Tag Archives: Free Exercise clause

Reaffirming Parental Rights

Posted on July 7, 2025 by David E Smith

The SCOTUS ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor is a game-changer for parental rights in public education. While the case centers on LGBTQ+ storybooks in classrooms, its implications reach far beyond reading lists. For the first time in decades, the Court has affirmed that parents have a constitutional right to shield their children from instruction that contradicts their religious beliefs—without needing to prove coercion.

Posted in Education, Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged Advocates for Youth, Donald Trump, Ford Foundation, Free Exercise clause, George Gund Foundation, Grove Foundation, John Dewey, Mahmoud v. Taylor, Muslim, National Commission on Education, National Sexuality Education Standards, Roman Catholic, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, SIECUS, Social-Emotional Learning, Troxel v. Granville, u.s. department of education, U.S. Supreme Court, Ukrainian Orthodox | Comments Off

SCOTUS Upholds Religious Freedom in Education Choice

Posted on June 21, 2022 by David E Smith

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a decisive victory for religious freedom and school choice this morning in a 6-3 ruling in the Carson v. Makin case.

Posted in Education, Religious Liberty | Tagged Carson v. Makin, David Shestokas, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, First Amendment, First Liberty Institute, Free Exercise clause, Inc. v. Comer, John Roberts, Kelly Shackelford, School Choice, Stephen Breyer, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, U.S. Supreme Court | Comments Off

Do Christians Regularly Violate the Separation of Church and State?

Posted on September 15, 2021 by David E Smith

Many Christians and non-Christians misunderstand the relationship between morality and religion. Many mistakenly believe that morality is the same thing as religion and, therefore, mistakenly believe that they should not advocate for policies that reflect their moral beliefs. But morals and religion are not the same, and basing our decisions on public policies, laws, or elections on beliefs that derive from religious convictions does not constitute an unconstitutional establishment of a state religion.

All laws reflect or embody someone’s morality. The moral beliefs of people who hold theistic worldviews are no less valid in the public square than the moral …

Posted in Faith, Religious Liberty | Tagged Barack Obama, D.A. Carson, Establishment Clause, First Amendment, Francis Beckwith, Free Exercise clause, Gregory Koukl, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Lynn R. Buzzard, Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Perry, Richard Neuhaus, Rob Portman, Robert George, Samuel Silver, sharia, The Golden Rule, The Naked Public Square | Comments Off

Klein v. Oregon: Religious Liberty & Freedom of Speech vs. Gay Rights

Posted on July 9, 2019 by David E Smith

Among recent actions by the U.S. Supreme Court, a four-sentence order may set the stage for the court to eventually address the collision between free speech and religious freedom on one hand and gay rights on the other. The order voided a judgment by the state of Oregon that had imposed a $135,000 fine on Portland-area bakery owners—the Kleins—for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Oregon maintained that its anti-discrimination law condemned such a rebuff even when the bakery owners’ religious convictions run counter to participating in a same-sex wedding.

Posted in Religious Liberty, Sexuality | Tagged Arlene Flowers, Barronelle Stutzman, compelled speech doctrine, Employment Division v. Smith, Free Exercise clause, Jack Phillips, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Melissa and Aaron Klein, Oregon, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, SCOTUS, Sherbert v. Verner, The Sherbert test, W. Va. State Board of Education v. Barnett, Washington Supreme Court | Comments Off