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LEGAL REPORT 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...
LEGAL REPORT 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?
LEGAL REPORT 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 June 12, 2008
In Brief: Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation
In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court limited the power of federal courts to enforce the Establishment Clause's restrictions on government funding of religion.
INTERVIEW April 24, 2008
An Argument For Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Jonathan Rauch
The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is a contentious one, and advocates on both sides continue to work hard to make their voices heard. To explore the case for gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Jonathan Rauch.
ANALYSIS April 24, 2008
Courts Not Silent on Moments of Silence
Polls find that a majority of Americans favor the idea of a moment of silence in public schools. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, American adults much prefer allowing a moment of silence for contemplation or silent prayer in public schools over a spoken prayer in public schools (69% vs. 23%).
INTERVIEW April 24, 2008
An Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum
To explore the case against gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and now a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
LEGAL REPORT 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.
LEGAL REPORT March 7, 2008
Politics and the Pulpit 2008
A guide to the Internal Revenue Code restrictions on the political activity of religious organizations. 
LEGAL REPORT 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.
LEGAL REPORT 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...
LEGAL REPORT 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.
LEGAL REPORT 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.
ANALYSIS September 12, 2007
A Half Century After It First Appeared on the Dollar Bill, "In God We Trust" Still Stirs Opposition
Oct. 1 marks the 50th anniversary of the appearance of "In God We Trust" on the paper currency of the United States. The phrase, which is the nation's official motto as well, has been caught in a broader debate over just how high the wall separating church and state should stand.
LEGAL REPORT 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.
LEGAL REPORT 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.
LEGAL REPORT 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.
May 22, 2007
Another Trans-Atlantic Divide? Church-State Relations in Europe and the United States
Another Trans-Atlantic Divide? Church-State Relations in Europe and the United States 2007-05-22 Washington, D.C. Europeans and Americans approach the relationship between church and state differently. European churches, for instance, often receive official sanction and substantial financial su
LEGAL REPORT 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?
LEGAL REPORT 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.
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