Even before the Supreme Court’s egregious Obergefell v. Hodges decision of 2015, state and local governments were running roughshod over the religious freedoms of men, women and businesses who declined to lend their talents to homosexual unions.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of a Colorado baker whose religious principles set him against a "social justice" movement, empowered by the state government, that has tried to destroy his business.

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission could become one of the defining religious–liberties cases of our time. In a very real sense the case will determine what the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion actually means.

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In Still Silent No More our founder and president, Pastor Rod Parsley, wrote eloquently about how the meaning of the noble phrase "separation of church and state" has been twisted into something best suited for Opposite Day.

Thomas Jefferson, who is credited with coining the phrase "separation of church and state," expressed it as part of a commitment to keep the government from meddling with the American church. It’s become, instead, a polemic bigots use to warn of a "theocracy," whatever that is, any time people of faith want to participate in the Republic.

The U.S. Supreme Court reclaimed at least part of the true meaning of "separation of church and state" this week, and reinforced the First Amendment in a 7–2 decision.

The ramifications of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer are unknown and unknowable. But it’s heartening to know that amidst a government that seems to have lost all manner of common sense, some of the city’s designated adults are seated at U.S. Supreme Court.

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One of the most disturbing and concerning trends in public life involves institutional catering to the perpetually aggrieved. It has created a climate where the person who claims to be offended by another's actions becomes all–powerful.

In the marketplace of ideas that in many ways drives this nation, catering to the offended – or second–guessing out of fear of who may be offended – has silenced other viewpoints. And often, the power of government has been used to police thoughts.

This week's unanimous Supreme Court decision in Matal v. Tam may not do much to deter the din of political correctness, But importantly, it makes clear that the government cannot choose sides based on the possibility that a name or an image might offend someone else. And that's good news, especially for the Church of Jesus Christ.

It also gives us hope as we anticipate the court's decision in an important religious–liberties case, Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, which is expected to be announced next week.

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We've told you about the Trump Administration's plans to follow up on a May executive order to protect religious liberties. Initial reports were that a new rule was in the works that would exempt all religious employers, not just houses of worship, from the requirement to cover up to 20 forms of birth control for their employees and other covered persons, at no out–of–pocket cost. The previous rule, implemented under the Obama Administration, showed blatant disregard for the employers' religious liberties.

The interim final rule, however, is even better than we had hoped. It allows all employers to choose to opt out of the coverage of contraceptives. If you're a fan of the Constitution, this is great news.

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Senate confirmation hearings for any position other than a member of the Cabinet or a Supreme Court justice rarely makes the news. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont recently shifted that paradigm with a remarkably strident denunciation of Russ Vought, the Trump Administration's nominee to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The Senator's objection to Vought is that Vought is a Bible–believing Christian. Really. We're not making this up.

Two things are clear here:

1. Sen. Sanders has much to learn about the Constitution, which clearly forbids religious tests for public office.
2. Other than correction from Bible–believing Christians in print and online articles and commentary on cable news channels, he will face no consequence for his actions. There's no way to make Sen. Sanders vote for Vought's confirmation or even to apologize to him.

What to do, then? We'd do well to remember that there have always been people like Sen. Sanders, and there always will be. Jesus told us as much.

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If you want to appreciate the impact Planned Parenthood, the nation’s premier abortionist, has on our culture, consider the city of St. Louis. One of the heartland’s finest cities, the Gateway Arch, one of the great appetizers in the history of food in toasted ravioli, a vibrant music arts scene — and home to an estimated 311,000 people.

Planned Parenthood kills more babies every year through abortion than the entire city of St. Louis.

That’s by Planned Parenthood’s own admission in its recently released annual report, covering the 12–month period ending June 30, 2016. The release of the report, required due to Planned Parenthood’s lavish government funding, makes a good case for why they should no longer receive government funding.

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Earlier this month President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect religious liberties, and we were cautiously optimistic that the administration would soon follow up with concrete action.

The New York Times reported May 30 that the Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a rule that would exempt religious employers from the Affordable Care Act’s ill–advised mandate to cover 20 types of contraception without cost to covered persons. While we don’t reflexively oppose most types of contraception, we have always opposed the government’s violation of the religious liberties of organizations that find some or all forms of contraception morally unacceptable.

We, in fact, believe this choice should be available to all employers. But this is an important step in the right direction.

