Family Policy Alliance is proud to be allied with Nebraska Family Policy Alliance.

Keep up the “wall of separation between church and state”—ever wonder what that phrase really means? And is it in the Constitution? Check out the latest video from our allies at Nebraska Family Alliance!

Amid the din of election news, the U.S. Supreme Court quietly went back to work last week. Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat is still vacant. It will remain so until after the election.

The justices have taken more than 30 cases. One in particular could impact religious freedom.  It involves a church in Missouri that applied for a state grant to cover its daycare playground with ground rubber tires. Even though the church qualified, the state turned down the application citing the separation of church and state.

“Can a state really take the position that we have a higher wall between the separation of church and state in our state than in the federal Constitution?” attorney Paul Clement asked at an event at the Heritage Foundation. “It’ll be a hard case to duck.”

But it appears they are trying. Even though they have agreed to hear it, the Trinity Lutheran case does not appear on the court docket. Many are speculating that they’re waiting until a new justice joins them.

 

New ordinance only allows the chaplains of the city police and fire departments to open the meetings with prayer.

The Council had approved a moment of silence to replace the regular prayers after a Satanist from Tucson was scheduled to give an opening prayer in February. The new ordinance only allows the chaplains of the city police and fire departments to open the meetings with prayer.

“What we passed was reinstituting invocation or prayer at the city of Phoenix,” Councilman Sal DiCiccio told the Catholic News Agency, “we made it stronger than it ever has been in its 65-year history.”

CitizenLink’s allied policy group, the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), is thrilled with the vote.

“Prayer has been a part of the legislative process throughout our nation’s and our state’s history,” CAP President Cathi Herrod said. “Allowing this cherished tradition to continue with a commonsense, respectful policy is the right decision for the City of Phoenix and its citizens.”