Title VI Does Not Bar Religious Discrimination

In Storms v. Carcieri, (D NJ, May 26, 2026), a New Jersey federal district court dismissed a suit which challenged a requirement by the Somerset County YMCA that in order to serve as a Board member, a board nominee must complete a 30-minute training course titled "Advancing Equity, Understanding Biases." Plaintiff Michael Storms refused to take the course because it violated his "deeply held religious belief that only Jesus Christ can forgive my sins." Storms, proceeding pro se, sued alleging that imposing the requirement on him violated his 1st and 14th Amendment rights, as well as Title VI and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act. A number of his claims were dismissed because he had not plausibly alleged that the YMCA's conduct involved state action. The court dismissed plaintiff's Title VI claim because Title VI only bars discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. It does not cover religious discrimination. He also failed to show that the federal funding received by the national YMCA organization was the source of any of operations of the local entity.

Interestingly, in his complaint, Plaintiff also listed "Jesus Christ" as a plaintiff. In a footnote the court said: "The Court finds that Jesus Christ is not a proper plaintiff and proceeds in its analysis with Storms as the sole plaintiff in this matter."

President Issues Message on Pentecost

 Yesterday, the White House posted a "Presidential Message on Pentecost" (full text). It reads in part:

Melania and I join many Christians throughout our Nation and around the world who are joyfully celebrating the miracle of Pentecost today and the birth of Christ’s Church.

Fifty days after the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in Jerusalem in tongues of fire, triumphantly fulfilling Christ’s promise and giving them the courage and divine authority to proclaim the message of God to every nation and people....

On this holy day, we proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ, our hope in His saving power, and our enduring commitment to pursuing His will as one Nation under God.  As we celebrate 250 years of American Independence this year, we pray that the Holy Spirit continues to inspire our hearts, strengthen our resolve, and guide our Nation with wisdom, courage, and hope for years to come.

Challenge To Tennessee's Requirement That Charter Schools Be Non-Sectarian Moves Ahead

Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville v. Knox County Board of Education, (ED TN, May 22, 2026), is the latest court challenge to state laws that require publicly funded charter schools to be nonsectarian and nonreligious. Plaintiff seeks to open a Christian charter school. However, its letter of intent submitted to the Knox County Board of Education was rejected because the school could not affirm that it was not a "religious or church school". Wilberforce did not proceed to the next step of submitting an application because the application required a similar representation. Instead, it filed suit in federal district court contending that the nonsectarian requirement violates the Free Exercise clause of the 1st Amendment. The defendants moved to dismiss on standing and mootness grounds because Wilberforce had never filed an application to create the school. The court refused to dismiss, saying in part:

... Wilberforce was effectively presented with only two options: either falsely disclaim its religious status or continue submitting materials that KCBOE had already indicated would be deemed incomplete. Under these circumstances, requiring Wilberforce to proceed further in the application process would elevate form over substance....

... Although it is true that KCBOE may lack discretion to approve a religious charter school, it still may be held responsible for an alleged unconstitutional law it enforces....

Wilberforce has demonstrated a concrete interest in being able to apply and to compete on equal footing with secular organizations to become a charter school in Tennessee. Although it is true that it may not be able to open a charter school during the 2027-2028 school year, Wilberforce has alleged and shown that it is “able and ready” to apply to for charter-school status “for the earliest school year it could open.”...

Accordingly, Wilberforce’s claim presents a live case or controversy that is not moot.

Washington Foster Care Licensing Agency Modifies Rules in Settlement of Litigation

 As previously reported, in DeGross v. Hunter, (WD WA, April 22, 2026), a Washington federal district court refused to dismiss free speech and free exercise claims against the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) brought by a Christian couple who objected to the Department's policy on sexual orientation and gender identity. The state has required prospective foster parents to agree to support a foster child's sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE), including using their preferred pronouns and chosen name. The parties have now agreed to a settlement in the case and the Washington federal district court yesterday issued a permanent injunction reflecting the parties' agreement. 

The injunction in the case, now captioned DeGross v. Senn, (WD WA, May 20, 2026), bars DCYF from denying or imposing conditions on a foster family home license solely because of a family's religious beliefs, including speech and actions pertaining to marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. Instead DCYF will amend it rules to require foster parents to either connect, or allow DCYF to connect, their foster child to resources and supports relating to their race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, developmental capabilities, tribal affiliations, heightened medical needs, behavioral needs, and any other aspect of the child’s individual identity.

