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Three-judge panel rules unanimously that customer service roles fall under “ministerial exception” to anti-discrimination laws A federal appeals court on August 5 ruled that World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, acted within its constitutional rights when it withdrew a job offer to Aubry McMahon, a woman in a same-sex marriage, after learning of her marital... The post Ninth Circuit Sides with World Vision, Rules Religious Employer Can Deny Job to Woman in Same-Sex Marriage appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The 1990 Smith decision curtailed religious liberty claims, but later rulings have expanded the Free Exercise Clause beyond its original scope When the Supreme Court decided Employment Division v. Smith in 1990, it marked one of the sharpest contractions of the Free Exercise Clause in American history. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia hel…... The post Free Exercise Rights Are Expanding — and the Establishment Clause Is Cracking appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

One of my favorite quotes by DR Dobson, "If your child is looking for a fight, don't disappoint him". More "What is the biggest obstacle facing the family right now? It is over-commitment; time pressure. There is nothing that will destroy family life more insidiously than hectic schedules and busy lives, where spouses are too exhausted to communicate, too worn out to have sex, too fatigued to talk to the kids. That frantic lifestyle is just as destructive as one involving outbroken sin. If Satan can't make you sin, he'll make you busy, and that's just about the same thing." ~ James Dobson "One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless." ~ James Dobson "My legacy doesn't matter. It isn't important that I be remembered. It's important that when I stand before the Lord, he says, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' I want to finish strong." ~ James Dobson "A child identifies his parents with God, whether or not the adults want that role. Most children 'see' God the way they perceive their earthly fathers." ~ James Dobson "Can't you see the Creator of the universe, who understands every secret, every mystery, sitting patiently and listening to a four-year-old talk to Him? That's a beautiful image of a father." ~ James Dobson "Children represent God's most generous gift to us." ~ James Dobson "By learning to yield to the loving authority of his parents, a child learns to submit to other forms of authority which will confront him later in his life — his teachers, school principal, police, neighbors and employers." ~ James Dobson "A boy or girl who knows that love abounds at home will not resent well-deserved punishment. One who is unloved or ignored will hate any form of discipline." ~ James Dobson "When these parenting years have passed, something precious will have flickered and gone out of my life. Thus, I am resolved to enjoy every day that remains in this fathering era." ~ James Dobson

In September 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed a lawsuit brought by dozens of former New York City employees who had refused to comply with the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Now on appeal, the case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit combines questions of... The post NYC Vaccine Mandate Appeal Challenges OSHA Preemption and Alleged Judicial Conflict appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

On August 14, 2025, Mobile County deputies arrested Pastor Robert Michael Wagley of the St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church on three counts of intimidating a witness. According to jail records and witness accounts, several church members who had assisted law enforcement in a separate criminal investigation were subsequently stripped of their church duties and escorted... The post Alabama Pastor Arrested for Witness Intimidation in Sex Offender Case Involving Church Volunteer appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Written rules ease pastoral burdens and protect congregations from confusion A pastor facing a request to endorse a candidate or handle the presence of a known sex offender is caught in the middle of competing pressures. Congregants may expect one response, the law may require another, and personal instincts may pull in yet another direction.... The post Why Churches Should Adopt Clear Policies Before Crises Arise appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

by Michael Peabody, Esq. When an Alabama pastor was arrested last week on three counts of witness intimidation, the details raised immediate concern among churchgoers and legal observers alike. According to authorities, several members of the congregation had reported that a registered sex offender was working near minors and holding responsibilities at the church. Those... The post Opinion: An Ethics Hotline Could Prevent the Next Pastoral Crisis appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The case involving the arrest of the pastor of St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to stir conflicting accounts within the congregation. On August 14, the pastor was taken into custody and charged with three counts of witness intimidation. Witnesses had told deputies that church members lost responsibilities and were escorted from the property after... The post Update: Disputed Accounts at St. Elmo appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Fifth Circuit reviews punishment retrial where Satanism affiliation was introduced by prosecutors. When Irving Alvin Davis was sentenced to death in Texas for the 2002 rape and murder of 15-year-old Melissa Medina, the brutality of the crime itself was not in dispute. Medina was sexually assaulted, strangled, and dismembered. Davis later admitted he killed her... The post Death Row Case Raises Question: Can Belief Alone Be Evidence of Future Danger? appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

