Tag: Religious Rights

After Heated Debate, House Lawmakers Pass Legislation Shielding Teachers from Civil Liability over ‘Preferred Pronoun’ Use

TC Weber

A law protecting Tennessee teachers from civil liability if they fail to use a student’s preferred pronouns, is heading to the governor’s desk for his signature. The law extends protection to all employees of a public school, as well.

The proposed law comes at a time when discussions around transgender issues have moved to the forefront. Supporters say the bill does nothing but protect the First Amendment rights of teachers. While critics argue that the bill is part of a trio of anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the Tennessee legislature this session. The first, regulated public drag shows across the state, while the other banned some gender-related medical procedures for minors. Those same critics often neglect to acknowledge that those procedures and drugs, physiologically alter the young person’s body, often irreversibly.

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Supreme Court Decision Claims Minnesota County Officials Bullied Amish Over Religious Beliefs

Peter D'Abrosca

The Supreme Court recently decided in favor of a Fillmore County Amish community after the county attempted to force the Amish to violate their religious beliefs by installing a septic system, after a lower court had previously ruled in favor of the county and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 

According to the Court’s decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the county engaged in bullying tactics in an attempt to get the Swartzentruber Amish community to agree to its terms. Those tactics included “threats of reprisals and inspections of their homes and farms” and attacks on “the sincerity of the Amish’s faith.”

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US Supreme Court Denies Nevada Church’s Appeal of Virus Rule

The Associated Press

A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church’s request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court refused to grant the request from the Christian church east of Reno to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada that allow casinos, restaurants and other businesses to operate at 50% of capacity with proper social distancing.

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Trump Defends Clinicians’ Right to Refuse to Do Abortions

Admin

  The Trump administration on Thursday moved to protect the rights of clinicians who object to participating in abortions with a regulation intended to safeguard those with religious and moral objections. President Donald Trump made the announcement during a speech in the White House Rose Garden to mark the National Day of Prayer. “Just today we finalized new protections of conscience rights for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, teachers, students and faith-based charities,” Trump said. “They’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” The conscience rule was a priority for religious conservatives who are a key part of Trump’s political base, but some critics fear it will become a pretext for denying medical care to LGBT people. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the rule requires hospitals, universities, clinics and other institutions that receive funding from federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to certify that they comply with some 25 federal laws protecting conscience and religious rights. Most of these laws and provisions address medical procedures such as abortion, sterilization and assisted suicide. Clinicians and institutions would not have to provide, participate in, pay for, cover or make referrals for procedures they object to on moral…

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