‘The Devil Is Going To Be in the Details’ of Public School Bible Courses in Missouri
A Missouri bill could encourage more public schools to teach the Bible. But designing a course that respects students’ First Amendment rights can be tricky.
In Texas, Republicans Push Bills Aimed at Enhancing Faith’s Role in School
Cantor Sheri Allen, co-founder of the Jewish congregation Makom Shelanu, called the bills a “blatant violation of the separation of church and state.”
Clergy Sue to Challenge Missouri Abortion Ban
This issue of A Public Witness looks at what makes a new Missouri religious freedom lawsuit unique and considers the state of abortion and religion post-Dobbs as the national debate over these issues continues to smolder.
Alito’s Anxiety
In this edition of A Public Witness, we interrogate the encroaching secularism Samuel Alito fears. Then we cross-examine recent Supreme Court rulings to identify how Alito’s logic is already at work. Finally, we appeal the verdict rendered by some in the media that Alito and other
Religious Liberty Has a Long and Messy History – And There Is a Reason Americans Feel Strongly About It
At the close of its recent term the Supreme Court ruled on the cases of Carson v. Makin and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, rekindling controversy over one of the most enduring issues in American history: religious liberty. Another of this term’s blockbuster decisions, Dobbs
The Activist Behind Opposition to the Separation of Church and State
In 1993, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., founder of Liberty University and co-founder of the Moral Majority, promoted a book called “The Myth of Separation” by a Texan named David Barton. According to a Christian Century report, less than a month later on Falwell’s television
Supreme Court Sides with Coach Who Sought to Pray after Game
The Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court’s conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The
High Court Rules Religious Schools Can Get Maine Tuition Aid
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that religious schools can’t be excluded from a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education, a decision that could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money. The outcome could renew a push for school choice programs in states
Free Speech in a House Full of Chickens
Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy uses the metaphor of fast food to better understand our current political moment. The allure of junk food matches the allure of our politics – simple, cheap, fast, superficial, but somewhat tasty.
Church Isn’t Like a Manicure
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reacts to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on coronavirus restrictions and worship. He argues a majority of the justices wrongly compare worship gatherings to commercial activities.