By now the situation involving Pastor James Coates and GraceLife Church, which is just outside the city of Edmonton, has gained the attention of many evangelicals in both Canada and the United States. Back in February, Coates turned himself in to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after the church violated public health restrictions related …
Continue...In issuing pandemic restrictions, governors in several states have violated the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment by treating religious organizations less favorably than secular organizations. As the ERLC has repeatedly advocated in our engagements with governor’s offices and city halls around the country throughout this pandemic, churches must be treated the same as …
Continue...On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, a crucial religious liberty case whose outcome could determine the ability of faith-based foster care and adoption providers to continue serving consistent with their convictions. The ERLC filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the case in …
Continue...Today, Wednesday, November 4, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, a critical case on the fate of faith-based foster care and adoption providers and, most importantly, vulnerable kids in need of a safe and loving home, throughout the country. What is the case about? In …
Continue...Religious freedom is among the most precious things in existence. At its core it is both a theological and political proposition. Theologically, to defend religious freedom is to recognize that every person is accountable to God as an individual. No one has the right to decide who or how another person worships. Politically, to defend religious freedom is to recognize that the state has no role in determining what a person holds as ultimate.
Continue...Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcome Andrew Bunnell of Biblical Ministries Worldwide to the roundtable for a wide ranging conversation on religious freedom. The discussion covers various misconceptions about this freedom and how we can chart a path forward that advances the Kingdom of God and the common good of our neighbors in our country. …
Continue...As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, religious freedom issues have emerged in a number of places. The healthcare space is no exception to this rule. Thankfully, as has been the case in a number of other areas, as these issues have surfaced, the parties have worked together to find resolutions that allow health and safety …
Continue...Communist China’s stand against freedom is becoming increasingly aggressive with both the persecution of their own citizens and the forced changes in Hong Kong. Chelsea Patterson Sobolik and Travis Wussow welcome David Curry of Open Doors USA to the roundtable to discuss these recent developments and how it affects religious freedom in this part of …
Continue...On Tuesday, a federal judge in Las Vegas refused to grant an injunction to void Nevada’s 50-person attendance cap on all religious gatherings. Two churches, Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley and Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain, asked the court for an injunction claiming that the state’s COVID-19 restrictions on religious gatherings were unconstitutional. They also claimed that religious …
Continue...Since the COVID-19 pandemic began to disrupt life in the United States several months ago, governments across the country have taken aggressive action to combat the spread of the coronavirus and mitigate its effects. At various points over the last several weeks, it has become clear that some of these actions have needlessly imperiled religious …
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