Obama's New Attack on Religious Liberty

[shodan]

Freedom, Schmeedom
Religious Liberty on Trial
Charles Colson

October 21, 2011
“That is extraordinary,” proclaimed Justice Scalia.

“I, too, find that amazing,” Justice Kagan chimed in.

As reported by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, The conservative Scalia and the liberal Kagan seemed bewildered by the Obama Administration’s unbelievable assertion that there should be no “ministerial exemption” for churches when it comes to hiring.

That’s the issue at stake in the case Hosanna-Tabor Church v. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Who, in the end, decides who is a minister and who is not? A church, or the government?...

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/18041?spMailingID=21329

How many here have read and signed the Manhattan Declaration?

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/home.aspx

 

[billwald]

The case in question had nothing to do with any religious matter. The person was fired for being sick . . . probably because of a money issue.

 

[shodan]

October 5, 2011

The eyes of many churches, schools, and other religious organizations are on the Supreme Court this morning. The Court hears arguments today in the case Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which deals with issues related to church autonomy, the free exercise of religion, and the validity of the ”ministerial exception” principle that partially shields religious organizations from employment discrimation lawsuits.

At front and center is Douglas Laycock, a University of Virginia law professor and leading expert on religious liberty in the United States, who will argue on behalf of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School....
http://eerdword.wordpress.com/tag/h...ol-v-equal-employment-opportunity-commission/

there is a link there to the transcript of the Supreme Court hearing.

 

[Nevada]

Does this involve politicians giving money to churches? Because if it does, I think:

If a church, mosque, synagogue, etc., accepts money from the hand of Uncle Sam, they have to accept restrictions.

Nothing is free. No dollar has no strings attached. All tax money flows through the hands of politicians.

Is this not why James Madison said that a religion should be strong enough to stand alone, without government support?


This could be a case not of Obama restricting religious freedom, but of pastors who sold the church out for some tax dollars. Happens in Europe all the time.

 

[billwald]

Thanks for transcript URL. These judges are sharp!

 

[Ruiz]

The case in question had nothing to do with any religious matter. The person was fired for being sick . . . probably because of a money issue.

Bill,

Have you read the case, I have read the actual case from the Cincinnati, every word of it. The philosophical ramifications would mean that the government defines ministers and non-ministers.

Yes, also was about the teacher's health issue, and I was blunt in what I thought about the church. However, in the ruling the court also overstepped their bounds in defining ministers and ministry (which I believe the ruling is a violation of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution based on this alone). You can read my thoughts here.