'Shouldn’t have picked this fight': 5 reactions to Supreme Court's unanimous Catholic charity ruling

3. John Bursch

Alliance Defending Freedom Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch speaking outside of the U.S. Supreme Court after his oral argument on behalf of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes on Oct. 8, 2019.
Alliance Defending Freedom Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch speaking outside of the U.S. Supreme Court after his oral argument on behalf of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes on Oct. 8, 2019. | Courtesy of Alliance Defending Freedom

John Bursch, senior counsel and vice president of Appellate Advocacy at the Alliance Defending Freedom, whose organization filed an amicus brief on behalf of Catholic Charities Bureau, said the government "has no business second-guessing the way a faith organization lives out its ministry."

"When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it unconstitutionally entangles church and state — at the expense of ministries that live out their faith, at least in part, through serving their communities," said Bursch in a statement.

"The U.S. Supreme Court rightly struck down the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling that would have allowed government officials to inevitably favor religious views and activities they are familiar with, while excluding those that are either unfamiliar or disfavored."

Bursch believes that religious charities that "aid a diverse range of people outside their congregations are still engaged in religious activity, and we applaud the court for upholding these core First Amendment freedoms unanimously."

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