An Abortion Clinic in Your Neighborhood

How many people know that there can be an abortion clinic in virtually every neighborhood? When we usually think of abortion clinics, we think of Planned Parenthood centers or abortionists’ operations, which usually center in poor and minority neighborhoods. But now, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration, there could be an abortion clinic wherever

Disrespect For Marriage and Religious Liberty

The Senate has now passed the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” – an Orwellian name if there ever was one. Not only does the bill disrespect real marriage, it also shows no respect for religious liberty. To understand why, we first have to ignore the gushy media reports about how this bill “enshrines gay marriage

Judicial Contempt for Religious Liberty

When judges take office, they must first take an oath to support the U.S. Constitution. New York state judges further swear that they will support the state constitution. These are solemn undertakings. But it is increasingly clear that some judges forswear their oaths and treat constitutional guarantees of religious liberty with contempt. There is no

The Inequality of the “Equality Amendment”

When does “equality” really mean “inequality”? When New York progressives put forward a proposed amendment to the state constitution called the “Equality Amendment”. Despite its idealistic name, the goal and result of this amendment would treat religious freedom as a second-class right. To understand this, we first need to take a step back and look

Why We Support Unpopular Religious Objections

Why do we defend religious liberty when the cause is unpopular?  When we disagree with it? When it makes us look bad in public opinion? Governments and employers are imposing COVID vaccine mandates, and some people are seeking religious exemptions. Popular opinion is strongly in favor of the mandates, and there is a lot of

The False and Dangerous Equality Act

George Orwell gave us the famous phrase that exposed the hypocrisy of totalitarian regimes: “some pigs are more equal than others.” He also gave us the term “newspeak” to describe the perversion of language so that truth is replaced by a lie. We can see both of these at work in the so-called Equality Act

You Vote for a Candidate but You Elect an Administration

With all the attention that we pay to the presidential election, it is crucial to remember a key point that usually gets lost in the static. We may cast a vote for a president, but we actually elect an administration. Agencies are Where the Action Is This is absolutely essential to bear in mind, because

Contempt of Court

Imagine for a moment that the government ordered pro-life Christian organizations to pay for abortions for their employees. Do you think that might raise some kind of constitutional question of religious liberty? The answer may seem obvious, but not to the New York State Court of Appeals, which last week rejected a challenge to just

Pandemic Panic and Our Religious Freedom

Back in April, when the pandemic was raging at its peak in New York, I wrote about the legal considerations relevant to quarantines and lockdowns. The regulations were very severe, and for several months our churches were closed to in-person liturgy and all our schools were closed. Nevertheless, given the situation at the time, I

Two Important Supreme Court Victories

By Ed Mechmann After several crushing decisions by the Supreme Court this term, we can now celebrate two important religious liberty victories. The first protects the ability of religious organizations to make employment decisions that are in keeping with their faith-based mission. The second closes yet another chapter in the never-ending saga of the HHS