Church State

A New Jersey judge has recently ruled that a Christian organization must perform same-sex ceremonies on its property despite its views regarding the practice.

Judge Solomon A. Metzger of the Office of Administrative Law ruled last Thursday that Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association violated state anti-discrimination laws when it did not allow a lesbian couple to use its boardwalk pavilion in 2007.

Jim Campbell, Alliance Defense Fund litigation staff counsel who represented the OGCMA, told CP that he “disagrees with the judge's recommended decision.” more >>

A Christian youth evangelist expressed disappointment over the outcome of a lawsuit between the Chesterfield County School District and the American Civil Liberties Union in regards to a religious rally held on school grounds last year.

The ACLU said on Friday that a settlement had been reached between the two, with the school district promising not to promote religion while also agreeing to submit a consent order to a federal judge in Florence, The Associated Press reported.

“I hate that everything happened the way it did,” Christian Chapman told The Christian Post in a phone interview, frustrated by the controversy that followed New Heights Middle School’s rally last September, where he and Christian rapper B-SHOC were invited to speak and perform at the school. more >>

There is great cause for rejoicing today in our nation because of a tremendous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding its affirmation of both the Establishment and the Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.

The court’s opinion in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission emphasizes what all 12 Federal Appeals Courts have said at various times previously about “ministerial exception,” and now underscores it with an exclamation point with a unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court decision, a rarity these days on a deeply philosophically split court.

The case in question centered on a former teacher who claimed her dismissal from a church school, which is affiliated with the Missouri Synod Lutherans, was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. more >>

A 16-year-old Rhode Island girl and self-described atheist has won a legal battle against her high school over a prayer banner displayed on campus, with a federal court ruling Wednesday that the Christian mural, erected more than 50 years ago, has to be removed.

The banner’s removal is a reflection of "what true American values are," said Jessica Ahlquist, who attends Cranston High School West in Cranston. The teen insisted that the banner had no place in the high school and church and state had to remain separate.

"When I saw it there, I knew it didn't belong," Ahlquist told reporters, according to The Associated Press. "And every time that I saw it, it was a reminder that my school wasn't doing the right thing and that my school didn't necessarily support me and my views." more >>

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum discussed the role of religion in the public square in an October 2010 interview that was lost, but now is found.

Timothy Dalrymple, evangelical portal editor for Patheos.com, conducted the interview, but when his hard drive became damaged, he thought it was lost. Providentially, he was able to recover the recording of Santorum's interview just as it became more relevant.

Santorum has become the subject of much media attention after his surprising near-win in the Jan. 2 Iowa caucus. Much of that attention has revolved around Santorum's devout Catholic faith and how that faith would influence him as president. more >>

In a surprise decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, justices ruled in favor of church authority Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling and concluding that the federal government should not intervene in the hiring and firing practices of churches.

In one of the most important religious cases disputed in years, also having separation of church and state implications, the high court accepted what is known as a "ministerial exception" to the employment discrimination laws.

The ministerial exception allows religious entities to give preference in employment to individuals of a particular religion or require that employees confirm the organization's religious tenants. It also bars the federal government from examining employment decisions by religious groups for employees with religious duties, such as pastors or ministry leaders. more >>