Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black stated in 1956, "There can be no equal justice where the kind of trial a man gets depends on the amount of money he has." (Griffin v. Illinois.) More than a half century later, our justice system is arguably no better at providing a level playing field for the poor.

Many times, in our fight to defend Christians being persecuted for their exercise of religion, what is needed is someone willing to take a stand, seek counsel, and authorize a firm letter.  

That is the case in this story in which CLS proudly stepped in for a group of Christians that spent time gathering at a park to talk about Jesus with others in the park. When police officers told them they could no longer meet in the park to talk about Jesus, CLS stepped up to defend their religious freedom to the city. 

Of all the evils that break God’s heart, human trafficking, especially of children, has got to be on the top of the list.

Tuesday was the 850th “anniversary” of the murder of Thomas Becket on the steps of Canterbury Cathedral by King Henry’s knights. The commemoration on December 29 is often seen as a reminder of the danger of a powerful state in conflict with the Church. 

And it is that. 

For me, however, having taught T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral to high school students for years, Becket’s martyrdom usually brings to mind the call to ordinary people to live ordinary lives in the face of uncertainty, injustice, and death. 

Joshua was a child born out of wedlock to a teenage mom in a middle eastern country. Under persecution from an autocratic government, his family fled as refugees to a neighboring country. Despite this inauspicious start to his life, he grew up in a good home with a solid religious upbringing. But as an adult, he espoused some radical ideas that challenged the religious authorities. As a result, he was arrested under false charges of treason and advocating tax evasion, convicted after an unfair trial, and ultimately sentenced to the death penalty.

The Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which amends Title VII to include sexual orientation and gender identity, has long-reaching applications. The Court cannot say, on the one hand, that "because of ...

It was probably written around A.D. 55 or 56-a long, long time ago!

Christian Legal Society presented a free webinar, Asylum in the United States:  An Overview of the Law and Recent Changes & Special Considerations for Christian Legal Aid Clinics, for anyone interested in learning about serving those who are persecuted abroad. 

Long before the first presidential debate, bad things happened in Philadelphia.  Bad things were already happening in Philadelphia in 2018, when the City of Philadelphia ended its relationship with Catholic Social Services (“CSS”).  The Catholic Church had been providing adoption services in Philadelphia for over 200 years.  However, the City ended the relationship after news reports indicated that CSS does not screen same-sex couples for prospective foster parenting because such placements would run counter to its religious convictions.  Notably, CSS was one of thirty adoption agencies wor