Student Religious Groups and Vanderbilt University  —  Over the past two years, Vanderbilt University has enacted policy to exclude student groups based on leadership creedal belief and on sexual expression.  Fourteen campus religious communities no longer have organizational standing including Catholic, Evangelical, and Mormon groups. Tish Harrison Warren describes her failed effort to reason with […]

Final Ruling Against Part of Polygamy Ban  —  A federal judge in Utah issued a final ruling striking down a part of the state’s polygamy ban as unconstitutional, reaffirming the court’s earlier decision that a section of Utah law that prohibits “cohabitation” violates the Constitution’s religious freedom and privacy protections.

Southlake Church Adopts Portland Public High School  —  This congregation puts their faith into action by helping to rejuvenate a local deteriorating public school with an ongoing series of projects and program of assistance.

Campus Sexual Assault: a Case Study for Students and Administrators  —  Schools are bound to try to protect students from sexual assault under federal law Title IX, and more than 70 colleges being investigated for how they’ve handled sexual assault cases.  This 6 min. audio clip overviews situations at Dartmouth and Georgetown.

Atheists Disallowed From County Commission Invocation  —  Five members of the Brevard County Board of Commissioners (FL) voted unanimously Wednesday (Aug. 20) against permitting a local atheist from delivering a prayer or invocation before their public meetings. They also voted to limit remarks from nonreligious people to the “public comments” section of their meetings.

NYC, Pre-K, and the Church-State Divide  —  Because of inadequate public school capacity, the de Blasio administration has been urging religious schools and community organizations to consider hosting added programs for the city.  But the push is raising fresh questions about church-state issues and for the schools themselves.

Bibles Are Back in Navy Guest Lodges  —  In June, the U.S. Navy ordered housekeepers at thousands of Navy-owned guest lodges near U.S. and international bases to remove the Bibles and any other “religious materials” from their rooms. Scriptures would remain available on request.