The injunction goes on to provide in part:

3. DCYF is prohibited from requiring foster parents to agree to use prescribed words or language, including chosen pronouns, to express views about sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression inconsistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs as a condition of licensure....

6. During the licensing process, DCYF shall be permitted to inquire about an applicant’s views regarding SOGIE. This line of inquiry shall be no different from other information gathering concerning the variety of identities of prospective children in care. 

7. Nothing in this Order prohibits DCYF or a child-placing agency from inquiring about a child’s SOGIE before placement, just as it does for all children for all components of their individual characteristics, including identities. 

8. ... Nothing in this order prohibits DCYF from deciding a child’s placements based on its individualized consideration of the child’s needs and of a foster parent’s concerns or limitations (including where religiously motivated) on their ability or willingness to meet the child’s specific needs, including with regard to their SOGIE....

ADF issued a press release announcing the settlement. 

Certiorari Denied In Christian Day Care's Challenge to California's Licensing Requirements

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied review in Foothills Ministries v. Johnson, (Docket No. 25-802, certiorari denied 5/18/2026) (Order List). In the case, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a Christian day care center lacks standing to bring a free exercise challenge a California requirement that day care centers ensure that children are free to attend religious activities of their parents' choice. The 9th Circuit held, however, that the day care center does have standing to challenge the state's general licensing requirement and to challenge on free speech grounds required disclosures to parents of the right for their child to attend religious activities of their choice. On the merits, though, the 9th Circuit held that neither of these requirements infringe the day care's 1st Amendment rights. (See prior posting.)

Presidential Message on the Feast of the Ascension

Last Thursday, the White House posted a Presidential Message on the Feast of the Ascension (full text). The Message said in part:

Forty days ago, the world celebrated the miracle of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead following His death on the Cross.  On the Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate yet another great miracle:  His bodily departure from Earth and return to His Father in Heaven.

On this special day, we are reminded that, for millions of Americans, the love of Christ gives our lives—and our country—the deepest meaning, purpose, and identity.  As we celebrate 250 years of American freedom and independence, we remember that America remains a great Nation because the United States has always been a Nation blessed by God.

Noise Ordinance Arrest Did Not Violate First Amendment or State RFRA

In Acevedo v. Zatora,(ND IL, May 11, 2026), an Illinois federal district court dismissed plaintiff's claims that police officers violated his free speech and free exercise rights when they arrested him for violating Chicago's noise ordinance. The ordinance prohibits amplified sound on public property that is louder than average conversational level at 100 feet distance. Acevedo and six others set up a microphone on a public sidewalk across from a Planned Parenthood clinic. Acevedo contends that his amplified speech was no louder than permitted under the Ordinance. The court said in part:

Acevedo’s First Amendment grievance ... is not with the noise ordinance’s constitutionality, either facially or as applied to his circumstances. He instead challenges defendants’ decision to arrest him for violating the noise ordinance despite his compliance with it and purportedly owing to his protected speech. This claim is indistinguishable from Acevedo’s First Amendment retaliation claim ... where he alleges that he was unjustly arrested in retaliation for his protected speech, despite his compliance with the noise ordinance....

In dismissing Acevedo's retaliation claim, the court concluded that Acevedo was arrested for disobeying an officer's order to stop using the microphone, not because of the religious or political content of his speech.

The court also dismissed Acevedo's claim against the city of Chicago. Acevedo contended that the city has a policy of  "preventing Christian street preachers (and presumably others) from using voice amplification on the public way by misapplying the noise ordinance to prohibit all amplified religious speech (and possibly other speech) regardless of volume or compliance with the ordinance’s actual requirements." The court said that the complaint did not give the city fair notice of the action Acevedo was challenging. The court said in part:

Do officers involved in the allegedly problematic practice exclusively target Christian street preachers engaged in religious speech, or do the officers also target street preachers of “all” faiths and other individuals not engaged in religious speech at all? Do officers consistently invoke the noise ordinance when they encounter Christian street preachers, or do they arrest Christian street preachers for other alleged infractions and without invoking the noise ordinance at all.

Dismissing Acevedo's claim under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the court said in part:

Acevedo has not alleged that he faced a “coercive choice” between abandoning his religious convictions or complying with a City regulation. Rather, Acevedo alleges that he did comply with the City’s ordinance while exercising his religious convictions.

The court allowed Acevedo to move ahead on his 4th Amendment false arrest claim.

