Contents tagged with religious liberties
Filed in: Free Speech | by CeCe Heil | 2:05 PM Mar. 22, 2013
Defending Middle School Student’s Right to Openly Wear a Rosary
We recently assisted a middle school student in Texas, and his mother, who requested our help to ensure that the student is able to keep openly wearing his rosary while he is at school. The student has worn a rosary to school to symbolize and express his Christian faith, which has grown especially important to him during his continuing fight against cancer that has appeared in his throat and lungs. On multiple occasions, however, teachers and administrators told him to remove or hide his rosary... Continue Reading
Filed in: ObamaCare | by Edward White | 12:46 PM Feb. 1, 2013
Court Allows Catholic Diocese’s Lawsuit to Proceed Against the HHS Mandate
There are now forty-four lawsuits challenging the HHS Mandate, which requires most employers, under pain of penalty, to pay for employee health insurance that covers contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and related education and counseling. The American Center for Law & Justice is involved in close to half of those cases: to date we have filed four lawsuits against the Mandate and have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the plaintiffs in thirteen other cases. ... Continue Reading
Filed in: US Constitution | by Matthew Clark | 12:28 PM Dec. 6, 2012
2012: A Year of Victories for Life & Liberty
Together, through our attorneys and our members, the ACLJ has achieved significant victories this year. We have helped promote and defend pro-life laws. Our attorneys have worked with dozens of students and their parents to ensure that their religious liberties are protected and that the Bible is not banned in our schools. We have succeeded internationally: defending churches from false prosecution, helping achieve freedom for an imprisoned Pastor, and ensuring that false war crimes charges ag... Continue Reading
Filed in: United Nations | by Tiffany Barrans | 12:41 PM Aug. 3, 2011
United Nations Adopts the ECLJ’s Recommendations, Shari’a Law Restrictions Prohibited
We are happy to report that the United Nations Human Rights Committee adopted several recommendations by the European Center for Law & Justice (ECLJ) in its General Comment No. 34, which is the official interpretation of how countries should respect freedom of expression. The ECLJ’s recommendations can be found here. The ECLJ recommended, and the Human Rights Committee accepted, that no right exists to protect the reputation of an ideology, rather human rights belong to individuals. ... Continue Reading
Filed in: US Constitution | by Jay Sekulow | 12:00 AM Jun. 10, 2011
Congress: An Int'l Push to Protect Religious Freedom
As you know, the ACLJ - along with our international affiliates - remains committed to working to ensure that religious freedom is protected here and around the globe. We report regularly about the dangers facing Christians who are often persecuted - even put to death in some circumstances - because of their faith - Christians who live in countries where Christianity is a minority religion. That's exactly why we're focused on an important new bill before Congress, H.R. 1856, that protects fre... Continue Reading
Filed in: United Nations | by Jordan Sekulow | 12:00 AM Mar. 18, 2011
Christian faith at its best
Missionary Daniel Pye has called Haiti home for eight years, running an orphanage and distributing necessities the Haitian people desperately needed well before the earthquake of January 2010. Five months ago, in Jacmel, Daniel was arrested and falsely imprisoned without charge. He shared a 10 x 12 prison cell with twenty-four other men. Throughout the ordeal, Danielwas separated from his pregnant wife and daughter while experiencing all the inhumane horrors of a third world, post-natural disaster prison. But Danny is a free man today. Less than one week after the ACLJ became involved in his case, Danny was released from prison, just days before his wife is due to give birth to their second child. In October, Danny was involved in a property dispute that was quickly settled in civil court. After both parties reached an agreement in the case, the judge inexplicably ordered Dannys arrest. The reason for Dannys arrest? According to Haitian attorney Osner Fevry, who represented the Pyes... Continue Reading
Filed in: United Nations | by Jay Sekulow | 11:00 PM Jan. 31, 2011
Message to UN: Protect Religious Expression
The issue of human rights is at the center of the unrest in Egypt. And while the world is watching closely to see how this crisis unfolds, work continues at the United Nations where our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), has submitted an important document underscoring the need to protect human rights and religious freedom around the world. As you may know, for years now, we've provided the U.N. with the kind of expert analysis that protects the views and ... Continue Reading
Filed in: US Constitution | by Jay Sekulow | 11:00 PM Dec. 22, 2010
A Victory for Churches in Michigan
I'm pleased to report a victory in a zoning issue in one Township in Michigan that barred churches from locating in specific sections of the Township. We represent The Carpenter's House Church, which is located in Holly Township, about 40 miles north of Ann Arbor. Recently the Township amended its zoning ordinance to exclude places of worship from its C-2 Districts. The Church is located in a C-2 District. The new ordinance allowed as special uses in C-2 Districts "assemblies," such as movie theaters, and specifically excluded places of worship from the definition of assembly. So, a place of worship could not request a special use permit and was banned from the C-2 Districts. We sent a demand letter to the Township, threatening a federal lawsuit, since the ordinance violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In our demand letter, we argued that the Holly Township zoning code is unconstitutiona... Continue Reading
Filed in: School Prayer | by Jay Sekulow | 12:00 AM Oct. 15, 2010
Alabama Victory: Religious Freedom Protected on Campus
Michala, a public university student in Alabama, and her mother Marlene recently contacted us about a religious objection to a course requirement. We are glad to report that Michalas rights were respected with the ACLJs assistance. Michala is a Christian worship leader who has been writing and recording praise music and will soon release a CD. She also hosts an online prayer group called One Nation Under God. Michala is enrolled at a public university on a music scholarship, and was required to take a musical theatre class. One course requirement was to participate in a performance that included two songs that Michala strongly objected to on religious grounds, one that used Gods name in vain and one that declares that the Bible is not necessarily true. Michala raised her concerns with her professor and the department chair, requesting an accommodation due to her religious beliefs. She was told that she would need to take part in the performance, refuse to participate and fail the cou... Continue Reading
Filed in: School Prayer | by Jay Sekulow | 12:00 AM Oct. 8, 2010
1st Amendment Warning for CO School
It's an issue that just won't go away - religious expression of students in school. You'll remember the action we took for a New York middle school student who was disciplined for wearing a rosary to school. We had to go to federal court on that case and ultimately succeeded in protecting the constitutional rights of our client. And after the court's decision to grant a motion for a temporary restraining order, the school district ended its policy of preventing the wearing of rosaries to school. Now, we're focused on a case in Colorado - a middle school where we are defending the constitutional rights of our our 7th grade client, Cainan Gostnell. Here's what happened: About a week ago, Cainan became fearful when he heard an announcement over the school's public address system that all students wearing religious jewelry would either have to conceal it or remove it because some people in school are "offended" by the display. Cainan, a Christian, had been wearing a small cross o... Continue Reading