Supreme Court on Religious Liberty

“In 2017, the Trump administration issued new rules that expanded an exemption from the [contraception] mandate to allow private employers with religious or moral objections to opt out of providing coverage without any notice. [On Wednesday], by a vote of 7-2, the Supreme Court in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania rejected a challenge from two states that had argued that the new rules violate both the ACA itself and the federal laws governing administrative agencies.” (SCOTUSblog)

Also on Wednesday, “by a vote of 7-2, the court held in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru that the [ministerial] exception [to employment discrimination lawsuits] also forecloses lawsuits by two teachers at Catholic elementary schools in southern California. Although the teachers were not ordained ministers, the schools had argued that the exception nonetheless applied because they played a key role in teaching religion to their students, and the court – in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito – agreed.” (SCOTUSblog)

The right applauds the decisions, arguing that they correctly protect religious liberty.

The left criticizes the decisions, arguing that they wrongly allow religion to be used as an excuse to discriminate.