Top 10 Religious Liberty and Church-State Developments of 2025

Each year in December, I attempt to select the most important church-state and religious liberty developments of the past year.  My choices ...

Russia isn’t just waging war abroad—inside its borders, the state is channeling religious authority through the Russian Orthodox Church to bolster control.

“In today’s Russia, there’s just one officially approved way to be Christian…”

#Russia #ReligiousFreedom #ChurchState https://www.mnnonline.org/news/war-is-peace-peace-is-war-russian-government-uses-orthodox-church-to-expand-control/

War is peace, peace is war – Russian government uses Orthodox Church to expand control - Mission Network News

Russia (MNN) — There are Russian Orthodox priests who oppose war and persecution. Their fate? Shunned.

Mission Network News
Catholic churches in France have a bad landlord: the French government

In a fine example of Gallic counter-intuitiveness, almost all of France’s Catholic churches are owned by the State – and most don't appear to be doing well out of the unusual arrangement

Today, Doña Ana County commissioners voted to drop invocations from their business meetings. Residents have taken to public comments to debate the practice of ceremonial prayers before meetings for a couple of years, culminating in a passionate debate and today’s vote.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_987dcb64-62cd-4ea4-9696-1d66e5aa4d09.html

#NewMexico #churchstateseparation #churchstate #prayer

Doña Ana County Commissioners drop invocations from public meetings

LAS CRUCES — "The beginning of a governmental business meeting is not the time for prayer," Jan Thompson told the board of Doña Ana County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Albuquerque Journal

#CHURCHSTATESEPARATION #NEWS -

The #SupremeCourt’s new #religion case could devastate #American #workers

#YeshivaUniversity Settles With #LGBTQ+ #StudentClub

State #lawmakers want #chaplains to counsel #students at #publicschools

Quincy statues raise concerns of price, transparency and #religiousfreedom

The #Texas Taliban are hard at work in #Austin

Have you been harmed by #churchstate separation violations? Your story matters.

https://flipboard.com/@dustcircle/church-state-separation-g5hp0m0uy
#separationofchurchandstate #SOCAS

Church-State Separation | @dustcircle | Flipboard

The First Amendment secular right of the separation of church and state, the wall between religion and government. Critical of Theocracy, Dominionism, and Christian Nationalism, and exposing the "American Taliban" cult. If you'd like to be a contributor, email [email protected]

Flipboard

Supreme Court turns down religious discrimination case, Gorsuch & Thomas dissenting.

#Religion #ChurchState #SCOTUS

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/03/10/fire-chief-religious-discrimination-supreme-court/

Supreme Court turns down religious discrimination case over 2 justices' objections

Hittle, a former fire chief, claimed the city of Stockton, California, discriminated against him because of his Christian faith — and the leadership course he took at Willow Creek.

Deseret News

#CHURCHSTATESEPARATION #news

How Some #Christian #GroupHomes Avoid #Florida’s Standards

Are #Religious #CharterSchools Legal?

Encourage Your Representative to Join the Fight for #ChurchState Separation

#Louisiana law requiring #TenCommandments to be displayed in #classrooms is back in court

Are #Texas #schools receiving funds for #TEA's #Bible #curriculum?

#Faith groups across #Kansas are diving into local #politics

https://flipboard.com/@dustcircle/church-state-separation-g5hp0m0uy

#separationofchurchandstate #secular

Church-State Separation | @dustcircle | Flipboard

The First Amendment secular right of the separation of church and state, the wall between religion and government. Critical of Theocracy, Dominionism, and Christian Nationalism, and exposing the "American Taliban" cult. If you'd like to be a contributor, email [email protected]

Flipboard
Ohio's new bill directs tax dollars to private religious schools for renovations and expansions, bypassing traditional voucher systems. Critics argue this violates church-state separation and diverts funds from public education #schoolvouchers #churchstate #taxdollars #privateschools #ohio

The Movement to Redirect Billi...
Bluesky

Bluesky Social

Rarely do I find my church-state separation and stationery interests overlapping, but then I read about this court case, which awarded a constitutional right to writing tool selection: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.akd.72896/gov.uscourts.akd.72896.28.0.pdf

"Leon Tholson, an individual currently incarcerated at the Anchorage Correctional Complex ... alleges that he is a Rosicrucian, and, 'as a student of the Rosicrucian Fellowship, [his] sincerely held religious belief requires [his] correspondence ... be in a felt tip, gel, or fountain pen.'"

Judge Sharon L. Gleason orders that ". . . the State of Alaska, Department of Corrections, shall provide Mr. Tholson a felt tip, gel, or fountain pen for his religious use at least one hour per week."

#stationery #ChurchState #ReligiousLiberty #WritingTools