Yesterday the Supreme Court issued a judgment that affirms our religious freedom. The First Amendment promises, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Yesterday's ruling reaffirmed that religious institutions have the right to hire and fire without the interference of the government. Hosanna-Tabor, a Lutheran congregation near Detroit, had terminated a teacher in its parochial school. This teacher had been religiously trained and called to teach religion and other subjects in an explicitly Christian environment. The government sued on behalf of the teacher for backpay, reinstatement and damages.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the suit "intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs" as well as "the right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments." It is important to note that all nine justices agreed.
Wall Street Journal Online wrote, "Hosanna-Tabor is an important reminder that the core religious freedoms guarded by the First Amendment were not to protect the public from religion, but to protect religion from government. The case is arguably among the most important religious liberty cases in a half century."
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