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Religious Liberty, LGBTQ+ Neal Hardin Religious Liberty, LGBTQ+ Neal Hardin

SHOULD CHRISTIANS SUPPORT FAIRNESS FOR ALL?

For several years, LGBTQ advocates have tried to get the Equality Act passed through Congress. This would amend numerous pieces of legislation to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. It also prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a legal defense if someone were to allege discrimination. Conversely, defenders of religious liberty rights have sought to strengthen the rights of individuals to act according to their conscience.

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Religious Liberty Neal Hardin Religious Liberty Neal Hardin

FREE SPEECH, CENSORSHIP, AND THE BIBLE

Many social media platforms have suspended or banned accounts related to Donald Trump. Likewise, Amazon Web Services, Google, and Apple severed ties with Parler, a social media platform dedicated to free speech. Many Christians and conservatives have declared these actions to be an assault on free speech. How should Christians think about free speech and censorship? What does the Bible say about it?

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Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The Montana legislature created a scholarship fund used to help low income families attend private schools. People could donate to it in exchange for a tax credit up to $150. Following this, the Montana Department of Revenue created a rule which prohibited these scholarships from being used by parents at religious schools. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that this limitation was unconstitutional. The government cannot limit the access of religious institutions or schools to funds made generally available to everyone simply because they are religious.

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Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

In 2017, the Health and Human Services Department under the Trump administration expanded exceptions to mandatory contraceptive coverage to include other organizations which held religious or moral objections to contraception. This was challenged by the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and was argued before the Supreme Court. On July 8, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Little Sisters of the Poor.

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Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin Religious Liberty, Supreme Court Neal Hardin

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND DISCRIMINATION

Our Lady of Guadalupe School and St. James School are both Catholic primary schools which seek to operate in a manner consistent with the Catholic faith and give the children in their care a faith-based education. In a 7-2 majority, the Supreme Court in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru upheld that the government should not interfere in the hiring and firing practices of teachers at these private religious institutions.

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