CNA Editor's Desk
Parsing issues at the intersection of current affairs and the world's largest religious denomination is no easy task.
Religion
Nevada Can't Impose Greater Restrictions on Churches Than on Casinos, Bowling Alleys, Etc.
So the Ninth Circuit just held this morning.
Court Considering Whether Theaters May Reopen in N.Y. Alongside Churches
"Both religion and theatre implicate the exercise of First Amendment rights, and the prioritization of religious events over secular artistic events that enjoy First Amendment free speech protection raises potentially thorny questions."
Are Mormons Christians?
Not for secular courts to judge, holds the Arizona Court of Appeals
Supreme Court Issues Unanimous Decision in Important Religious Freedom Case
The ruling allows Religious Freedom Restoration Act claimants - in this case Muslims subjected to discriminatory treatment by the FBI - to sue for money damages against government officials.
"Can the Government Deny Foster Parent Applications Due to Religious Beliefs?"
An American Enterprise Institute "Are You Kidding Me?" podcast episode, with Naomi Schaefer Riley, Ian Rowe, and me.
California Churches Stuck in Limbo After Supreme Court Decision
Plus: Congress to vote today on marijuana decriminalization, new study shows bad news for indoor diners, and more...
L.A. Times Turns Pastor's Death into Outrage Clickbait
Bob Bryant was infected with COVID-19 while on vacation and died. A news story tries to link that to church services.
Following Protests, France Retreats on Plan to Censor Filming of Police
Earlier in November, surveillance footage captured officers beating a man for not wearing a mask.
Sixth Circuit Reinstates Governor's Closure of Kentucky Schools
A district court had held the closure likely violated the Free Exercise Clause; no, says, the Sixth Circuit.
Kentucky Religious Schools Have First Amendment Right to Reopen, Says Federal Judge
The decision should also support secular private schools having similar rights as well. (Public schools are under control of the state government, and lack First Amendment rights against it.)
Paul Krugman Thinks Holding Religious Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Like 'Dumping Neurotoxins Into Public Reservoirs'
The New York Times columnist misconstrues the issues at stake in the challenge to New York's restrictions on houses of worship.
SCOTUS Blocks New York's COVID-19 Restrictions on Houses of Worship, Saying They Are Not 'Narrowly Tailored'
Gov. Andrew Cuomo described his policy as a "fear-driven response," cut by a "hatchet" rather than a "scalpel."
Fulton v. City of Philadelphia and Free Exercise: A Debate Between Jordan Lorence (ADF) and Me
Part of the Federalist Society's "Feddie Night Fights."
Christians Trying to Convert Muslims and Jews to Christianity
"So what?." asks David Harsanyi at the National Review, quite correctly.
Cuomo's COVID-19 Rules Discriminate Against Religion
The case gives SCOTUS another chance to enforce constitutional limits on disease control measures.
Jews and Catholics Ask Supreme Court To Stop NYC Religious Services Ban
Plus: DOJ argues for right to kill civilians, tech CEOs are back before Congress today, Dolly Parton helped fund COVID-19 vaccine, and more...
Justice Samuel Alito Highlights the Legal Issues Raised by 'Previously Unimaginable' COVID-19 Restrictions
When "fundamental rights are restricted" during an emergency, he says, the courts "cannot close their eyes."
Dorothy Day: Personalist Hero
The enigmatic founder of the Catholic Worker Movement was an extraordinary avatar of nonviolent dissent.
Why this Religious Freedom Case is Different From the Others [updated with an important qualification]
In Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a key case currently before the Supreme Court, there is a strong reason to rule for the government that doesn't apply in most other religious-liberty disputes.
The Nationalism-ists
The members of Steve Bannon's international circle share an outlandish spiritual-historic vision, but their threat to liberty is more mundane.
Pope Francis Declares Support for Civil Unions for Gay Couples
His statement doesn’t change Catholic Church teachings, but it’s an indicator of big cultural shifts.
Colorado Coronavirus Response Unconstitutionally Restricted Religious Institutions, Holds Federal Judge
Houses of worship, which the Colorado order labels "critical" institutions, must be treated at least as well as other critical institutions.
Reviews: Love and Monsters and J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs and the Church of the SubGenius
A good teens-and-creatures movie, and a deep dive into a glorious fake cult
Federal Court Accepts Church's Challenge to D.C.'s 100-Person Limit on Outdoor Religious Services
The court applied the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was enacted in 1993 by a nearly unanimous Congress.
Couple Barred from Fostering Their 1-Year-Old Great-Granddaughter Because of They Oppose Homosexuality and Gender Transitioning
The Washington Department of Child, Youth, and Families reached this decision based on the purely hypothetical possibility that maybe the 1-year-old might eventually be attracted to girls, or might want to transition to being a boy; but a federal judge just held in the great-grandparents’ favor.
Trump Administration on Wrong Side of Important Religious Freedom Case Before the Supreme Court
The Administration claims money damages are never "appropriate" under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act - even when they are the only possible means of redressing rights violations.
Orthodox Jews Say They're Being Targeted by New NYC Lockdowns
The newest lockdown, which explicitly targets religious gatherings, seems likely to further skepticism of public health directives.
The Sins and Virtues of New Religions
Occultists, social justice warriors, and techno-utopians may not look like the Christians of yore, but they're more religious than they realize.
Will-to-Power Conservatism and the Great Liberalism Schism
By virtue of representing the correct vision of the good, these conservatives say, they have every right to use the coercive power of the state to interfere with others' choices.
Kentucky AG: Government Can't Shut Down In-Person Teaching at Religious Schools
The AG's opinion applies strict scrutiny under the First Amendment and the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and concludes that the medical evidence suggests total shutdowns aren't necessary to preserve public health.
Lawsuit Against Pro-Palestinian / Anti-Semitic Protesters Outside Synagogue Thrown Out
The First Amendment protects "'anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist, [and] antisemitic" speech, the court correctly observes.
Court Rejects Constitutional Challenge to Critical Teaching About Islamic Terrorism
The case was filed against the Maricopa County Community College District, over Prof. Nicholas Damask's World Politics class.
Kamala Harris' Limited Vision of Religious Liberty
The presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee offers a highly circumscribed notion of the role of faith in public life.
Rocker Nick Cave: Cancel Culture Is 'Bad Religion Run Amuck'
'Political correctness has grown to become the unhappiest religion in the world.'
Kanye West Unveils His Presidential Platform
Is the Kanye 2020 platform designed to steal votes from Joe Biden?
