Dear Religion Clause Readers:
Happy New Year 2024!
I hope that you continue to find Religion Clause a valuable source of information on the intersection of law, religion and public policy.
As many commentators have pointed out, the Internet has changed dramatically over the last two decades. Long-form blog posts have become a less popular form of online communication. Videos and podcasts have supplanted blogs in many areas. However, if one can be an online troglodyte, I must plead guilty. Religion Clause has always been a niche blog which has particularly attracted lawyers, social scientists, advocacy organization personnel, law school faculty, journalists, clergy, legislative and executive branch staff, students and others working professionally or avocationally interested in church-state relations and religious liberty issues. I invite your feedback on the continued effectiveness of the current format.
Access to Religion Clause posts is also available through e-mail subscriptions, through X (formerly known as Twitter) and through Facebook, though the format, accompanying advertising, and availability of posts through these channels are handled by third parties over whom I have no control.
During 2023, two issues from past years continued to play out at length-- abortion rights and religious exemptions from health care mandates. Two other issues, while hardly new, seemed to have particular salience this past year-- increasing antisemitism and issues of gender identity.
In reporting on these and other developments, I have attempted to retain Religion Clause's objectivity and its policy of linking to extensive primary source material. I hope that the blog continues to have a reputation for reliability at a time when the objectivity of social media is increasingly called into question.
I also urge you to look at the blog's Sidebar which has dozens of links to useful sites. Scroll down and you will also find resources to subscribe for e-mails giving you access to the latest posts, and access to the X (Twitter) account.
Thank you to all who are loyal readers of Religion Clause-- both those who have followed it for many years and those who have only recently discovered it. I hope you will continue to follow Religion Clause in 2024. Please recommend the blog to colleagues, students and friends who may find it useful and interesting.
Best wishes as we all face the challenges of an increasingly fractured world in 2024. Many of you who are readers of Religion Clause are also influencers who are playing important roles in dealing with the many issues facing us. I hope that Religion Clause can play a small part in giving you background to inform your efforts.
To all my readers, feel free to contact me by e-mail (religionclause@gmail.com) in response to this post or throughout the year with comments or suggestions.
Howard Friedman
