William C. Duncan
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Supreme Court says donors’ right of association outweighs need for disclosure
The court’s application of constitutional principles ensures a wide range of groups can pursue their work and a wide range of citizens can support groups who represent their beliefs without fear of reprisals.
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Understanding Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion in the SCOTUS foster care case
Why did Justice Alito write a separate opinion, and especially such a long and detailed one, if he agreed with the outcome the majority announced?
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Congress’ abdication of lawmaking may affect religious freedom
A recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education about how to interpret the law prohibiting sex discrimination in education has some important implications for the separation of powers, religious freedom, and the need for moderating influences on potentially contentious…
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Supreme Court rules in favor of Catholic foster agency but leaves big questions for later
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a significant religious freedom decision this morning, with all the justices concluding that the city of Philadelphia violated the constitutional rights of a religious foster care agency, Catholic Social Services, when it “stopped referring children…
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Religious freedom law is not a ‘get out of jail card’: It protects rights while still limiting harmful practices
Those who argue for robust legal protections for religious exercise sometimes struggle to answer an objection: What about when religious groups or their members do something clearly wrong?
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Faithful, long marriages linked to religiosity (and large, low-budget weddings)
High-profile divorces can invite introspection about what makes marriage last. Those who seem to have everything going for them but still split can make others feel that marriage success is random or out of reach. There are factors, however, that…
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San Francisco archbishop’s abortion letter rooted in this ancient tradition
Even if we do not agree with a particular religious claim made on a political leader, the invocation of a religious accountability is an important reminder of the great achievement that constitutional accountability is in our political system. It reminds…
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Death and religion: A surprising example of practical policy solutions
The death penalty and religious freedom are both issues that regularly drive disagreement and cause controversy. Unexpectedly, when mixed together, they are also leading to some consensus solutions – showing that we can in fact find politically practical policy solutions…
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The religious ideas that helped foment the American Revolution
By design, the new U.S. government was not “religious” in the sense of requiring allegiance to any particular faith. It was, rather, dedicated to a comprehensive protection of the religious exercise of all its citizens.
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Q&A: Opening Sudan up to religious freedom
In 2019, Sudan experienced a remarkable pro-democracy revolution, ending decades of oppressive military rule. The new government is working to unify communities in Sudan and normalize relationships with other nations.