The free exercise of religion is at the heart of suits out of Louisiana, Colorado, and California.
The Supreme Court kicked off its fall term on Monday. The high court will be hearing several cases addressing religious liberty questions in various states.
In the Louisiana case, a Rastafarian man had his nearly knee-length dreadlocks shaved off before serving a five-month prison sentence. He had grown them after taking a Nazarite vow to never cut his hair. His lawyers claim that the warden’s decision to cut the man’s hair, which he was informed grew for religious purposes, violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 10.
The Supreme Court heard arguments for a Christian counselor challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. The counselor claims that limiting therapy conversations violates free speech rights. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state was regulating the counselor’s conduct, not speech.
A case out of California appeals the public accommodation law cited for a lawsuit against a Christian baker who declined to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
The high court will also hear cases out of West Virginia and Idaho regarding the restriction of participation by biological males, who identify as transgender, in girls’ and women’s sports.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for the justices of the Supreme Court as they hear oral arguments in all the religious freedom cases.
- For Chief Justice John Roberts to be discerning as he presides over the high court.
Sources: UPI News,AP News
