During the summer of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court finally appeared to settle the question of whether or not same-sex marriage is a legal right. In Obergefell v. Hodges, the court decided in a 5-4 ruling, that the Constitution of the United States not only allows, but guarantees the right to same-sex marriage. The court Read More

We often talk about religious oppression in the United States. From increased TSA pat downs infringing on personal religions to issues surrounding the separation of church and state, there are a multitude of governmental conventions that suppress U.S. citizens’ right and ability to practice a religion of their choosing. Despite our country’s sometimes unwillingness to Read More

  Mississippi recently became the third state this year to sign a bill against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. The bill, set to take effect on July 1, 2016, allows businesses with religious objections to refuse their services to gay couples. This anti-LGBT legislation is potentially far-reaching in terms of discrimination, and allows Read More

Much of the case law surrounding sports and religion in recent history has focused on the high school or collegiate level. The “Friday Night Lights” traditions that bind school age sports stars to their parents and predecessors are often steeped in religion, be it through prayer, cheers, or statements of good luck. For much of Read More

Other areas of the world have dealt with religion-based terrorist attacks on their soil long before the United States entered the stage begrudgingly in 2001. Since the attacks on New York, our country has been fighting terrorism around the globe in a constant struggle to keep our nation safe from the plots of zealots whose Read More

In 1993, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was passed. The reasons put forth in support of this legislation included a growing fear among people that the provisions in the Constitution protecting citizens’ religious freedom were being ignored and slowly encroached upon by other laws. Through its passing, church leaders could continue to act Read More

Just recently, Mariah Walton publicly exclaimed that she plans to prosecute her parents for failing to seek medical care for her when she was a minor. Mariah, now 20, has pulmonary hypertension, and must carry an oxygen tank around with her (when she is not bedridden) so that she can breathe. Mariah alleges that her Read More

In a case that garnered less national attention than other cases that made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a small congregation in a suburb of Flagstaff, Arizona received a “win” when the Supreme Court ruling ended in their favor in June of 2015. The decision, though local in origin, may have farther reaching Read More

There has been much attention drawn over the past year to the religious freedom bills being presented by legislatures across the states. Some have been passed, some have failed, and some have reached a state’s highest executive officer only to be vetoed. Proponents of these laws argue that they are designed to ensure that the Read More

Some argue that Mississippi has long been known as one of the most conservative in the nation, with its people and legislature thumbing their noses at many of the federal government’s social reform efforts throughout the course of post-Civil War history. Others claim that the state is merely holding true to its roots and ensuring Read More