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.
Catholic High School Loses Ministerial Exception Defense In Suit By Former Teacher: This case may serve as an example of how the Hosanna-Tabor Supreme Court Decision is being understood or not understood at the local level. The Monrovia Patch reports that a California state trial court has rejected the ministerial exception defense raised by a Glendora, California […]
Religious Coalitions Take Contrasting Positions As Amici In Transgender Bathroom Case: Broad coalitions of religious groups have, through amicus briefs, now weighed in on opposite sides of the battle over transgender rights and Title IX that will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 28 in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.(SCOTUSblog case page). See links […]
Boy Scouts Christian alternative sees ‘tremendous response’ after transgender decision: Since the Boy Scouts of America decided to accept transgender youngsters, there appears to be a growing market for a different kind of scouting group. The BSA does not require troops chartered by houses of worship to accept children who do not identify with their birth gender. Nevertheless, the […]
U.S. Supreme Court Receives Unusual Number of Briefs in Support of Marine ‘Bible Verse’ Case: First Liberty Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case of Monifa Sterling, a U.S. Marine who was convicted at a court martial for refusing an order to remove a Bible verse from her personal workspace. The outcome has […]
Georgia high court to decide fate of scholarships serving low-income children: Is a tax credit the same as a tax deduction? A long-simmering lawsuit against the state’s tax credit scholarship program got a hearing in Georgia’s high court Monday, when lawyers argued whether the $58 million program violates a constitutional mandate for the separation of church and […]
Advancing God’s Kingdom: Calvinism, Calvin College, and Betsy DeVos — the author addresses some oversimplifications in the popular press about recent developments for the DoE secretary nominee: “If we want to understand the religious traditions that most influence Betsy DeVos, then, we need to look both inside and outside the CRC. Religious people do not […]
Pro-Life Group Wins Battle at NYC College: A current case study on the public square in public higher education. Queens College in New York had denied a pro-life student group official recognition. Now, in a sudden turnaround, the university has accepted the group’s application for ‘registered’ status.
School Choice Bill Heard: This 3 min. audio clip serves as an example of current school voucher debates in several states. Proposed tax credits for scholarships to nonpublic schools provoked opposition from public school supporters at a public hearing at the Nebraska State Capitol. Students and congregations can consider the positions presented here, then further consider […]
University settles with Christian counseling student: Missouri State University will pay $25,000 to a former student expelled for his views on homosexuality, who alleges the university expelled him out of the master’s in counseling program because he expressed a religious objection to counseling same-sex couples.
Amicus Says Trademark Case Impacts Religious Speech: The case of Lee v. Tam involves a free speech challenge to the government to deny trademark registration to a mark “which may disparage persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute.” An amicus brief now argues against this disparagement clause as […]
