvious way for LGBTQ couples to marry with help from their friends and loved ones. The motto of the ULC, Read More

The United States is home to many religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and many more. But perhaps the “original” religion of the United States is best represented by Native American culture. Native Americans occupied the land long before the European settlers arrived, and they are still engaging in their traditional cultural practices to this day. Read More

The assumption is that when you send your child to school, they will be free to speak their mind. Schools – and especially colleges – are supposed to be places where new ideas can flow freely. These are places where intellectuals debate interesting ideas and challenge each other’s philosophies. As long as a student’s speech 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

One particular baker has once again become intertwined with legal questions about religious rights and the First Amendment. In 2012, a same-sex couple tried to have this baker make them a cake for their upcoming wedding. The baker refused, and ever since then, this individual has been fighting numerous lawsuits against LGBTQ folks who want Read More

The First Amendment is an important foundation of American democracy. But what happens when people decide to publicly state their adherence to one particular religion? You would think that in a country that supposedly values free speech, this would not be an issue. But in the case of one homeless veteran, simply holding a pro-Christian Read More

A federal appeals court in Minnesota recently revived a lawsuit initiated by a Minnesota couple that challenges a Minnesota state law requiring equal protection of the law for LGBT people in regards to services rendered. This law meant the couple might have to film same-sex weddings since they own a video production company. As a Read More

As an effort to resolve alleged student constitutional rights violations, the Huntington Beach City School District agreed to revise its religious expression policy addressing the dissemination of religious materials on campus. The decision came on July 30th when the school board unanimously voted to require specific religious activities be mentioned in the school’s policy addressing Read More

After the 2016 election of Donald Trump, a handful of fliers were posted at the University of California Los Angeles promoting a “white student group,” which was a group that was not affiliated with the college. The fliers, several of which were found taped to buildings, listed a website, a Twitter account, and an e-mail Read More

A public school district in Florida faces a lawsuit after a teacher banned students from wearing cross necklaces in her classroom and began advocating for LGBTQ rights. This case highlights some interesting issues about the interplay between religious rights and public education. The Activity of the Riverview High School Teacher At the beginning of the Read More