Released-Time Provider Sues School District After Termination For Facebook Posting

Suit was filed last week in a Georgia federal district court by a Christian ministry-- Sweet Onion Christian Learning Center-- that has offered released time off-campus religious instruction for students attending Vidalia, Georgia High School.  School officials canceled the released time program because of Facebook posts by Sweet Onion's executive director which criticized a proposed property tax increase for the city's schools. The complaint (full text) in Sweet Onion Christian Learning Center, Inc. v. Youmans, (SD GA, filed 5/8/2026), alleges that the cancellation violates the 1st and 14th Amendments as well as the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The complaint reads in part:

2.... After learning about the posts, Superintendent Reid secretly investigated the Center and learned an unremarkable fact—the Center, a Christian ministry, provides Christian education. This led her to report to the Board that, in addition to the problems with the Facebook posts, Rev. Youmans’ instruction “reflected a particular interpretation of the Bible” that wasn’t presented in a “neutral or well-balanced manner.” Either way, Defendants punished Rev. Youman, his ministry, and the students at Vidalia High simply because Defendants disagreed with Rev. Youman’s constitutionally protected expression.  

3. Under the First Amendment, Rev. Youmans had a clearly established right both to criticize a proposed tax increase and to teach the Bible from his religious perspective. By punishing him and his ministry for his criticism and religious instruction, the Board and Superintendent Reid violated that right....

ADF issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.

President's Task Force on Anti-Christian Bias Issues Report

Yesterday, the President's Task Force to Eradicate anti-Christian Bias issued a report (full text) titled Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias within the Federal Government. The 197-page Report (with an additional 368 pages of Exhibits) focuses on policies of the Biden Administration, and concludes in part:

The Task Force found that, in its zealous pursuit of its preferred policies and constituents, the Biden Administration engaged in anti-Christian bias, seeking to limit Christians’ ability to act in concert with their sincerely held beliefs in their homes, in the workplace, and in the public square. At times, it went still further, leading Christians to reportedly choose between their beliefs and compliance with federal law. And, most troublingly, the Biden Administration is alleged to have prosecuted and jailed peaceful Christian pro-life demonstrators, terminated or harassed Christian workers who did not comply with the vaccine mandates, targeted Christian organizations with IRS inquiries, and subjected Christian schools to excessive fines. Taken together, the findings presented by the Task Force raise serious concerns about whether certain Biden-era policies and practices were administered in a manner consistent with the Constitution and applicable federal law. These concerns implicate core American commitments—religious liberty, equal treatment, and the rule of law—that protect all Americans of faith and conscience....

Our Nation’s forefathers recognized that our most essential rights are given to us by God and are not bestowed by civil government. By design, the Constitution and federal law limit the government’s reach into speech and religion to protect those inalienable rights from the vicissitudes of politics and changing times. Americans have been promised freedom of religion, not just in the privacy of their homes and four walls of their churches, but to daily walk in accordance with their religious teachings and conscience in the public square.

The National Catholic Register summarizes the Report.  The Freedom from Religion Foundation issued a press release strongly criticizing the Report.

T-Shirt Slogans Were Not the Exercise of Religion

In Spihes v. Smith, (D KS, April 29, 2026), a Kansas federal district court dismissed most of the claims brought by a Christian citizen journalist and activist challenging his removal from several demonstrations at the Kansas Capitol Statehouse grounds because of the slogans on shirts he was wearing. He also challenged a new policy on use of the Capitol grounds that has been promulgated by the Kansas Department of Administration.

The court dismissed plaintiff's claim that his removal from two events violated his rights under the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act. The court said in part:

The complaint alleges Plaintiff was wearing a t-shirt that said “Rolling with Jesus and my AK” to each of the events.... Further, at the March 28, 2025, event Plaintiff carried a sign that said, “Bet these pussies won’t blaspheme Islam next.”  ...  At the June 14, 2025, event, Plaintiff carried a sign that read “Illegals Drain American Resources” and “Deport Feminist Bitches First then Illegals.”...

Signs about immigration policy, much like signs about environmentalism, are not religious expressions.  Additionally, Plaintiff’s sign at the March 28, 2025, event, despite referencing Islam, is not religious exercise either, as it is merely a sign designed to score a political point about how society approaches a religion.  Plaintiff has not demonstrated that this is an exercise of his religion.  

Finally, Plaintiff’s shirt that states he is “Rolling with Jesus and [his] AK” is similarly just a statement about a religion, not the exercise of a religion....

