Supreme Court Sets Oral Argument Date in Contraception Cases

Written by Don Byrd
SCOTUSblog reports the U.S. Supreme Court today released the oral argument calendar for late March and early April. Included in the calendar are high-profile religious cases, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties. The arguments will be heard Tuesday, March 25.

Satanists and the Spaghetti Monster: Is the Future of Government Religious Displays Now?

Written by Don Byrd
While we wait to find out if federal courts will find a Ten Commandments display at the Oklahoma Capitol constitutional or not, groups are lining up to include their own monuments alongside it if it is allowed. Most recently a group claiming to represent a “Satanic” church in New York has unveiled its proposed statue.

Meanwhile, in a story that strangely feels related to me, a newly elected New York Town Council member who claims to be a member of the farcical Pastafarian religion, whose deity is the Flying Spaghetti Monster, was sworn in wearing a colander on his head. He called it a “statement of religious freedom.”

Candy Cane Incident Raises Student Religous Expression Questions

Written by Don Byrd
How should public school officials protect the religious expression rights of young students while avoiding the appearance of endorsing those religious views and protecting other students from unwelcome proselytizing? Principals, teachers and school boards deal every year with such balancing obligations. When the solution includes refusing to allow the expression, students and their parents are understandably upset and often seek to enforce their rights through the court system. For reasons that escape me, apparently no form of expression causes more contention than candy canes with religious messages attached.

Little Sisters of the Poor Responds to Government

Written by Don Byrd
My last post looked at the government’s position in response to Justice Sotomayor’s New Year’s Eve temporary injunction, halting enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage mandate against the group. Now that they have filed a response, here is a brief look at their reaction to the arguments of the government.

At central issue to this dispute is a form, available to religious organizations, certifying their religious opposition to the mandate. As a part of the Obama Administration’s plan to accommodate religious organizations, this self-certification form exempts the group from the requirement to provide such coverage to employees. But according to the Sisters of the Poor, that is not all the form does.