
The most recent example is the inclusion of “humanism” as a religion in federal prisons, with the corresponding rights to time and space for activities, visits by humanist chaplains and access to literature and study materials. Often used as a code word for atheism, humanism, or “secular humanism,” refers to a unifying philosophy of life that seeks meaning in human events without reference to spiritual or non-material realities.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.29 Jul 2015, 2:29 PM PST0

A Satanic reproductive rights group is promising to unveil a one-ton bronze statue of a goat-headed Baphomet Saturday in Detroit, in a private ceremony open only to bearers of $25 tickets.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.25 Jul 2015, 1:57 PM PST0

According to a recent AP-GFK poll, support for gay marriage among U.S. citizens has dropped six percentage points since their last poll in April, with more Americans disapproving of the Supreme Court ruling making gay marriage the law of the land than those approving it.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.19 Jul 2015, 8:08 AM PST0

Provincial authorities in Zhejiang have confiscated the official seal of the local Christian Council, which is necessary to issue valid official documents, after the council released a statement earlier this month criticizing the government campaign to remove church crosses.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.18 Jul 2015, 11:30 AM PST0

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram and in sectarian violence in the Middle Belt during the past two months, and emphasizes the intensification of Boko Haram attacks since the start of Ramadan. “The July 20 meeting in Washington D.C. between President Barack Obama and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari offers both nations the opportunity to reinvigorate their commitment to, and develop initiatives that would, help curb both types of violence,” the statement says.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.18 Jul 2015, 10:43 AM PST0

In what some are decrying as another blow to religious freedom in America, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Little Sisters of the Poor must comply with the HHS mandate that requires their health insurance carriers to subsidize contraceptive and some abortion services for employees or face onerous fines from the IRS.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.15 Jul 2015, 11:49 AM PST0

Gov. Beshear told county clerk Casey Davis Thursday that he should issue same-sex marriage licenses or resign, reports Kentucky.com. Davis said he is refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because same-sex marriage is against his religious beliefs, and he is also refusing to resign his post.
by Dr. Susan Berry9 Jul 2015, 2:16 PM PST0

The Communist government of Shanghai has mandated that Catholic priests and nuns of the diocese undergo “reeducation” classes on the central theme of the National Congress of the Communist Party.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.9 Jul 2015, 10:11 AM PST0

Actress Candace Cameron-Bure shocked the panel of The View Tuesday, when she vigorously defended the Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, who refused to make a cake for a gay wedding and were subsequently served a $135,000 fine and a gag order.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.9 Jul 2015, 9:10 AM PST0

A Wisconsin atheist group called the Freedom from Religion Foundation has sued the government to have a World War II memorial affectionately known as “Big Mountain Jesus” removed from a Montana ski slope, insisting that the monument signifies an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by the Forest Service.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.8 Jul 2015, 12:15 PM PST0

Gov. Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas is acting to protect clergy and religious organizations from punishment for refusing to recognize or provide services for same-sex marriages.
by Dr. Susan Berry8 Jul 2015, 7:20 AM PST0

Kelly Shackelford’s debate with Evan Wolfson on Fox News Sunday highlights the battle lines for religious liberty in America now that the Supreme Court has grossly overstepped its authority by declaring gay marriage a constitutional right. This war will center on whether religious liberty extends to how you earn your living, get an education, and run a business.
by Ken Blackwell6 Jul 2015, 12:15 PM PST0

No same-sex marriage licenses are being issued in Decatur County, Tennessee, because the entire county clerk’s office has resigned following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
by Dr. Susan Berry3 Jul 2015, 8:42 AM PST0

Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian upheld a preliminary finding that sentenced Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Christian bakers who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, to a fine of $135,000 in emotional damages to the homosexual couple they denied service, but also added a new provision forbidding them to speak about their unwillingness to serve a gay marriage.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.3 Jul 2015, 7:53 AM PST0

In an interview with Kentucky television station WDRB, McConnell said that while he has “always felt that marriage is between one man and one woman,” the Supreme Court has ruled otherwise. “That’s the law of the land,” he said.
by Dr. Susan Berry2 Jul 2015, 7:14 AM PST0

Louisiana Governor and Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal declared “I think the left wants to take God out of the public square” on Wednesday’s “O’Reilly Factor” on the Fox News Channel Jindal said the ACLU “used to be for religious
by Ian Hanchett1 Jul 2015, 8:58 PM PST0

The ACLU — whose stated mission was once “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States” — now states that while the organization supported the RFRA when it was passed, “we can no longer support the law in its current form” because “it is now often used as a sword to discriminate against women, gay and transgender people and others.”
by Dr. Susan Berry30 Jun 2015, 4:37 PM PST0

“Their hypocrisy is absolutely stunning,” Jindal said when asked about how the ACLU’s website, and their legal argument history, is filled with defenses of religious liberty.
by Matthew Boyle30 Jun 2015, 4:15 PM PST0

The Washington Post observes that because “real money” is involved in legal marriage, the ruling could cause religious schools that ban homosexual relationships and cohabitation to suffer “in a big way” with the loss of tax-exempt status and accreditation.
by Dr. Susan Berry28 Jun 2015, 2:02 PM PST0

A new article by veteran reporter John L. Allen blasts John Kerry and the State Department for radically discounting Christian persecution its recent Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.28 Jun 2015, 1:34 PM PST0

Pro-family groups throughout the nation are condemning the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
by Dr. Susan Berry26 Jun 2015, 11:12 AM PST0

In April of 2009, the Connecticut state legislature amended a law to codify same-sex marriage to read that churches and religious groups cannot be forced “to provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges” to a same-sex marriage, or be forced to “provide adoption, foster care or social services” to a same-sex marriage.
by Dr. Susan Berry22 Jun 2015, 7:40 AM PST0

Newly elected Chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Robert P. George, said Thursday that religious liberty is “a key element in the quest for regional and global security.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.12 Jun 2015, 11:17 AM PST0

In his one-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina Saturday, Pope Francis held up Sarajevo as an example for the whole world of peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Moslems, who for centuries maintained their distinct cultures and beliefs yet lived together in harmony.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.6 Jun 2015, 11:06 AM PST0

The Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of Samantha Elauf, a Muslim woman who sued for discrimination after not being hired by Abercrombie & Fitch, because her insistence on wearing the Muslim hijab conflicted with their dress code.
by Pamela Geller2 Jun 2015, 8:41 AM PST0