The court also dismissed plaintiff's claim that the new policy on use of the Capitol grounds violates plaintiff's free exercise rights. The court said in part:

Plaintiff claims that the new Capitol Use Policy “requires Dr. Spiehs to impose no limitations or restrictions to participants in his permitted event based upon ‘sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information.’” ...  Plaintiff argues that this policy would force him to “use or employ people who are not his coreligionists: those who do not share, and who behave in ways antithetical to, his Christian beliefs and messaging.”... While Plaintiff does not object to having the “identified categories of individuals” present, he complains that the wording of the policy, specifically the use of the word “participate”, prevents him from limiting his usage of “vendors, staff, or volunteers” based upon their sexual orientation... Plaintiff explains that allowing “transgender, LGBTQ, or feminist” individuals to participate in his event would violate his religious convictions.....  

The law before the court is one that is neutral and generally applicable.  The post-July 1st Capitol Use Policy does not “facially target religion” nor is it “established for the purpose of targeting religion” and therefore does not trigger strict scrutiny....  The court does not view the word “participation”, as used in the policy, as imposing a requirement to hire individuals to whom Plaintiff has a religious objection.

The court allowed plaintiff to move ahead only on a 4th Amendment claim and a narrow free speech claim. 

White House Posts Presidential Message Marking 419th Anniversary of the Cape Henry Cross

Yesterday, the White House posted a "Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the First Landing and the Raising of the Cape Henry Cross" (full text). In it, the President says in part:

On this day 419 years ago, America’s birthright of faith was anchored in the sand when a courageous group of adventurers, explorers, and settlers planted a glorious wooden cross at the crest of Cape Henry, Virginia—a consecration of the new frontier that laid the foundation for the greatest Republic in the history of the world.  Today, our Nation pays tribute to the heroes who landed at Cape Henry in the spring of 1607, and we pledge to pioneer a future that once again upholds our traditions, cherishes our values, and places our trust in Almighty God.

On April 26, 1607, 104 men completed a daring voyage across the Atlantic in search of opportunity in the Americas.  Commissioned by King James I and the Virginia Company of London, they were guided by a noble mission:  to extend Christendom’s dominion in the New World, secure their prosperity, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ....

British Court Reverses Conviction of Christian for Sending Offensive Anti- Abortion Emails

In The King v. Skinner, (Crown Ct., April 24, 2026), a British Crown Court set aside a Magistrate Court's conviction under the Communications Act. Defendant was convicted of violating a provision of the Communications Act that prohibits sending "grossly offensive" messages by means of a public electronic communications network. Defendant, a Christian anti-abortion advocate, sent e-mails captioned "Reporting Mass Murder..." to two police officials. The emails contained pictures of aborted fetuses and made comments about "brutal killings". The emails also contained pictures of Nazi concentration camp victims. The court said in part:

First, the views expressed in the Letters (as supported by the Images) are political speech entitled to the highest form of protection. The abortion debate raises important matters of public interest where strong views are legitimately held and expressed, often in forceful terms, by persons on each side of the argument. ...

Second, an individual has the right to use images as a form of speech in a way which will shock and offend and indeed it is of often the power of an image which carries the message in its strongest terms....

Third, the intended recipients of the Letters were public officials....

In summary, the Crown has not satisfied us under the demanding standard applied to restrictions on political speech, that the conviction is a justifiable interference with Mr. Skinner’s Article 10(1) rights. On the facts, that restriction has not been demonstrated to be necessary in our modern democratic society

Law & Religion UK reports on the decision.

Plaintiff Lacks Standing to Challenge Creation of Taks Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias

In Hall v U.S. Department of Justice, (ND CA, April 9, 2026), a California federal district court held that plaintiff lacks standing to challenge on Establishment Clause grounds the Justice Department's use of Congressionally appropriated funds to create the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. Concluding that plaintiff lacks taxpayer standing, the court said in part:

If a plaintiff cannot show that the challenged action “was expressly authorized or mandated by any specific congressional enactment,” then that plaintiff’s lawsuit “is not directed at an exercise of congressional power, and . . . lacks the requisite logical nexus between taxpayer status and the type of legislative enactment attacked.”...

... [A]s alleged in his FAC, Hall is challenging allegedly unauthorized actions by the DOJ. He thus cannot show that those challenged actions were “expressly authorized or mandated by any specific congressional enactment.”

