Obergefell v. Hodges / The Same-Sex Marriage Case — This link takes you to the SCOTUSblog page on the upcoming Supreme Court decision. Issue: 1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? 2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage […]
Items included for this subject area come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
"Open Book" by R. Marxhausen: the Bible, the book open to us all
Protecting the Right to Serve God and Country
Protecting the Right to Serve God and Country — This op/ed from the Becket Fund printed at The Hill might provide a useful opening piece for discussion on chaplaincy services, constitutional issues, and changes in cultural standards and practices.
Supreme Court Protects Religious Liberties for 6th Time
Supreme Court Protects Religious Ministries for 6th Time — The Michigan Catholic Conference appealed to the Supreme Court after a surprising lower court decision allowed large IRS fines against the ministries because they, based on their religious beliefs, cannot provide contraceptives and abortion drugs in their employee health plans.
Parochial School – Gay Teacher Case Study: Des Moines, IA
Parochial School – Gay Teacher Case Study: De Moines, IA — Alumni and current students are speaking out against Dowling Catholic High School after a man says he was denied a full-time teaching position for being gay.
Omaha, NE, Case Study: Gay Teacher and Parochial School
Omaha, NE, Case Study: Gay Teacher and Parochial School — This review of local reporting in the Lincoln Journal Star examines the newpaper’s treatment of the story and the larger issue. As a case study, the comments following the article may be instructive for students.
Local Pro-Life and Public School Case Study: Fargo, ND
Local Pro-Life and Public School Case Study: Fargo, ND — A school district in North Dakota has denied two high school students’ requests to start pro-life clubs. The Thomas More Society has sent a demand letter to Superintendent Jeff Schatz warning the district’s decision violates the federal Equal Access Act and the First Amendment.
Local RFRA Case Study: Springfield, MO
Local RFRA Case Study: Springfield, MO — Six months after it was enacted, voters repealed an ordinance to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents from discrimination. Final results of the Tuesday vote were close, 51.4% to repeal vs. 48.6% not.
Orthodox Jewish Men and Airline Seats Next to Women
Orthodox Jewish Men and Airline Seats Next to Women — A growing number of airline passengers, particularly on trips between the United States and Israel, are now sharing stories of conflicts between ultra-Orthodox Jewish men trying to follow their faith and women just hoping to sit down
Calif Appeals Court Rules Yoga Okay in Elem School
Calif Appeals Court Rules Yoga Okay in Elem School — A California appeals court has ruled that a school district in Encinitas can incorporate yoga into physical education, rejecting a challenge by parents who said the millennia-old discipline violates religious-freedom provisions in California’s constitution.
A Courthouse Clerk’s Struggle with RFRA
A Clerk’s Struggle — A human interest account of RFRA and a courthouse clerk who decided not to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Agree or disagree, this article might serve as a discussion-starter for exploring vocation and the Christian’s agency in both God’s left-hand kingdom and His right-hand kingdom.
