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Stories tagged with: religious liberty

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  • High court's order on Nevada church draws dissent
    by Tom Strode, posted Monday, July 27, 2020 (4 years ago)

    iStock
    WASHINGTON (BP) -- Religious freedom advocates and four justices expressed strong disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to grant relief to a church seeking equal treatment under Nevada's coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

    The high court denied July 24 a request from Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley (Nev.) to block enforcement of Gov. Steve Sisolak's order that limits religious gatherings to 50 worshipers regardless of the size of the building. Meanwhile, his directive permits casinos, gyms, bowling alleys and some other venues to operate at 50 percent capacity regardless of their size. Read More

  • Union University's action to rescind grad student's admission draws criticism, support
    by Tom Strode, posted Friday, July 24, 2020 (4 years ago)

    uu.edu website photo
    JACKSON, Tenn. (BP) -- Union University has recently found itself in the spotlight of the ongoing faceoff between religious liberty and sexual liberty.

    The school -- affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention and located in Jackson, Tenn. -- rescinded a graduate student's admission after learning he had violated Union's Community Values Statements he had signed by being in a same-sex relationship. Alex Duron, the applicant, shared the news in a Facebook post Tuesday (July 21), prompting a social media backlash against Union but also expressions of support from Baptist leaders. Read More

  • Appeals court ruling for adoption agency applauded
    by Tom Strode, posted Thursday, July 23, 2020 (4 years ago)

    iStock
    NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- A federal appeals court decision in support of a Christian adoption agency has garnered excellent reviews from religious freedom advocates.

    The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City reversed July 21 a federal court opinion that would have required New Hope Family Services to shut down if it maintained its policy of refusing to place children in the homes of same-sex and unmarried couples. The appeals court returned the case to the lower court and kept in place its November 2019 decision that blocked enforcement of that court's ruling. Read More

  • Nevada urges US Supreme Court to deny church's virus appeal
    by Scott Sonner, posted Thursday, July 16, 2020 (4 years ago)

    Screen capture from YouTube
    RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Nevada's lawyers urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject a rural church's appeal to the state's 50-person cap on attendance at worship services.

    The lawyers claim the church's assertion that the restriction infringes on the constitutional right to exercise religious beliefs is false, arguing that protecting Nevadans against the spread of the coronavirus weighs "heavily against injunctive relief." Read More

  • California churches ordered to cancel indoor worship in at least 30 counties
    by Diana Chandler, posted Tuesday, July 14, 2020 (4 years ago)

    Photo from Facebook
    FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Many California Southern Baptist pastors will likely find ways to continue to worship while obeying Gov. Gavin Newsom's Monday (July 13) order forbidding indoor worship once again.

    "I think our churches are committed to doing what needs to be done to keep in contact with their members," said Terry Barone, communications team leader for the California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC). "We would have to say that we're not happy about the decision," he said of the CSBC. Read More

  • ERLC encourages church, civic partnership on COVID-19 contact tracing
    by Tom Strode, posted Monday, July 13, 2020 (4 years ago)

    iStock
    WASHINGTON (BP) -- Churches should partner with government officials to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) while receiving First Amendment protections as they cooperate, the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said in a new statement.

    The ERLC issued a document July 10 that provides guidance to church and civic leaders regarding the effort to protect public health, particularly through the process known as contact tracing. In the procedure, trained workers contact people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 so those potentially infected individuals can isolate from others and thereby prevent the spread of the virus. Read More

  • High court delivers 2 religious liberty wins
    by Tom Strode, posted Wednesday, July 08, 2020 (4 years ago)

    iStock
    WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed in two 7-2 rulings Wednesday (July 8) that churches and religious organizations are free to make employment and health insurance decisions based on their convictions.

    In one ruling, the justices reiterated their support for a "ministerial exception" that enables churches and other religious bodies to hire and fire based on their beliefs. They had ruled unanimously in 2012 in favor of such an exception. In consolidated cases, two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles chose not to renew contracts for two fifth-grade teachers based on what they said was poor performance. Read More

  • High court affirms religious access to state programs
    by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, June 30, 2020 (4 years ago)

    iStock
    WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court narrowly upheld Tuesday (June 30) a state tax credit scholarship program that includes religious schools, thereby maintaining its recent support of the right of faith groups to participate in government programs.

    The high court voted 5-4 to overturn a Montana Supreme Court decision that invalidated a state program that provides a tax credit of up to $150 for a donation to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). Contributions to SSOs finance scholarships given to families for student tuition at private schools of their choosing. The program approved by the state legislature includes Christian and other religious schools. Read More

  • Ruling against New York worship orders praised
    by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, June 30, 2020 (4 years ago)

    File photo by Taylor Field
    WASHINGTON (BP) -- Defenders of religious freedom inside and outside the federal government praised a court decision to block enforcement of New York orders on the size of worship meetings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that are more restrictive than those imposed on other gatherings. Read More