Early indications of the difference that a constitutional republic made for Presbyterianism came when in 1789 The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America revised the Westminster confession and catechisms’ clauses on the civil magistrate. The original version’s conception of the . . . Continue reading →
Religion in America
Review: The Search For Christian America By Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, And George M. Marsden
Christians often mimic the tactics of non-Christians in the social and political realms. For example, the “cancel culture” found in legacy media and social media is also found in evangelical media and Christian social media. American politicians and pundits use scare tactics, . . . Continue reading →
How the Americans Revised The Westminster Confession Regarding The Magistrate
The version of the Westminster Confession of Faith used by most Presbyterians in America is not identical with the version approved by the Westminster Assembly in 1646. Most of the differences between the historic text and the text used by the Orthodox . . . Continue reading →
A Brief Guide To Islam For Christians
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world. Today, an estimated 1.3 billion people profess to be Muslims—that is, followers of the religion of Islam. Of these, nearly 1 billion reside in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Islam is . . . Continue reading →
Do You Know What The “Hardison Standard” Is And How It Affects Your Religious Liberties?
Jewish groups have come to the defense of an Evangelical Christian postal worker who claims he was forced out of his job for refusing to work Sundays, the Christian day of the sabbath. A joint amicus brief filed last Tuesday by the . . . Continue reading →
SCOTUS To Decide Whether Postal Service May Punish Carrier For Observing A Sunday Sabbath
The Supreme Court added eight new cases to its docket this afternoon. One of them, Groff v. DeJoy, raises issues of religious liberty and workplace accommodation. Gerald Groff claims that the U.S. Postal Service discriminated against him on the basis of his . . . Continue reading →
Religious Freedom, The Right To Worship, And Premodern Thinking
To be honest, writing a critical review of Phillip Muñoz’s American Liberty and the American Founding was a painful task. It was painful in part because I sincerely admire Muñoz and his scholarship, and in part because within the prescribed word limits (which I . . . Continue reading →
Religious Liberty Watch: Senate Bill On Same-Sex Marriage Advances
The Senate on Wednesday narrowly advanced legislation to protect same-sex marriage, sending it on to near-certain passage. In a 62-37 vote, 12 Republicans voted with all Democrats to move forward on the bill, after negotiators reached a bipartisan deal to include protections . . . Continue reading →
Religious Freedom Watch: Alito’s Dissenting Opinion On Free Exercise Of Religion
The First Amendment guarantees the right to the free exercise of religion, and if that provision means anything, it prohibits a State from enforcing its own preferred interpretation of Holy Scriptures. Read More» Justice Samuel Alito | Dissenting opinion in Yeshiva University . . . Continue reading →
Consider The Implications Had Kennedy Lost
In Kennedy v Bremerton, the Bremerton, WA School District argued that, were Coach Kennedy allowed to go to the 50 yard line to pray after games, student-athletes might feel pressured to join him for fear of losing playing time etc. Continue reading
Roman And Protestant Integralists Together
Or Why An Established Religion Is A Really Bad Idea
Integralism and Protestant theocracy are twin movements of which our readers should be aware. The first is a Romanist movement. The second is a movement among a small but visible band Protestants who seek a similar outcome. Roman Integralism Romanist “integralists” like . . . Continue reading →
Preach God’s Word, Not That Of The Silly Vassal
Megan Basham caused a stir a few weeks ago with her article exposing the Federal Government’s use of Evangelical influencers to spread COVID talking points. In interviews with multiple Evangelical Thought Leaders, National Institute of Health Director Francis Collins called on pastors . . . Continue reading →
House Of Representatives Passes Law To Combat “Islamophobia”
The key sentence in the AP story about HR5665, which passed the House on a strict party-line vote (219–212) vote is this: “The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.” The second salient fact about this bill is that it offers . . . Continue reading →
Religious Liberty Watch: University Of Iowa Pays Christian Student Group For Violating Their Civil Rights
A state panel agreed Monday to spend nearly $2 million to settle two federal lawsuits brought against the University of Iowa in 2017 after a religious group denied a gay student a leadership role. The Iowa State Appeal Board, made up of . . . Continue reading →
Federal District Court Judge Suggests That Military Personnel Denied Religious Exemption From The Covid Vaccine May Have A Case Under RFRA
Whether characterized as a facial challenge or as a class of precisely similar as-applied challenges, requiring only a single judicial determination, the plaintiffs’ contention is—based on current data—quite plausible that each branch’s procedure for requesting a religious exemption is a ruse that . . . Continue reading →
Christian Employers Alliance Sues Biden Administration Over Sex Transition Surgery Requirement
The Christian Employers Alliance filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Monday over two mandates that force religious nonprofit and for-profit employers to fund “gender transition surgeries, procedures, counseling, and treatments.” On Tuesday, Alliance Defending Freedom filed a motion asking a . . . Continue reading →
41% Of Americans Report Online Harassment Because Of Their Religious Affiliation
Some 41% of U.S. adults have been harassed online in at least one of six ways covered in a Pew Research Center survey conducted in September 2020. Those who have been subjected to these experiences cite a number of reasons for why . . . Continue reading →
A Little Wisdom Might Help Us Love Our Neighbor
Two Albuquerque, NM megachurches are being fined by the governor for disobeying regulations on gathering for worship. Both held Christmas Eve services with crowded auditoriums. In one video there are few masks evident. KOAT has the story. One congregation claims to have . . . Continue reading →
Coronavirus, Civil Liberties, And Crisis
In California we are in phase 2 of unlocking the public-health lockdown imposed in light of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). One of the costs of the stay-at-home has been a prohibition of all public gatherings. In phase two meetings are now allowed but . . . Continue reading →
A Significant Potential Threat To American Religious Liberty
Remember The “Lemon Test”?
This change in Section 512(a)(7) taxes nonprofit organizations – including houses of worship – for the cost of parking and transit benefits provided to employees. This significant change in the treatment of charitable organizations will require many nonprofit organizations to file federal . . . Continue reading →