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ANALYSIS August 28, 2008
On Ceremonial Occasions, May the Government Invoke a Deity?
Opponents of these religious invocations say such proclamations promote religion and thus violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits all laws "respecting an establishment of religion."
INTERVIEW July 24, 2008
The Blaine Game: Controversy Over the Blaine Amendments and Public Funding of Religion
More than two-thirds of states have constitutional provisions restricting state aid to religious organizations; these state constitutional provisions are collectively known as the Blaine Amendments.
INTERVIEW July 3, 2008
Accommodating Faith in the Military
Over the past few years, there have been several controversies over religion's role in the military. Most recently, students and staff at the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point have complained...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT June 23, 2008
Hein, One Year Later: The Future of Church-State Litigation
One year later, how have courts interpreted Hein? How will Hein affect the future direction of lawsuits involving the funding of religion?
INTERVIEW June 12, 2008
Courts Will Decide Church Property Disputes
 The Falls Church, where George Washington worshipped, is one of 11 Virginia congregations to sever ties with the Episcopal Church, which has sued for property rights.
ANALYSIS March 27, 2008
A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict's Visit to the U.S.
When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views.
ANALYSIS March 7, 2008
Politics and the Pulpit 2008
A guide to the Internal Revenue Code restrictions on the political activity of religious organizations. 
ANALYSIS January 17, 2008
From Roe to Stenberg: A History of Key Abortion Rulings by the Supreme Court
Reproductive issues were largely a private affair early in American history. Although abortion was deemed illegal under English common law, the state rarely took any interest in prosecuting those cases that became public.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT December 3, 2007
Religion and Secularism: The American Experience
Watch more event video on the multimedia page. More from the December 2007 Faith Angle Conference Religious Literacy: What Every American Should Know The Religion Factor in the 2008 Election More: Research, news, blogs Some of the nation's leadin...
INTERVIEW October 24, 2007
The Free Exercise Clause and the Parameters of Religious Liberty
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that the federal government will respect the "free exercise" of religion. But the precise meaning of "free exercise" and exactly what constitutes an infringement of this right are not clear-cut.
ANALYSIS October 24, 2007
A Delicate Balance: The Free Exercise Clause and the Supreme Court
When Americans speak of their most cherished liberties, freedom of worship often tops the list. But this freedom is not absolute. Indeed, throughout most of the nation's history, religious practices have often been subordinated to a variety of government laws and regulations.
INTERVIEW June 27, 2007
From the Ten Commandments to Christmas Trees: Public Religious Displays and the Courts
In recent decades, a growing number of citizens and civil liberties groups have sued towns, cities and states over religious symbols in the public square, arguing that these displays should be removed because they violate the First Amendment's prohibition on government establishment of religion.
ANALYSIS June 27, 2007
Religious Displays and the Courts
Each year as the winter holidays approach, Americans across the country debate the appropriateness of the government sponsoring, or even permitting, the display of Christmas nativity scenes, Hanukkah menorahs and other religious holiday symbols on public property.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT June 14, 2007
After Gonzales v. Carhart : The Future of Abortion Jurisprudence
On April 18, 2007, the Supreme Court handed down a major ruling on abortion rights, upholding the constitutionality of the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
INTERVIEW May 9, 2007
School Graduations, Religion and the Courts
Spring is the season for school graduations, and graduation ceremonies play a featured role in the national debate over the place of religion in public education. Is a clergyman's benediction at a public school event a violation of the separation of church and state?
ANALYSIS May 9, 2007
Religion in the Public Schools
Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling striking down school-sponsored prayer, Americans continue to fight over the place of religion in public schools.
EVENT TRANSCRIPT February 28, 2007
Same-Sex Marriage in California: Legal and Political Prospects
Special Report: The Same-Sex Marriage Debate An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate A Stable Majority: Most Americans Still Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Additional Resources Map: Stat...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT December 12, 2006
The Christmas Wars: Religion in the American Public Square
Every year as the holiday season gets underway, debates break out across the country over the appropriateness of religious displays in public spaces, such as crèches and menorahs placed in town halls. But the so-called "Christmas wars&...
EVENT TRANSCRIPT November 2, 2006
Judicial Showdown: The Supreme Court Returns to the Abortion Debate
On Nov. 8, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases that challenge the constitutionality of the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. The Act aims to prohibit a doctor from performing what the legislation calls a "partial bir...
ANALYSIS November 1, 2006
The Supreme Court Revisits the Partial Birth Abortion Issue
Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Download the full backgrounder (12-page pdf) Abortion resource page Introduction On Nov. 8, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in two cases that challenge the constitutionality o...
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