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Religious News From Around the Web June 28, 2021

Supeme Court Signals Expansion of Religious Exemption; Choosing the Next Dalai Lama; Tax Denial of Christians Engaged; Key Facts About the Abortion Debate in America; Video: What are Your Free Speech Rights as a Religious Leader?

Supreme Court Signals Expansion of Religious Exemption
Supreme Court Case Could Change Both Abortion and Religion In AmericaNearly five decades after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, opponents and supporters of abortion rights are still battling over the issue in court, at the ballot box and in state legislatures. Several states have introduced or passed new restrictions on abortion in 2021 with an eye toward giving the Supreme Court a chance to overturn its decision in Roe, and the High Court agreed in May to review a Mississippi law that aims to make illegal most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Choosing the Next Dalai Lama
Tenzin_Gyatso_14th_Dalai-lamaIn 2011, the Chinese foreign ministry declared that only the government in Beijing can appoint the next Dalai Lama, and no recognition should be given to any other candidate. The Dalai Lama is confident that no one would trust the Chinese government’s choice. The Tibetan people, as he has said, would never accept a Chinese-appointed Dalai Lama. The 14 generations of Dalai Lamas, spanning six centuries, are linked through their acts of compassion and their wish to benefit all living beings.

IRS Denies Christians Engaged Exemption
(Update: The IRS reversed its ruling after a public outcry.) See the story here.
UCF Reports 158 Cases of Violence Against Christians in the First Half of 2019 in IndiaThe IRS said recently that Christians Engaged as an organization does not qualify for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status because it is “engaged in prohibited political campaign intervention.” Specifically, it alleges that Christians Engaged’s “…bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates.” Among the issues that the IRS determined to be “associated with political party platforms” were “the sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, and biblical justice.” Christians Engaged has appealed.

Video: What are Your Free Speech Rights as a Religious Leader?
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speechCan the Johnson Amendment prohibit you from endorsing or opposing political candidate in your capacity as a religious leader? As a private citizen who is also a religious leader? And what about opposing or supporting a piece of legislation? A short video presented by an attorney from the Alliance Defending Freedom helps clarify.

Photos: Ancient Japanese Temples
Shinto hiring male maidenZuiganji, Motsuji, Chusonji, and Yamadera, were all founded by the same priest, more than eleven centuries ago. They remain popular tourist destinations, as much for their historical significance and beautiful natural settings as for the religious merit gained from visiting them.