Is there any way for a jury or judge to see past a sufficiently sophisticated farce? For now, we’ll have to hope that invented religions stick to humor and forgo genuine dedication to acquiring religious accommodations through an elaborate ruse.
President Trump has recently signed an executive order, titled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals,” that restricts visits and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. Trump’s executive order has sparked widespread protest and backlash from Muslim support groups, and has routinely been characterized as “racist.”
The Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in a case on First Amendment rights afforded to employees of churches and other religious institutions. Colin McKeon discusses some of the complexities of the case.
Professor Michael Dorf explores why conscientious objectors to gay marriage are not given the same deference as other conscientious objectors such as Quakers opposed to serving in the military. He also discusses what level of participation,in an act considered immoral, is required by a conscientious objector for an exemption to be recognized by the law.