• Latest
  • All
Supreme Court Deals Promising Rulings in Religious Liberty Cases Despite Recent Mixed Signals

Supreme Court Deals Promising Rulings in Religious Liberty Cases Despite Recent Mixed Signals

July 10, 2020
UN report condemns surrogacy as “the sale of children”

UN report condemns surrogacy as “the sale of children”

September 2, 2025
California baker pleads to Supreme Court in free speech case

California baker pleads to Supreme Court in free speech case

September 2, 2025
Trump administration moves to protect American churches

Trump administration moves to protect American churches

August 29, 2025
Ontario teachers expose enforcement of LGBT doctrine in school

Ontario teachers expose enforcement of LGBT doctrine in school

August 29, 2025
Tom Emmer calls for end of Minnesota trans refuge policy

Tom Emmer calls for end of Minnesota trans refuge policy

August 29, 2025
Pope Leo condems Catholic pro-abortion politicians

Pope Leo condems Catholic pro-abortion politicians

August 28, 2025
Creator: Michael Wuertenberg | Credit: swiss-image.ch Copyright: World Economic Forum/swiss-image.ch

Trump calls for RICO charges against George Soros

August 27, 2025
The Mirror

Catholic school shooter identified as transgender

August 27, 2025
America’s largest Planned Parenthood to close its doors

America’s largest Planned Parenthood to close its doors

August 26, 2025
Study shows 2.8 million Americans aged 13 years or older identify as transgender

Study shows 2.8 million Americans aged 13 years or older identify as transgender

August 26, 2025
  • About iFamNews
  • Contact

Navigation Button Subscribe

  • Subscribe
September 2, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • English
    • Italiano
    • Español
    • Français
    • Deutsch
    • Polski
    • српски
    • Русский
    • Hrvatski

Navigation Button Donate

  • Donate
International Family News Network (IFN)
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
International Family News Network (IFN)
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
International Family News Network (IFN)
No Result
View All Result

Supreme Court Deals Promising Rulings in Religious Liberty Cases Despite Recent Mixed Signals

Even though we are thrilled with the two rulings this week, we can never lose sight of the importance of increasing the presence of conservative justices on the Supreme Court.

Brian S. Brown by Brian S. Brown
July 10, 2020
in Culture, Opinion
729
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Supreme Court Deals Promising Rulings in Religious Liberty Cases Despite Recent Mixed Signals
Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on TelegramShare on TwitterShare on WeChat

The US Supreme Court issued two blockbuster rulings on Wednesday that delivered huge victories concerning religious liberty.
 
In related cases originating out of southern California, two separate Catholic schools were sued for employment discrimination after they declined to renew employment contracts for two fifth grade teachers. The Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision written by Justice Alito that the “ministerial exception” bars employees who teach religion to students from suing churches or religious institutions for discrimination. Alito observed that the First Amendment bars the government from interfering in how churches and religious institutions run their entities. He said that religious institutions should be able to choose and, if necessary, remove a person who teaches religion without interference from government. Alito observed, “a wayward minister’s preaching, teaching, and counseling could contradict the church’s tenets and lead the congregation away from the faith.” Alito’s opinion was joined by the so-called conservative bloc of justices – Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts – and surprisingly by two of the liberal bloc of justices, Steven Breyer and Elena Kagan.
 
The second major ruling involves the Little Sisters of the Poor who, for the second time, were forced to appeal adverse court rulings to the Supreme Court in order to be exempted from Obamacare rules forcing them to provide contraception services to employees in violation of their religious beliefs. When the Supreme Court invalidated Obama-era rules concerning the obligation of employers to comply with rules that violate their religious beliefs, the Trump administration went through the laborious process of writing new rules, which were much more accommodating to religious liberty. These new rules were challenged by the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and a district court judge issued a nationwide injunction against them going into effect. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas held that the federal government was fully within its authority to write rules exempting religious employers and those with moral objections from providing contraception services through their group health plans and that the rules promulgated were free from procedural defects. The ruling was also delivered in a 7-2 vote with Justices Kagan and Breyer joining Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Alito and Roberts. However, Kagan and Breyer issued a separate concurring opinion intended to limit the scope of the majority’s ruling.
 
Together with the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling from last week in the Espinoza v Montana case which held that states cannot exclude religious schools from tax-credit scholarship programs, the Supreme Court has charted a clear and consistent path in support of religious liberty.
 
Even though we are thrilled with the two rulings this week, we can never lose sight of the importance of increasing the presence of conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Earlier this term, the Court issued two regrettable rulings in the Louisiana abortion case and their illegitimate redefinition of “sex” under Title VII of the federal anti-discrimination. Adding more justices to the court like Brett Kavanaugh will strengthen the hand of principled conservative justices like Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, and may help serve as a brake against Gorsuch and Roberts when they are inclined to legislate from the bench.

Tags: Religious LibertySCOTUSSupreme Court
Brian S. Brown

Brian S. Brown

Brian S. Brown is founder and Editor-in-Chief of International Family News. He is also president of the International Organization for the Family (IOF). Brian also serves as President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) after having co-founded the organization in 2007. Brian has been quoted regularly in the The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and almost every other major newspaper in the country. He has also regularly appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, C-SPAN and MSNBC. An Oxford University-educated and articulate advocate for marriage, he is a sought-after speaker who has addressed hundreds of gatherings throughout the country, and internationally. Brian is a C. Phil. at UCLA in American History, earned his B.A./M.A. in Modern History at Oxford University, and received his B.A. in History from Whittier College. He and his wife Susan have nine young children.

Discussion about this post

Popular News

  • Study shows 2.8 million Americans aged 13 years or older identify as transgender

    Study shows 2.8 million Americans aged 13 years or older identify as transgender

    0 shares 236 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • America’s largest Planned Parenthood to close its doors

    0 shares 101 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Leo condems Catholic pro-abortion politicians

    0 shares 80 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Scotland drops all charges against grandmother arrested in “buffer zone”

    0 shares 44 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Trump administration moves to protect American churches

    0 shares 41 VIEWS
    Share 0 Tweet 0

IFN – International Family News Network

© 2022 IFN – International Family News - All Rights Reserved.

Quick Links

  • About iFamNews
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Subscribe

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Life
  • Family
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Shows
  • Petitions
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

  • en English
  • it Italiano
  • es Español
  • fr Français
  • de Deutsch
  • pl Polski
  • sr српски
  • ru Русский
  • hr Hrvatski
  • Login
  • Sign Up

© 2022 IFN – International Family News - All Rights Reserved.