A federal judge on Sunday blocked Trump administration rules that would allow most businesses to opt out of covering contraception for their employees if they have moral or religious objections. Judge Haywood Gilliam blocked the rules, which were set to go into effect on Monday, in California, Washington, D.C. and 12 other states. Gilliam granted …
Judge blocks Trump contraception rule in 13 states Read More »
On Thursday, leaders of representatives from the Secular Coalition for America, American Atheists, the American Humanist Association, the Center for Inquiry, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, attended a reception on Capitol Hill hosted by the Congressional Freethought Caucus. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, gave an informal speech at the event …
Rep. Jamie Raskin Says; “We need a secular movement that is big and strong” Read More »
The U.S. Senate last month unanimously passed a bill that would explicitly make lynching a federal crime. Not everyone, however, is pleased with passage of the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act. Liberty Counsel, an evangelical nonprofit that opposes gay rights, and its chairman, Mat Staver, are taking issue with the bill’s inclusion of LGBTQ …
Evangelical group wants gays removed from anti-lynching bill Read More »
The Miracle Hill Ministries in Greenville, S.C., makes clear from the start that only Christian parents need apply for its foster-care program. On its forms, candidates are asked to offer personal testimony of their faith or salvation. “Our existence and identity is tied to our faith in God and belief in Jesus Christ,” said Reid …
A group of North Dakota lawmakers — all Republicans — have introduced legislation that would require the state’s public schools to teach a unit on the Bible. The unit could be on the Old Testament, the New Testament, or a mix of the two, and would count toward students’ social studies credit requirements. As blogger …
North Dakota lawmakers want to require Bible study in public schools Read More »
Medication abortion is one of the safest procedures out there; it’s less risky than wisdom-tooth extraction (which requires anesthesia). But doctors and nurses in Arkansas are so afraid of abortions — and the attendant politics — that it’s almost impossible to learn about them as a medical student, let alone administer them. Where I grew …
Last year has seen some positive developments in the fight against outdated blasphemy laws. For example, in Ireland, as part of a referendum, a majority voted against the remaining blasphemy laws. In Pakistan, although blasphemy laws still exist, the Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi who was held on the death row for eight years because …
Blasphemy Laws Do Not Have A Place In The 21st Century Read More »
The new, 116th Congress includes the first two Muslim women ever to serve in the House of Representatives, and is, overall, slightly more religiously diverse than the prior Congress. […] But by far the largest difference between the U.S. public and Congress is in the share who are unaffiliated with a religious group. In the …
There’s (Officially) Not a Single Open Atheist in the New Congress Read More »
The American Legion and its supporters recently filed initial briefs in The American Legion v. American Humanist Association, a Supreme Court case to be argued in February concerning the constitutionality of a four-foot, 90-year-old memorial cross displayed and maintained by a state agency in Bladensburg, Maryland. Depending on how the court rules, however, much more …
Conservative Supreme Court could reverse decades of First Amendment law Read More »
In response to recent Catholic Church clergy sex abuse scandals, lawmakers in the District and Virginia say they will soon propose legislation that adds clergy to the list of people mandated by law to report child abuse or neglect. Both efforts hit at the hot-button intersection of child protection and religious liberty, but lawmakers are …
Proposed laws in D.C. and Va. would require clergy to report sexual abuse Read More »
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