On August 20, 2025, a federal judge in San Antonio issued an order granting a preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 10, a law requiring public schools to display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom . The case, brought by parents and religious leaders of various faiths, challenged the statute under... The post Federal Court Blocks Texas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public Schools appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Court allows nondiscrimination rules for state-funded youth work but blocks enforcement on unfunded initiatives. Analysis below. On August 18, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a decision in Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams, a case testing the boundaries between government grant rules and religious freedom . Youth 71Five Ministries is a nonprofit... The post Ninth Circuit Says Oregon Can Deny Grants to Christian Ministry Over Hiring Policy, But Not Control Its Private Programs appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Once lifted as a hymn of surrender, the phrase now often echoes in public as a rallying cry, raising questions about how its meaning is being carried. Three words, ancient and unshakable: “Christ is King.” Christians have whispered them in prayer, sung them in worship, and leaned on them in times of joy and sorrow.... The post The Cross or the Crown? Wrestling with the Words “Christ Is King” appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Thanks for reading! Please share, subscribe, like, and comment. It really helps. Share ReligiousLiberty.TV In Oyster Bay, New York, an elderly woman worried about parking became a central character in a local controversy. According to town officials, she had spoken out against a proposed mosque in Bethpage, voicing fears about traffic and neighborhood disruption. Her... The post The Imaginary Grandma, the Real Mosque, and the Law That Keeps Religion Equal appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Please subscribe, comment, like, and share. Subscribe now Attendees in Montreal were met with confusion and heightened security in July 2025 when multiple planned concerts by American worship singer Sean Feucht were abruptly canceled by authorities. Parks Canada and various municipalities revoked permits for six events across Eastern Canada, citing safety and concerns following a... The post Sean Feucht’s Concert Cancellations in Canada Ignite Legal Battle Over Free Speech and Religious Liberty (VIDEO LINKS) appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

California’s AB 495, billed as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act,” would let any adult with a “mentoring relationship” obtain legal authority over a child through a simple affidavit, bypassing court oversight and parental consent. Critics say the bill opens doors to kidnapping and medical decisions without parents’ knowledge. The measure also seals new joint-guardianship court... The post Emergency Caregiver Plan or “Kidnapper’s Dream”? Debate Intensifies on California AB 495 appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Judge rules Colorado’s SB 23-190 violates Free Exercise Clause in case brought by Catholic clinic Bella Health On August 1, 2025, a federal judge permanently barred Colorado officials from enforcing a state law that effectively prohibited “abortion pill reversal” treatment against a Catholic health provider, ruling that the law infringed on religious liberty rights protected... The post Federal Court Blocks Colorado Law Restricting “Abortion Pill Reversal” for Religious Medical Providers appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

This is a two-part article. The first part deals with the distinction between “church members” and those with corporate standing. The second part is about the need for denominations to secure asset control from the outset. Get more from ReligiousLiberty.TV in the Substack app Available for iOS and Android Get the app In a ruling... The post Tithes Without Title: Congregants Lose Bid to Challenge Church Split appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

When a court issues a decision, the clock starts ticking. In the hours that follow, attorneys dissect the holdings, journalists race to publish interpretations, and advocacy groups seek to translate the legalese into public messaging. Yet the underlying task, understanding what the court actually said, remains as essential as ever. Artificial intelligen… Read more The post Making Sense of Court Rulings: Why AI Is Just the Latest Tool, Not the Final Word appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Ruling denies dismissal motion and blocks state charges against entheogenic church leader On August 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish ruled in favor of a Utah-based entheogenic church, denying state and city officials’ motion to dismiss and issuing an anti-suit injunction that blocks the state’s ongoing criminal prosecution against its founder. The decision... The post Federal Judge Halts Utah Psilocybin Prosecution in Landmark Religious Freedom Case appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Ruling cites “clear constitutional violation” as state plans further appeal In a decision issued August 4, 2025, a federal judge blocked enforcement of Arkansas Act 573, a new law requiring every public school classroom in the state to prominently display the Ten Commandments. The ruling granted a preliminary injunction requested by a coalition of parents... The post Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public Classrooms appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

What a Trade Principle Is Doing in Church-State Law—and Why It’s Creating New Legal Tensions In recent years, a once-obscure idea has quietly reshaped the legal landscape of religious liberty. Known as the “most favored nation” (MFN) theory, this concept has become a central part of how courts determine whether the government is treating religious... The post The Double Edge of Religious Liberty: How the “Most Favored Nation” Theory Cuts Both Ways appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

