religious liberty

February 09, 2023

A NY Times Journalist vs. Freedom of Religious Conscience

Earlier this week, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist Linda Greenhouse came out of retirement on the opinion page of her former paper to warn Americans that their nation is now on the cusp of seeing religion “elevate[d] … over all other elements of civil society.” Continue Reading...

January 18, 2023

Fidel Castro’s Failed Paradise

Six decades after its celebrated communist revolution, Cuba remains a totem for America’s left. Yet the country is imploding into irrelevance. Fidel Castro is dead and Raul Castro is retired, but their successors rule as if 1989 had never occurred. Continue Reading...

October 25, 2022

Religious Liberty and the American Founding

The religion clauses in the First Amendment are among the most hotly debated topics in constitutional law and history. Unfortunately, the records of the Founders don’t always offer much help in elucidating their meaning. Continue Reading...

May 17, 2022

A federal case has been made of a brief post-game prayer

To my great embarrassment, I must admit that prior to going to law school I enjoyed the quasi-scripted drama of Judge Judy. The litigants’ outrageous circumstances and colorful personalities distract viewers into believing that the legal issues are complex. Continue Reading...

February 02, 2022

Religious freedom must be protected even from the religious

These are strange times in the United States. We are now living under the second consecutive presidency whose legitimacy is disputed by a significant proportion of the American people. The typical debates about taxation and foreign policy have been eclipsed by arguments about identity politics. Continue Reading...

January 12, 2022

A Lutheran bishop faces prosecution for teaching traditional Christian doctrine

On April 29, 2021, the prosecutor general of Finland decided to bring charges against me and Member of Parliament Mrs. Päivi Räsänen. We will be summoned to the Helsinki district court for the court session on January 24, 2022. Continue Reading...

November 17, 2021

Lutherans are on the front lines of the battle for religious liberty

If there’s something Lutherans are known for other than great hymnody and potluck dinners, it’s keeping their heads down. Lutherans typically are a staid bunch, not big on “revivals” or drum kits in the sanctuary. Continue Reading...

October 12, 2021

School choice is in jeopardy in a case before the Supreme Court

The difference between a “Christian organization” and an “organization that does Christian things” might seem like a distinction without a difference. But it is precisely this difference that is at the heart of the question presented to the U.S. Continue Reading...

July 13, 2021

Lessons from the Puritans for a post-COVID world

America is still slowly reopening and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, and restrictions. Over the past year, our nation’s divisions were amplified. Polarization reared its ugly head, manifesting deep-seated hostilities across and among families, churches, and political parties. Continue Reading...

June 07, 2021

The ‘chicken and egg’ interplay of religious liberty and economic freedom

The contributions of religious life to economic prosperity are increasingly evident, prompting many to study the relationship between the two. A recent study from Canada found that religion adds billions to the economy. Continue Reading...

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