freedom of religion

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Johnson Cites 'Misunderstanding' on Separation of Church, State

Christian conservative speaker claims religious influence on public life was meant to be protected

(Newser) - The new House speaker has thrown his support behind former President Trump while aiming to correct what he claims is a "misunderstanding" about a core principle of US government. According to Mike Johnson, the Founding Fathers very much wanted faith to influence public life, despite the First Amendment prohibiting...

With Clock Running Out, a Slew of Big SCOTUS Cases Loom

Affirmative action and religious and gay rights are also on the agenda before this term closes

(Newser) - The Supreme Court is getting ready to decide some of its biggest cases of the term. The high court has 10 opinions left to release over the next week before the justices begin their summer break. As is typical, the last opinions to be released cover some of the most...

Man Said He Was Fired for Refusing to Go to Bible Study
Man Says He Was Fired for
Refusing to Go to Bible Study
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 2, 2018 12:44 PM CDT

Man Says He Was Fired for Refusing to Go to Bible Study

Ryan Coleman has filed a lawsuit

(Newser) - An Oregon man who says he was fired from his construction job for refusing to attend Christian Bible study is appealing to a higher power: the court. In a lawsuit filed this month, Ryan Coleman, 34, says he didn't find out about the weekly Bible study requirement until after...

Judge: Catholic Hospital Doesn't Have to Perform Tubal Ligation

He rules it's not sex discrimination

(Newser) - A San Francisco judge has denied a woman's request that he require a Catholic hospital to perform a tubal ligation to prevent pregnancy. Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith on Thursday upheld his previous tentative ruling that Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California, was not engaging in sex discrimination by...

Ex-Marine Fights Discharge Over Bible Verse on Her Desk

'No weapon formed against me shall prosper' spurred court-martial

(Newser) - A Bible verse posted at her workstation was supposed to help Monifa Sterling keep her cool with miffed co-workers. Instead, the ex-Marine was demoted, received a bad-conduct discharge, and is now appealing a court-martial, Military Times reports. The phrase that started the conflict: "No weapon formed against me shall...

Uproar Over Harvard Group's Satanic 'Black Mass'

University president issues statement, attends Catholic holy hour

(Newser) - A student group at Harvard had a devil of a time holding a planned Satanic "black mass" yesterday. The Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club, in tandem with the NY-based Satanic Temple, had originally scheduled the event—a parody of the Catholic Mass—to take place at 8pm on campus....

High Court Ruling Already Bad News for Non-Christians

Roanoke supervisor proposes ban on non-Christian prayer

(Newser) - What will the Supreme Court's Greece vs. Galloway decision mean for religious liberty? Well, let's put it this way: Less than 24 hours later, a board of supervisors member in Roanoke, Va., used the ruling to revise his push to ditch the town's nonsectarian prayer policy, adding...

Clergy Sue for Right to Perform Gay Weddings

Their argument focuses on religious freedom

(Newser) - North Carolina's gay marriage ban is being challenged—by a group of clergymen. The United Church of Christ, Lutheran, Baptist, and Unitarian Universalist ministers, plus two rabbis, filed a lawsuit yesterday claiming that the ban infringes upon their religious freedom, and that because of the separation of church and...

High Court's Jammed Term: Campaign Finance, Abortion

ObamaCare, affirmative action once again on docket

(Newser) - The Supreme Court begins its new term today, and once again, there are plenty of headline-grabbing cases on the docket, the New York Times notes. In fact, says an expert, "this term is deeper in important cases than either of the prior two terms." A number of court...

You Can Now Say 'Merry Christmas' in Texas Schools

'Religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion' says Perry

(Newser) - Saying "Merry Christmas" (or "Happy Hanukkah" or even "Have a festive Festivus") is now legally protected in Texas schools, thanks to a new law signed by Rick Perry yesterday. The "Merry Christmas" bill also protects schools from decorating with seasonal religious symbols such as menorahs...

World Growing Less Tolerant of Muslims, Jews: Report

State Dept says anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic sentiments growing

(Newser) - Anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic sentiments are growing in many countries around the world, according to a new US State Department report. Venezuela, Egypt, and Iran in particular are singled out for anti-Semitism—the report says the Egyptian media engages in Holocaust denial and glorification, while the Iranian government regularly denounces Judaism,...

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