Religion cases spark both unanimity and division at Supreme Court
Religious rights are sparking both unanimity and deep divisions on the Supreme Court this term, with one major decision still to come.
On Thursday, all nine justices sided with Catholic Charities Bureau in its tax fight with Wisconsin. But weeks earlier, the court’s 4-4 deadlock handed those same religious interests a loss by refusing to greenlight the nation’s first religious charter school.
Now, advocates are turning their attention to the other major religion case still pending this term, which concerns whether parents have the First Amendment right to opt-out their children from instruction including books with LGBTQ themes.
“The court has been using its Religion Clause cases over the past few years to send the message that everything doesn't have to be quite so polarized and quite so everybody at each other's throats,” said Mark Rienzi, the president and CEO of Becket, a religious legal group that represents both the parents and Catholic Charities.
The trio of cases reflect a new burst of activity on the Supreme Court’s religion docket, a major legacy of Chief Justice John Roberts’ tenure.
Research by Lee Epstein, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, found the Roberts Court has ruled in favor of religious organizations over 83 percent of the time, a significant jump from previous eras.
The decisions have oftentimes protected Christian traditions, a development that critics view as a rightward shift away from a focus on protecting non-mainstream religions.
But on Thursday,........
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