By Michael Peabody Don’t settle for stone when you’ve been given a Savior. The push to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom doesn’t come from a place of malice. It comes from people who care. I know some of them. They pray over their schools. They weep for their children. They see the confusion,... The post The Law on the Wall, the Cross in the Heart appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Justice Department says Central District injunction hampers federal agents’ ability to enforce immigration laws On August 7, 2025, Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to halt a Central District of California court order that bars federal immigration agents from conducting detentive stops based solely on... The post Homeland Security Seeks Supreme Court Stay of Los Angeles Immigration Stop Restrictions appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Court rules Idaho public charter school not required to fund faith-based instructional materials TL;DR (“too long; didnt read”) summary: On August 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill dismissed a lawsuit by Chris and Nicole Trakel against Idaho Superintendent Debbie Critchfield. The Trakels claimed the Idaho Home Learning Academy violated their First Amendment rights... The post Federal Judge Dismisses Parents’ First Amendment Lawsuit Over Religious Curriculum Reimbursement appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Jewish students at George Washington University say they were threatened, harassed, and forced to flee campus spaces last spring. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice agrees — concluding that the university failed to act on reports of antisemitic abuse in what the government calls a “deliberate indifference” to civil rights violations. In an August 12,... The post Justice Department: GWU Failed to Protect Jewish Students From Antisemitic Abuse appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

By Michael Peabody, Esq. A walk through Washington, D.C., can stir something uniquely American. Beneath the shadows of monuments and along the edges of the National Mall, a quiet but persistent idea takes hold. The child standing in front of the White House is not excluded from imagining themselves inside it. They are not barred... The post The Reformation’s Democratic Legacy appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

On August 14, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversed a Minnesota federal judge’s denial of a preliminary injunction and ordered the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC) to reinstate the “Quest for Authentic Manhood” program at the Minnesota Correctional Facility–St. Cloud, pending full resolution of the case. What This Means (Plain... The post Eighth Circuit Orders Minnesota Prison to Reinstate Bible-Based Masculinity Program Pending Trial appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The Gospel accounts of Jesus cleansing the temple are often read as a burst of righteous anger, a prophet’s visceral response to commerce crowding out prayer. That reading is not wrong, but it is incomplete. A legal and economic lens clarifies the moment. When Jesus scatters coins and overturns tables, he is not staging a... The post “Declaring Bankruptcy” in the Temple: Broken Tables, Roman Law, and the Church–State Ledger appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The 1990 Smith decision curtailed religious liberty claims, but later rulings have expanded the Free Exercise Clause beyond its original scope When the Supreme Court decided Employment Division v. Smith in 1990, it marked one of the sharpest contractions of the Free Exercise Clause in American history. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia held... The post Free Exercise Rights Are Expanding — and the Establishment Clause Is Cracking appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

By Michael Peabody Don’t settle for stone when you’ve been given a Savior. The push to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom doesn’t come from a place of malice. It comes from people who care. I know some of them. They pray over their schools. They weep for their children. They see the confusion,... The post The Law on the Wall, the Cross in the Heart appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

What a Trade Principle Is Doing in Church-State Law—and Why It’s Creating New Legal Tensions In recent years, a once-obscure idea has quietly reshaped the legal landscape of religious liberty. Known as the “most favored nation” (MFN) theory, this concept has become a central part of how courts determine whether the government is treating religious... The post The Double Edge of Religious Liberty: How the “Most Favored Nation” Theory Cuts Both Ways appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Ruling cites “clear constitutional violation” as state plans further appeal In a decision issued August 4, 2025, a federal judge blocked enforcement of Arkansas Act 573, a new law requiring every public school classroom in the state to prominently display the Ten Commandments. The ruling granted a preliminary injunction requested by a coalition of parents... The post Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public Classrooms appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Ruling denies dismissal motion and blocks state charges against entheogenic church leader On August 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish ruled in favor of a Utah-based entheogenic church, denying state and city officials’ motion to dismiss and issuing an anti-suit injunction that blocks the state’s ongoing criminal prosecution against its founder. The decision... The post Federal Judge Halts Utah Psilocybin Prosecution in Landmark Religious Freedom Case appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

