https://politicalresearch.org/ The latest research related to religious freedom restoration act en https://religiondispatches.org/2023/04/20/court-prepares-rule-sacred-apache-site-religious-freedom-faces-american-right-prized As the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gets ready to hand down a decision in Apache Stronghold v. United States , religious leaders—Sikh, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Mennonite—who have filed amicus briefs urging the court to protect not only Apache sacred… Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:12:27 EDT Dana Lloyd 79ec9419-6b73-4299-8a71-95f67c157ace https://religiondispatches.org/2023/01/10/celebrating-religious-freedom-day-taking-back-revolutionary-meaning-religious-freedom Religious freedom has been at the center of American history since the founding. (And by the founding , I mean of the United States of America , not including the roughly century-and-a-half of colonial era.) There’s a story of religious… Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:09:48 EST Frederick Clarkson 53ffc929-a1d7-4534-854e-e4b4545b0011 https://religiondispatches.org/2022/09/29/far-right-embrace-knights-templar-isnt-just-about-faith-tradition-or-history-its-about In 1302, the island of Arwad, off the coast of Syria, fell to Mamluk forces. The Templar garrison died in the assault. The Templar had lost their last stronghold in the Holy Land, and while the other major military orders… Thu, 29 Sep 2022 03:36:35 EDT Thomas Lecaque ace1a30c-cd14-4926-a64d-b479dec8536c https://religiondispatches.org/2022/08/10/right-using-fbis-mar-lago-search-martyr-trump-and-maintain-violent-myth-big-lie On Monday, the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s home in Florida, during which, according to the former president, federal officials even “broke into my safe.” While there are reports that the warrant for the search is related to classified documents… Wed, 10 Aug 2022 05:29:56 EDT Bradley Onishi 96f6945e-b89b-4c6f-9b77-4c5c9e920444 https://religiondispatches.org/2022/07/20/fresh-horrors-draconian-anti-abortion-laws-christian-right-hoosiers-consider-draconian I was born (and mostly raised) in Indiana, so let me start off with some classic Midwestern understatement: I’m not thrilled with Indiana’s political trajectory. Okay, now that my Hoosier bona fides are out of the way, let me tell… Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:41:47 EDT Chrissy Stroop 42bd18d4-fed9-42ca-9b5e-58f2a2783e13 https://religiondispatches.org/2022/05/16/laugh-tucker-carlsons-tanning-testicles-doc-all-you-want-bulging-muscles-and-potent Sculpted, sweating, bare torsos doing push-ups, bulging muscles, two scantily-clad men locked in a fight—they, too, are ripped. A blond, equally fit man shoots at plastic bottles, a man’s hand grasps a cow’s udder. The music swells dramatically—so far it’s… Mon, 16 May 2022 04:40:12 EDT Annika Brockschmidt 3d15bb00-b87f-47c9-b8ac-3aa6d7e93def https://religiondispatches.org/2021/07/12/exclusive-christian-right-bill-mill-project-blitz-hasnt-gone-away-its-just-gotten-more In the Fall of 2019, the secretive Christian Right state legislative campaign, Project Blitz, became even more of a secret. When RD first reported on Project Blitz in April 2018 the website featured their annual state legislative playbook of model… Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:39:07 EDT Frederick Clarkson 6c54e30d-1e42-45b1-bdd3-9e471c13c6dd https://religiondispatches.org/2020/08/08/satanic-temples-satanic-abortion-ritual-may-challenge-states-anti-abortion-laws Last week, The Satanic Temple (TST) introduced “the Satanic Abortion Ritual”—a ritual designed to provide religious support and comfort for women who’ve decided to get an abortion. But the ritual has legal consequences as well as spiritual ones: TST claims… Sat, 08 Aug 2020 02:08:45 EDT Joseph Laycock e5893760-7651-43fb-9ab7-08834f2edc65 https://religiondispatches.org/2020/03/26/theres-no-legal-reason-churches-receive-quarantine-exceptions If you’d asked me even two months ago what the next issue or event to spark acrimonious church-state conflict was likely to be, I doubt global pandemic would have even crossed my mind. And yet, in retrospect, it seems all… Thu, 26 Mar 2020 09:11:46 EDT Chrissy Stroop cd6c3b1d-cf2f-4033-991b-b18bdde31c00 https://religiondispatches.org/2019/10/24/catholic-anti-nuke-activists-looking-20-years-prison-true-test-religious-freedom Either sincere religious conviction should be a defense, or it shouldn’t. There should be a healthy debate about religious exemptions in a pluralistic society, but not about the content of the religious conviction concerned. Thu, 24 Oct 2019 08:30:55 EDT Patrick Hornbeck 260ebc31-cdec-416d-90ed-351b3d138eaf https://religiondispatches.org/2019/03/14/lgbtqi-equality-act-enjoys-broad-support-theres-just-one-problem Though an estimated 70% of the overall population supports nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, and a new survey shows that a majority of every religious group agrees, there remains at least one significant hurdle. Thu, 14 Mar 2019 01:35:21 EDT Sunnivie Brydum 4606b8e4-6549-46e3-aaf6-3722569d2777 https://religiondispatches.org/2019/01/03/religious-freedom-battle-far-over-heres-what-look-2019 While the issues are piling up, the Supreme Court—and U.S. society more broadly—will have to face the questions ducked in Masterpiece Cakeshop, or else be willing to settle for a level of uncertainty that serves no one. Thu, 03 Jan 2019 03:17:20 EST Patrick Hornbeck ec27ae95-8ca8-4bd4-ac5d-245f46891eb8 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/12/18/ringing-christian-nationalist-2019-even-larger-legislative-playbook A Christian nationalist coalition, including the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, has published a new state legislative playbook for 2019 that’s 30 percent larger, and 100 percent as committed to a nation that reflects its sectarian values. Tue, 18 Dec 2018 03:53:23 EST Frederick Clarkson 6956d8fa-64b6-4212-91cd-2c5666ffa635 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/12/06/religious-freedom-manifesto-calls-compromise-and-civility-whats-so-wrong Behind earnestly worded appeals for religious freedom and respect is a pretense that the Framers of the Constitution and the First Amendment somehow intended to justify discrimination against others. Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:49:32 EST Frederick Clarkson 96e043fc-f63c-4c2b-a5a5-951a9f71510f https://religiondispatches.org/2018/10/25/religious-freedom-may-now-include-discrimination-against-jews-and-muslims South Carolina governor Henry McMaster moved to protect Miracle Hill and other agencies that want to to discriminate against Jews and others and continue to receive government funding. Thu, 25 Oct 2018 03:12:20 EDT Heron Greenesmith ea855e3e-0adf-48d2-924c-302338c16c59 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/10/16/pences-religious-freedom-policy-made-lgbq-hoosiers-sick-literally Data pointing to the detrimental health impacts of discrimination serve as a sobering reminder that the suggestion that LGBTQ people “just go to another baker” doesn’t begin to solve the problem. Tue, 16 Oct 2018 10:22:32 EDT Sunnivie Brydum a30dca15-c45b-4127-a6c9-cae7e60d1d7d https://religiondispatches.org/2018/10/08/unreleased-religious-freedom-manifesto-isnt-culture-war-compromise-it-hopes-be Given the institutional backing and the generous rhetoric, many well-intentioned people will consider signing on. But before they do, there are a few things they might consider. Mon, 08 Oct 2018 05:23:37 EDT Frederick Clarkson aa8d5d85-65e2-42e6-9bfc-7817a8a7961c https://religiondispatches.org/2018/09/27/radical-religious-freedom-dissent-reveals-kavanaughs-views-sex-and-power Both the sweeping religious liberty claims defended by Kavanaugh and the assertions of his defenders come from the same place: a desire to reassert traditional, patriarchal sexual mores. Thu, 27 Sep 2018 01:27:17 EDT Patricia Miller e1ca8f4d-3fe1-4c82-9d97-639fca031e54 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/04/27/project-blitz-seeks-do-christian-nationalism-what-alec-does-big-business-0 Religious freedom has been much in the news as the Trump administration has rolled out policies providing an earthly answer to the prayers of the Christian Right. It‘s a central issue in the Masterpiece Cakeshop vs Colorado Civil Rights Commission… Fri, 27 Apr 2018 04:36:40 EDT Frederick Clarkson bda69321-1aab-4ba4-b2c2-bb99578ff869 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/04/27/project-blitz-seeks-do-christian-nationalism-what-alec-does-big-business Launched initially in 2015, Project Blitz brings something new and dramatic to the Christian Right as it continues to mature as a political movement—especially in light of its electoral advances in state governments over the past decade. Fri, 27 Apr 2018 03:08:14 EDT Frederick Clarkson 5b399424-bcb2-45a4-913e-e17c53422f26 https://religiondispatches.org/2018/02/09/how-abortion-debate-turned-christian-right-liberal-arguments-and-birthed-religious Historically, the Christian Right has not been recognized for its celebration of liberal values. On the contrary, any reference to organizations such as the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition is likely to conjure decidedly illiberal associations. These advocacy groups were… Fri, 09 Feb 2018 01:12:59 EST Eric C. Miller 86fce0eb-fa36-4b84-8ca3-84f672048275 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/12/01/what-justice-gorsuchs-record-suggests-about-masterpiece-cakeshop-case When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments December 5 in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, it will be the first time the Court has taken up a major gay-rights case since its historic June 2015 ruling in Obergefell… Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:20:54 EST Patrick Hornbeck 62c422a2-42bc-485a-b81b-12598b6c3710 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/07/13/most-ominous-promises-jeff-sessions-just-made-adf-attorneys It took a few days and a series of FOIA requests, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ remarks at a closed-press meeting with Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys on Tuesday have finally been made public. The Federalist published the remarks in full… Thu, 13 Jul 2017 06:44:50 EDT Sunnivie Brydum 9610ed07-043a-47b0-8a97-98b7224604cf https://religiondispatches.org/2017/02/16/what-muslim-ban-religious-liberty-hearing-trump-era Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the “ State of Religious Liberty in America.” What was perhaps most striking about the hearing was how dated many of the speeches and arguments felt—as if an Obama-era hearing… Thu, 16 Feb 2017 07:45:36 EST Elizabeth Platt bb0b80db-aa31-4561-a19e-4efadbe43c28 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/02/13/aclus-religious-freedom-suit-against-trump-order-gerrymandered-target-muslims President Trump’s controversial travel ban is “religiously gerrymandered to target Muslims,” says ACLU senior staff attorney Heather Weaver. Mon, 13 Feb 2017 02:53:00 EST Sunnivie Brydum 0c30bd4f-f541-4112-916c-11775bb4e81d