There are few people who would deny that the first Europeans to travel to the land that would become the United States of America were fiercely religious. They believed so strongly that their way of life was the correct one that they fled persecution in their homelands to find ground where they could plant roots Read More

Many cases have passed through the American court system that contribute to what we understand to be the current state of First Amendment jurisprudence. These cases together form a structure that is supposed to provide guidance to us as citizens, both lawyers and nonlawyers alike. It is also a part of American culture to question Read More

Which is more true in today’s political environment: ‘Faith in politics’ or ‘Faith and politics’?  At the heart of this question is what many Americans struggle with every election season, as they are bombarded by the beliefs of candidates for an office that is (perhaps remarkably) still very secular. The original language of the U.S. Read More

Whenever there is a tragedy where innocent civilians are harmed, the first question that is usually asked is, “Why?” When that answer is tied to religion, it is fodder for many who wish nothing more than to promote their religion over another. It is at these times that it is important to consider the dueling Read More

On Monday, Wojdan Shaherkani walked alongside her father through the Olympic judo venue. The sixteen-year old girl wore a light-pink scarf wrapped around her head. She moved with hesitation, hoping that she would come away from the Olympics as a pioneer and not a casualty of diplomacy. Her fears are not necessarily unfounded. Ms. Shaherkani Read More

Kansas governor Sam Brownback signed a bill on March 26, 2012 that will effectively prevent Kansas courts, agencies and tribunals from basing decisions on the legal codes of foreign countries and, more significantly, of foreign religious groups. The language of this law, which will come into effect on July 1 and was approved with bipartisan Read More