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ANALYSIS February 14, 2012
Public Divided Over Birth Control Insurance Mandate
Americans who have heard about the federal rule that would require employers to provide birth control as part of their health care benefits are closely divided over whether religiously affiliated institutions should be given an exemption. Sharp divisions of opinion exist on the issue by religious affiliation, party and ideology.
LEGAL REPORT January 11, 2012
In Brief: Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC
On Oct. 5, 2011, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a case that could help determine how much latitude religious organizations have in making employment decisions about clergy and others who perform religious duties.
LEGAL REPORT March 31, 2011
Churches in Court
 Whenever churches or religious organizations find themselves involved in civil litigation, courts first must determine whether the First Amendment’s religion clauses bestow a unique legal status on religious organizations that puts some of their decisions and actions beyond the reach of civil laws. 
LEGAL REPORT October 19, 2010
In Brief: Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn and Arizona Department of Revenue v. Winn
On Nov. 3, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a pair of related cases involving a constitutional challenge to an Arizona tax policy aimed at providing scholarships for children to attend private – often religious – schools.
LEGAL REPORT June 28, 2010
High Court Rules Against Campus Christian Group
A divided Supreme Court today ruled, 5-4, that a public law school can deny recognition to a student group that excludes gays and lesbians. The Court said the school could enforce a policy requiring official student organizations to accept all students who want to join.
INTERVIEW June 3, 2010
Tensions Between Rights of Conscience and Civil Rights
Until recently, the debate over “conscience protections” for health care workers centered largely on abortion and birth control. But in the past few years, new cases have emerged that have expanded the debate and raised questions about the tensions between individuals’ rights of conscience and the need to protect certain groups against discrimination, notably gays and lesbians.
LEGAL REPORT April 28, 2010
High Court Decision in Salazar v. Buono
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered the removal of a cross from a World War I memorial located in California’s Mojave National Preserve.
LEGAL REPORT April 6, 2010
In Brief: Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
On April 19, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case that will determine whether a public institution can refuse to officially recognize a religiously based organization that prevents those who do not share its religious and moral values from becoming voting members.
ANALYSIS December 17, 2009
Global Restrictions on Religion
This report gauges the level of religious restrictions in 198 countries due both to government actions and to acts of violence and intimidation by private individuals, organizations and social groups.
LEGAL REPORT December 3, 2009
Sikh-Americans and Religious Liberty
With their distinctive appearance and religious practices, Sikh-Americans often find themselves at the center of workplace discrimination cases and other controversies involving their religious rights. To better understand religious liberty and accommodation issues involving Sikh-Americans, the Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle.
POLL November 16, 2009
Faith-Based Programs Still Popular, Less Visible
More than eight years after former President George W. Bush unveiled his faith-based initiative to make it easier for religious groups to receive government funding to provide social services, such as feeding the needy, the policy continues to draw broad public support.
LEGAL REPORT September 24, 2009
In Brief: Salazar v. Buono
On Oct. 7, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Salazar v. Buono, a case involving a constitutional challenge to the presence of an eight-foot-tall Christian cross in the Mojave National Preserve in California. The Pew Forum provides a brief overview of the case's long path to the Supreme Court.
INTERVIEW August 31, 2009
Faith Healing and the Law
To explore the legal issues that courts must consider in cases involving parents' use of faith healing, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life turns to church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle.
ANALYSIS August 18, 2009
President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
This report provides a closer look at President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, established to make recommendations on how to improve government partnerships with faith-based and community organizations.
ANALYSIS August 12, 2009
Media Coverage of the Faith-Based Initiative in the First Six Months of 2001 and 2009
A new study finds that Obama's faith-based initiative has so far generated little of the contentious press coverage associated with Bush's effort. And the program is not as closely associated with the current president as it was with the man he succeeded.
LEGAL REPORT July 9, 2009
The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
While the gay marriage controversy has many elements, including disagreements over religious and social norms, much of the debate is a legal one.  
LEGAL REPORT May 14, 2009
Shifting Boundaries
The debate over government funding of religious institutions raises some thorny issues in the discussion about the appropriate relationship between church and state. Most legal scholars agree that the Constitution limits at least some government funding of religion but disagree sharply on exactly what is permissible.
LEGAL REPORT March 6, 2009
Stimulus Package Stimulates Church-State Debate
Economic stimulus legislation has brought on a church-state debate regarding school funding. The Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Robert Tuttle.
LEGAL REPORT February 4, 2009
The Social and Legal Dimensions of the Evolution Debate in the U.S.
As with many social and political controversies in the United States, the battle over evolution has been largely fought in courtrooms.
LEGAL REPORT January 30, 2009
Hiring Law for Groups Following a Higher Law: Faith-Based Hiring and the Obama Administration
The Bush administration contended that religious groups always have the right to hire on the basis of religion. But President Obama has suggested that he disagrees with this policy. To explore how the Obama administration might alter Bush’s policy, the Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Ira “Chip” Lupu.
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