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Articles on Religious freedom

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Some church members have no problem wearing masks; others say it’s an unconstitutional mandate. Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from mask mandates

A Florida minister and a conservative lawmaker filed suit against a county law mandating mask wearing, saying it violates the freedom of religion. A constitutional law professor says they’re wrong.
An LGBTQ rights supporter sets up outside the Supreme Court. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Devil in the detail of SCOTUS ruling on workplace bias puts LGBTQ rights and religious freedom on collision course

Both sides of the debate over religious freedoms and LGBTQ rights use the language of equality and opposition to discrimination. It will be up to the courts to decide whose claim is stronger.
A worker from Sanctuary, a Christian charitable organization, tends to homeless people in their tents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on April 28, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Why religious freedom stokes coronavirus protests in the U.S., but not Canada

Canadian and American religious groups are responding very differently to coronavirus public health measures. Why? In Canada, health care is more widely regarded as a public good and a right.
The Satanic Temple unveils a statue of Baphomet, a winged-goat creature, at a rally for the First Amendment in Little Rock, Arkansas, in August 2018. AP Photo/Hannah Grabenstein

What The Satanic Temple is and why it’s opening a debate about religion

A group known as The Satanic Temple was started with the political goal of advocating for the value of church-state separation. This group is now challenging the traditional definition of religion.
Dilbar Ali Ravu, 10, is kissed by his aunt, Dalal Ravu, as Yazidi children are reunited with their families in Iraq after five years of captivity with the Islamic State group, March 2, 2019. AP Photo/Philip Issa, File

5 years after Islamic State massacre, an Iraqi minority is transformed by trauma

Interviews with the Yazidi survivors of IS attacks that killed 3,100 people in 2014 reveal the emotional, cultural and spiritual scars of religious persecution.
A mother hugs her son at the memorial of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2019, the first anniversary of the shooting at the synagogue. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

How American anti-Semitism reflects the centuries-long struggle over the meaning of religious liberty

The US Constitution is supposed to protect freedom of religion. But in the 20th century, white Christian nationalists used this ideal to discriminate against Jews and justify their exclusion.
The Supreme Court ruled that baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, could refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs. AP/David Zalubowski)

Christianity at the Supreme Court: From majority power to minority rights

There’s been a reversal of power between religious and secular sides of American culture. The Supreme Court is now at the center of that shift.
The data show no evidence of local anti-Semitism or Islamophobia – but this does not mean that hate towards minority religious groups does not exist in New Zealand. AAP/Mick Tsikas

New survey reveals which religions New Zealanders trust most – and least – after Christchurch shootings

A survey of New Zealanders’ attitudes towards religious groups, taken after the Christchurch mosque shootings, shows they trust Buddhists most and Evangelicals least.
As the debate over religious freedom heats up, the attorney-general has flagged that any proposed legislation would cover a situation like the Folau case. Peter Rae/AAP

Poll reveals lukewarm public support for religious freedom legislation

Less than four in ten Australians believe stronger laws are needed to protect religious freedom in a new poll, but 68% say Israel Folau should be able to share his views on social media.
Father Frank Brennan sat on the expert panel of the Religious Freedom Review. Alan Porritt/AAP

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Father Frank Brennan on Israel Folau and religious freedom

Father Frank Brennan on Israel Folau and religious freedom The Conversation, CC BY38.6 MB (download)
Member of the government's Religious Freedom Review, Frank Brennan, discusses the way forward on the "wicked problem" of ensuring religious freedoms in Australia.

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