Two of government’s obligations – enforcing child welfare laws and protecting the constitutional right to freedom of religious expression and practice – can clash when a parent chooses to rely on prayer and other spiritual healing practices instead of standard medical care to treat a child’s illness. When such a decision results in harm to […]
The bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report on May 2 that listed 11 “countries of particular concern” – countries whose governments have allowed or participated in violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. Although the commission did not list Iraq as one of the 11 countries, it said […]
Washington, D.C. In the Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation decision in June 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court made it more difficult for courts to enforce the Establishment Clause’s restrictions on government funding of religion. In Hein, the high court ruled that unless a legislative body has specifically directed funding to a religious organization or […]
Pew Research Center Washington, D.C. Just weeks before the Senate confirmation hearings of Judge Samuel A. Alito, President Bush’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, the Forum held a discussion for journalists and other policy leaders on the role of religion in the judicial confirmation process. The discussion featured Noah Feldman, a law professor at […]
National Press Club Washington, D.C. In late September 2005, Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District et al. went to trial in federal district court in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs challenged the decision of the Dover School Board requiring that public schools teach that intelligent design is an alternative theory to evolution. The plaintiffs alleged […]
2:00-3:30pm National Press Club Washington, D.C. Download legal backgrounder on Ten Commandments cases (154K .pdf) On March 2, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases that concern the placement of Ten Commandments displays on public property. The commandments controversy came to national prominence in 2003, when the chief justice of the Alabama […]
9:00 am-5:00 pm Chapel Hill, NC Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to provide the transcript from the Q&A of these panels. Session 1: History of the Blaine Amendments Session 2: Blaine Amendments and the First Amendment Session 3: Blaine Amendments: Current Litigation and Legislation Session One JASON KAY: My name is Jason […]
10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. Presenters: Fr. Bryan Hehir, President, Catholic Charities, USA; Distinguished Professor of Ethics and International Affairs, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Michael Walzer, Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J.; Author, Just and Unjust Wars and Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality Respondents: Charles Krauthammer, Columnist, Washington […]
Washington, D.C. Data presented by: Andrew Kohut, Director, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Discussants: Sulayman Nyang, Professor of African Studies, Howard University and Director, Muslims in American Public Square project Melissa Rogers, Executive Director, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Marshall Wittman, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute Alan Wolfe, Professor […]
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