Defense Secretary's Wartime Prayer Services Draw Criticism

Last week, Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Defense Department seeking information about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's monthly Christian Prayer & Worship Services at the Pentagon. (Full text of complaint in Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. U.S. Department of Defense, (D DC, filed 3/23/2026)). Military Times last week reported on the religious services in an article titled Hegseth Prays for 'Overwhelming Violence' During Pentagon Christian Service. Pope Leo XIV's Palm Sunday Homily seemed to aim criticism at Hegseth. The Pope said in part:

Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).

3rd Circuit: Prison Officials Have Qualified Immunity in Inmate's Lawsuit Over Right to Receive Religious Pamphlets

In Cordero v. Kelley, (3rd Cir., March 19, 2026), the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals held that prison officials who refused to allow an inmate to receive a bulk mailing of religious pamphlets had qualified immunity in a damage action against them alleging violation of the 1st Amendment. The court said in part:

Cordero asserts that his Christian religion requires him to spread the Word of God by sending religious pamphlets, or tracts, to friends and family.  Prior to 2015, Cordero was able to receive hundreds of pamphlets at a time via mail at NJSP without incident.  However, from 2015 to 2017, Gregory Kelley, a correctional officer working in the NJSP mailroom, rejected multiple bulk mailings containing 100 or more religious pamphlets....

We agree with the District Court that the defendants were entitled to qualified immunity on Cordero’s First Amendment claim for damages.  We have found no caselaw clearly establishing a right to either receive through the mail bulk quantities of religious materials, or the right to receive a yearly bulk order of Christian tracts....

Cordero also argues that the New Jersey Administrative Code mandates that he “be permitted to receive, retain and send out religious literature without quantity limitations.”... However, “[o]fficials sued for constitutional violations do not lose their qualified immunity merely because their conduct violates some statutory or administrative provision.”  Davis v. Scherer, 468 U.S. 183, 194 (1984).  Rather, the “clearly established right must be the federal right on which the claim for relief is based.”  Doe v. Delie, 257 F.3d 309, 319 (3d Cir. 2001).  And a “state statute cannot ‘clearly establish’ the federal right for qualified immunity purposes.”  Id.  

High School Teacher Did Not Violate Constitution in Counseling Muslim Student Who Converted to Christianity

In Chaudhry v. Thorsen, (ND IL, March 18, 2026), an Illinois federal district court rejected Establishment Clause, substantive due process, and equal protection claims against Pierre Thorsen, a high school history teacher, brought by Muslim parents of one of Thorsen's students. According to the court:

Entering Jacobs High School, Aliya—the daughter of Chaudhry and Alvi—identified as Muslim but was actively questioning her faith. In two classes with Thorsen, she established a strong rapport with him. She trusted him enough to approach him and ask personal questions related to her faith, having conversations before and after school....  As Aliya gradually chose to convert from Islam to Christianity, Thorsen grew concerned for her well-being given the ongoing family dynamics that she professed to him. He connected her to resources in the community, some of which included his own personal connections: a neighbor, a pastor, and former students. He also, at her request, gave her a Bible from one of these connections.....

Parents suffer no legal injury when their child uses his or her own free will and independent judgment to embrace beliefs that differ from their own.... 

Thorsen’s actions weren’t coercive. He never forced Aliya to talk to him. Rather, she initiated their conversations. When they talked, he didn’t badger Aliya into changing her beliefs. Instead, he talked with her about his own beliefs while also encouraging her to speak to her parents and an imam when she expressed doubts about her religion. It may not have been appropriate for Thorsen to ... connect her with adults in the community, particularly without at least looping in Jacobs’ administration or social workers, if not Aliya’s parents. But this doesn’t violate the Constitution, because Aliya wasn’t coerced into religious activity. Inappropriateness doesn’t necessarily violate the Constitution....

Distinguishing between “historical” teachings consistent with what every high school history student should know and “theological” lessons better reserved for Sunday School is a difficult line to draw, but, wherever it is drawn, Thorsen didn’t cross it. 

As a matter of law, Thorsen’s actions didn’t impermissibly establish religion in violation of the Establishment Clause....

The leap required to get from his actions—assisting Aliya in a pre-existing religious journey—to a nefarious discriminatory intent against Muslims as a class, is far beyond the capabilities of a reasonable jury, and the Court can’t allow the claim to proceed as a matter of law.

