Written by Don ByrdA Jewish police officer’s Free Exercise rights were violated when he was fired by the New York Police Department for refusing to shave his beard in conformity with regulations. Fishel Litzman adheres to the Orthodox Jewish tradition that prohibits him from cutting his beard. While the NYPD provides religious accommodations to its grooming requirement, the apparently unwritten policy allows beards no longer than 1 millimeter. Litzman was denied an accommodation, and ultimately fired after he refused to shave.
In a ruling Friday, a trial court judge ruled the action violated Litzman’s religious freedom rights under the First Amendment.
Written by Don ByrdToday is the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a law that strengthened protections for a person’s religious exercise when substantially burdened by government action. The law passed thanks to an extraordinary coalition of diverse advocates for religious liberty, including the Baptist Joint Committee. To commemorate the 20-year history of RFRA, the BJC hosted a symposium at the Newseum last week. Video of that event is now online at the Newseum’s site here!
Written by Don ByrdThe Huffington Post pondered last week whether Supreme Court Justice Breyer might be an atheist, given a remark he made during the Court’s recent oral argument over the constitutionality of a city council’s opening prayer policy. Today they add to the discussion with a piece noting a split in public support for the idea of an atheist Supreme Court justice, according to a new poll. By 40-38 margin, Americans apparently would approve of the nomination of an atheist to the high court.
It’s nice to see that only 38% of Americans believe such a thing matters. The religion of a judge is clearly irrelevant to their effectiveness on the bench, even on matters relating to religion. We should be much more concerned about a nominee’s understanding of the relationship between church and state than their personal religious beliefs.
So what is the big deal about Justice Breyer?
Written by Don ByrdProposed legislation in Maine would make the state the 18th (or so, depending on how you count) in the nation to enact a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Such laws prohibit the state from burdening a person’s religious exercise unless a compelling government interest requires it. A federal law – which is 20 years old this year – similarly constrains the federal government.
Writing in the Bangor Daily News, bill sponsor David Burns defends the law against charges the law would undermine same-sex marriage. Instead, he says, the purpose is to roll back “attacks” on religion.
