Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a number of challenges to religious liberty. In recent days, there have been several major developments related to religious freedom on both the domestic and international fronts. Below we’ve highlighted three very positive developments spanning from Canada to Scotland to Washington, D.C. Pastor James Coates released …
Continue...A right unenforced is hardly a right at all. Federal law, through the Weldon Amendment and other provisions, has long protected the conscience rights of all Americans. And yet, because the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under previous administrations refused to enforce the Weldon Amendment in several cases involving medical professionals, these Americans …
Continue...Overview The Equality Act would curtail religious freedom protections, violate the consciences of pro-life healthcare professionals and faith-based hospitals, undermine civil rights protections for women and girls, and ultimately overrule the consciences of millions of Americans. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The ERLC is …
Continue...Today, March 17, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on H.R. 5, the Equality Act and the ERLC submitted written testimony for the hearing’s official public record. This legislation seeks to expand the definition of “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” (SOGI) by revising every title of the Civil Rights Act of …
Continue...Last month, H.R. 5, the Equality Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 224-206, with all Democrats and three Republicans voting in favor of the legislation. The legislation seeks to expand the definition of “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” (SOGI) and would revise every title of the Civil …
Continue...In a recent case, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously against Gordon College, a non-denominational Christian school in the state of Massachusetts, about whether it can be sued by a former professor for employment discrimination. Margaret DeWeese-Boyd, a former professor of social work claims she was “denied tenure . . . because of her …
Continue...On Friday, President Joe Biden removed the general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an action seen by many as controversial. Sharon Gustafson was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018 to serve as the agency’s top litigator through 2023. She recently sent a letter to President Biden on March 5 declining …
Continue...On Tuesday of this week, James Coates, the pastor of GraceLife Church outside the city of Edmonton, turned himself in to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after violating public health restrictions related to COVID-19. According to the RCMP, Coates was arrested and charged “with two counts of contravention of the Public Health Act (PHA) …
Continue...This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule that would ensure that a broad array of child welfare providers will be able to serve vulnerable children while living out their deeply held religious beliefs. The finalization of this rule is welcome news and will protect these providers’ freedom to …
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 …
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