County Employee Sues Over Denial of Religious Accommodation So He Could Avoid Celebrating Pride Month

Suit was filed yesterday in a California federal district court by an employee of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works alleging that the county violated Title VII as well as the 1st and 14th Amendments and California law by denying him a religious accommodation so he would not have to celebrate Pride Month. The complaint (full text) in Batman v. Los Angeles County, (CD CA, filed 3/10/2026), alleges in part:

4. Beginning in March 2023, the County directed all of its government departments to ensure that the “Pride Progress Flag” was flown at every government department.... The policy revisions also directed the government offices to adopt ways to demonstrate that all government offices celebrate so-called “Pride Month” and make its celebration overt, express, and universal.  

5. As a result of his sincerely held religious beliefs and a conflict with his employer’s open and notorious celebration of something Batman considers a sin, Batman requested a simple accommodation of working remotely during the one month of the year that his employment requirements conflict with his sincerely held religious beliefs.....

82. Rather than provide Batman a reasonable accommodation that was plainly available and not burdensome to anyone, Batman was instructed that he could simply use the back entrance....  

83. The Department also suggested to Batman that he seek mental health counseling for any distress he may feel as a result of the conflict between his sincerely held religious beliefs and the Department’s denial of his requested accommodation.... In other words, the Department suggested to Batman that his religious beliefs required mental health counseling rather than accommodation.

The complaint sets out at length the Biblical basis for plaintiff's beliefs.

Liberty Counsel issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.

Advocacy Group Says Military Commanders Are Describing Iran Operations in Christian Biblical Terms

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy organization dedicated to assuring church-state separation in the armed forces, reported yesterday that it has received numerous complaints from military personnel that, in briefings, their commanders are describing the military operations against Iran in Christian eschatological terms. According to a report on Substack by journalist Jonathan Larsen:

A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer.

From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

The complaints came from more than 40 different units spread across at least 30 military installations, the MRFF told me Monday night.

President Trump's Ash Wednesday Message

Yesterday, the White House posted a Presidential Message on Ash Wednesday (full text). It reads in part:

Today, the First Lady and I join the millions of Christians in the United States and around the world in observing Ash Wednesday—a solemn day of prayer and repentance and the beginning of the Lenten season.

Every Ash Wednesday, Christians receive ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads as a visible reminder of our belonging to Jesus Christ and our enduring need for penance....

... [W] are reminded that the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving have been foundational to our strength from the earliest days of our national story.  From the Colonists who turned to prayer and fasting in the heart of the Revolutionary War to the unmatched compassion and generosity of America’s churches, hospitals, and charitable institutions, these righteous acts of faith over the centuries have always stood at the center of our identity, our heritage, and our way of life....

Above all, as we prepare for the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday—the greatest miracle in the history of mankind—we pause to remember those sacred words:  “This is the time of fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Palestinian Authority Unveils New Draft Constitution

Times of Israel reported earlier this month:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received a draft constitution [on February 5] ... that aims to transition the PA to a full-fledged state, Ramallah’s official Wafa media outlet said....

Abbas ordered that the draft constitution be submitted to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee for review before being made available for public feedback, a process that could take months to over a year, a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel.

It will then have to go through a public referendum and receive a majority support in order to come into effect.

The "Draft of the Temporary Constitution of the State of Palestine" (full text) contains a number of provisions on religion and religious freedom. It provides in part:

Preamble: ... Palestine is the cradle of heavenly religions, where peace was preached and where the Messenger of God travelled; it is the land of prophets, the meeting place of religions, and the cradle of civilizations.  From its heart, this constitution draws the essence of humanity, where faith is a guide, tolerance is a lifestyle, and justice and peace are a goal for those who seek it....

Article 3, Sec. 2:  The state is committed to preserving its religious character and protecting its Islamic and Christian sanctities, as well as its legal, political, and historical status....

 Article 4, Sec. 1: Islam is the official religion in the State of Palestine.  

Sec. 2: The principles of Islamic Sharia are a primary source for legislation.  

Sec. 3: Christianity has its status in Palestine, and its followers' rights are respected.

 Article 37: Freedom of belief is absolute, and the freedom to practice religious rites and establish places of worship for followers of monotheistic religions is a right regulated by law. ...

Article 38 Sec. 3: The law prohibits any call for racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence.

Article 69 Sec. 1: The law punishes the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, aggression, and all serious and systematic violations of human rights. They are not subject to a statute of limitations and may not be pardoned.

 Article 132 Sec. 1: Sharia disputes and personal status are handled by Sharia and religious courts.