When a court issues a decision, the clock starts ticking. In the hours that follow, attorneys dissect the holdings, journalists race to publish interpretations, and advocacy groups seek to translate the legalese into public messaging. Yet the underlying task, understanding what the court actually said, remains as essential as ever. Artificial intelligence has recently stepped... The post Making Sense of Court Rulings: Why AI Is Just the Latest Tool, Not the Final Word appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Three-judge panel rules unanimously that customer service roles fall under “ministerial exception” to anti-discrimination laws A federal appeals court on August 5 ruled that World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, acted within its constitutional rights when it withdrew a job offer to Aubry McMahon, a woman in a same-sex marriage, after learning of her marital... The post Ninth Circuit Sides with World Vision, Rules Religious Employer Can Deny Job to Woman in Same-Sex Marriage appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The decision provides a legal roadmap for how disputes within religious nonprofits are handled under California law, sharply distinguishing between spiritual participation and corporate governance. The post Tithes Without Title: Congregants Lose Bid to Challenge Church Split appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Judge rules Colorado’s SB 23-190 violates Free Exercise Clause in case brought by Catholic clinic Bella Health On August 1, 2025, a federal judge permanently barred Colorado officials from enforcing a state law that effectively prohibited “abortion pill reversal” treatment against a Catholic health provider, ruling that the law infringed on religious liberty rights protected... The post Federal Court Blocks Colorado Law Restricting “Abortion Pill Reversal” for Religious Medical Providers appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

California’s AB 495, billed as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act,” would let any adult with a “mentoring relationship” obtain legal authority over a child through a simple affidavit, bypassing court oversight and parental consent. Critics say the bill opens doors to kidnapping and medical decisions without parents’ knowledge. The measure also seals new joint-guardianship court... The post Emergency Caregiver Plan or “Kidnapper’s Dream”? Debate Intensifies on California AB 495 appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Attacks on Christian communities highlight escalating violence amid wider farmer-herder conflict In the early hours of June 13, 2025, heavily armed Fulani militants carried out a coordinated assault on the village of Yelwata in Guma County, Benue State, slaughtering over 200 Christian residents as they slept at a Catholic mission and marketplace . The massacre... The post Fulani Jihadists Kill Over 200 Christians in Benue State, Nigeria appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Disruptions, protest actions, and a looming court fight put Canadian free speech and religious liberty laws under scrutiny. The post Sean Feucht’s Concert Cancellations in Canada Ignite Legal Battle Over Free Speech and Religious Liberty (VIDEO LINKS) appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

What a fake neighbor in Oyster Bay reveals about how discrimination hides in zoning codes The post The Imaginary Grandma, the Real Mosque, and the Law That Keeps Religion Equal appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

When spiritual convictions clash with bureaucratic ID rules, faith can stretch a long way The post Passport Paradox Tests Limits of Undefined Faith appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Fifteen-year injunction mandates equal access after lawsuit alleging religious discrimination during campus protests In a consent judgment issued July 29, 2025, a federal court permanently barred UCLA officials from permitting the exclusion of Jewish students, faculty, or staff from any ordinarily available campus area, program, or activity, marking the conclusion of a lawsuit brought by... The post University of California Settles Lawsuit with Jewish Students, Agrees to Court-Enforced Protections appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Complaint alleges religious discrimination and unequal treatment under federal and Tennessee law In a newly filed federal lawsuit, the Bartlett Muslim Society accuses the City of Bartlett, Tennessee of religious discrimination after the city rejected the group’s application to build a mosque despite its compliance with zoning regulations and a city-requested traffic study that found... The post Tennessee Muslim Organization Challenges Denial of Mosque Permit in Federal Court appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

The following article suggests that today the voices of religious liberty are often silent. https://atoday.org/the-embarrassing-silence-of-religious-liberty-leaders/

New guidance from OPM allows federal employees to display religious items, pray in groups, and discuss faith, with few restrictions. A Veterans Affairs doctor may now pray with patients, and a park ranger may lead public prayer during a tour—according to newly issued federal guidance aimed at protecting religious expression across the government workforce. On... The post White House Orders Federal Agencies to Protect Religious Expression in the Workplace appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

From secret sunlight-dimming tests to radar-like Wi‑Fi tracking and AI-guided drones, emerging technologies pose novel challenges to privacy, human rights, and global norms. In 2024, a pilot solar geoengineering experiment off San Francisco tested spraying salt particles into the air from a decommissioned aircraft carrier to brighten marine clouds and reflect sunlight. The experiment, part... The post Digital Shadows and Engineered Skies: The Systems You Were Never Meant to Notice appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Ruling allows secular organizations to claim religious exemptions—raising concerns over future legal carveouts and regulatory avoidance Safehouse, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit formed to combat opioid overdoses, planned to open a facility where individuals could engage in supervised illegal drug use. The model, often described as harm reduction, would allow people to bring their own illegal drugs... The post Court Expands Religious Rights to Non-Religious Entity in Safehouse Ruling appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

When Conscience Clashes with Compliance: Can Personal Beliefs Win Constitutional Protection? The post Supreme Court Petitions Ask Whether Personal Moral Beliefs Deserve Equal Protection as Religious Faith appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article