Inside the First Amendment

From a 5th-grader, uncomfortable truth about religious conflict
By Charles C. Haynes — December 26, 2013
If schools don’t teach young kids (or allow them to discuss) the truth about religious strife in history, then what exactly do they teach?

On Thanksgivukkah, give thanks for religious freedom
By Charles C. Haynes — November 28, 2013
Both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving are rooted in the struggle for religious liberty, but neither marks a lasting triumph.

When God-talk by kids is protected speech
By Charles C. Haynes — September 19, 2013
Fortunately, a growing number of schools are getting the message that the First Amendment doesn’t mandate a religion-free zone in public schools.

To stop the madness, put a face to faith
By Charles C. Haynes — September 5, 2013
Success of Face to Faith program in schools worldwide reminds us that In a world torn by sectarian violence and hate, we can – and must – do much more to help young people experience our common humanity.

By removing Islam display, Kansas school surrenders to ignorance
By Charles C. Haynes — August 22, 2013
Bulletin-board posting was part of what public schools are supposed to be doing in teaching about Islam, Christianity and other faiths in ways that are constitutionally and academically sound.

For most Americans, gay equality trumps religious objections
By Charles C. Haynes — August 8, 2013
Advocates for marriage equality draw the line on religious freedom when religious groups take government funds.

A right for the religious is a right for the nonreligious
By Charles C. Haynes — July 14, 2013
Pushback from atheists on religious monuments, military chaplains and other issues is triggered by frequent lack of equal treatment for the nonreligious in a society that often privileges religion.

Democracy minus freedom equals tyranny
By Charles C. Haynes — July 5, 2013
In Egypt, the Morsi government's drive for power produced a constitution that ignored religious freedom, free speech and other basic rights.

Legislative prayers, the Supreme Court’s self-created quagmire
By Charles C. Haynes — May 30, 2013
When the U.S. Supreme Court declared legislative prayers constitutional 30 years ago, the justices sent a convoluted message to legislatures, city councils and other government bodies.

Graduation prayer, fighting over a lost cause
By Charles C. Haynes — May 16, 2013
School officials in Lake City, Arkansas have come up with a novel solution to the fight over prayer at graduation: No prayer, no graduation.

No flowers for gay wedding: Discrimination or religious freedom?
By Charles C. Haynes — April 18, 2013
Lawsuit against a florist who refused to do flower arrangements for a gay wedding pits rights of citizens to be free from discrimination in places of public accommodation against the rights of religious business owners to follow their conscience in matters of faith.

Why fifth graders have rights too
By Charles C. Haynes — March 21, 2013
To what extent do students have First Amendment rights? Recently, a three judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has written another chapter in that debate by ruling in favor of a fifth grader who was barred by school officials from handing out invitations to a Christmas party at her church.

Battling over yoga in public schools
By Charles C. Haynes — March 7, 2013
Is yoga secular or religious? That’s the conundrum at the heart of a new legal battle in Encinitas, California over the teaching of yoga in public schools.

In Texas schools, failing grade for Bible courses
By Charles C. Haynes — February 7, 2013
Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional the devotional use of the Bible by public schools, in its ruling on Abington Township v. Schempp. But many school districts in the Lone Star State still haven’t gotten the message, according to a report released last month by the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) entitled [...]

Perils and politics of inaugural prayers
By Charles C. Haynes — January 25, 2013
In today’s deeply divided America, who prays the ceremonial prayers is fast becoming a religio-political weathervane pointing in the direction cultural winds are blowing.
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