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The U.S. Supreme Court this month let stand a lower court ruling that invalidated a comprehensive election–reform law in North Carolina. The law most prominently eliminated same–day voter registration in the state, changed voter–ID requirements and reduced the number of early voting days.

There’s every indication, thanks to a statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, that the nation’s highest court declined to take the case because of procedural issues that have nothing to do with the merits of the law. But the end result is, the court has left election–reform opponents emboldened to attempt to turn back the clock on important safeguards to the elections process. And election–reform advocates now can’t be sure what initiatives will and won’t receive judicial approval.

The U.S. Supreme Court should take an election–reform case at its earliest convenience and use it to clarify issues it has muddied with its latest action.

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This Wednesday, April 19, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a religious–liberties case, Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, that focuses on a playground on a church campus in Columbia, Mo., but could have widespread impact across the nation.

The court is at full strength this week for the first time in more than a year, thanks to the addition of Justice Neil Gorsuch earlier this month to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

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Early media reports are portraying today’s confirmation of federal appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court as a victory for President Donald Trump. The Senate confirmed him by a 54–45 vote on April 7.

Our view is that it is a victory for all Americans, because Judge Gorsuch is temperamentally and ideologically prepared to serve with distinction on the nation’s highest court.

Forget the vitriol you’ve heard about Gorsuch occupying a "stolen seat" — the truth is much different. Both major candidates accepted that the vacancy was part of the stakes of the 2016 presidential election. And as President Barack Obama never tired of telling us, elections have consequences.

Click here to respond to your U.S. Senators concerning the April 7 vote.

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The U.S. Senate March 30 passed and sent to President Donald J. Trump legislation that, if signed, would let states move federal Title X funds from Planned Parenthood to legitimate women’s health–care providers.

The 51–50 vote required Vice President Mike Pence, in his role as presiding officer of the Senate, to break a deadlock on the resolution. No matter. Assuming President Trump signs the legislation, states will have the option over where their Title X funds go, and that’s a very good thing.

Click here to ask the president to sign House Joint Resolution 43.

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Confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate this week represent a critical time for the Supreme Court and our nation, and have only confirmed for us our initial instinct that Judge Neil Gorsuch is an outstanding choice to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch is exceedingly qualified and embraces the Constitution and the rule of law.

We understand concerns that others have raised on specific issues, including critical questions surrounding the sanctity of human life and the importance of religious freedom. But Judge Gorsuch has made it profoundly clear that, on the high court, he would be a judge — someone who interprets the law, without using the office to create new law to achieve a preferred political result. That’s what we’ve long asked for from the men and women who serve in the federal judiciary, and that tells us Judge Gorsuch is eminently qualified to sit on the high court.

It is time for this confirmation process to move forward. CMC urges the U.S. Senate to promptly confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. You can join us by clicking here to send an email to your state’s U.S. Senators, urging their "yes" vote on the judge.

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The Department of Justice this week walked away from a challenge to a voter ID law being litigated in Texas. And what it is no longer claiming is telling, because it’s something the federal government shouldn’t have pursued in the first place.

Despite progressive rhetoric to the contrary, it’s entirely appropriate to require voters to prove they are who they say they are and live where they say they live. This issue has already been settled in a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case, and it’s been resurrected by election–reform opponents mainly as a means of stirring partisan rancor, in our view.

Click here to send an affirming email to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

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The Trump administration on Feb. 22 took the welcome step of reversing the previous administration’s misguided attempt to forge social policy for public–school students who don’t accept their biological gender.

Because we were aghast at the Obama administration’s original action in 2015, we are pleased that the Trump administration has eliminated it. And we believe the hysterical response from the Left regarding this common–sense step reveals more about them than it does about boys and girls who are gender–confused.

Click here to thank President Donald Trump for his leadership on this issue.

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For most of America, the Super Bowl is an annual championship football game, played this year this coming Sunday. But for values voters and others interested in national politics, the Super Bowl came early this year – when President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

CMC believes the Senate should do its duty and confirm Judge Gorsuch promptly. There are no guarantees that he, or any judge, will always rule the way we’d like. But Gorsuch is eminently qualified. Most importantly, he correctly believes judges should stick to their constitutionally assigned role and interpret the law as applied in the cases that come before them, and not legislate their preferred public–policy solutions from the bench.

Click here to ask your U.S. Senators to support the Gorsuch nomination.

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Defense of the right to life is sometimes called a fringe issue, but it isn’t and never has been. Don’t be fooled by the crowds at last weekend’s Women’s March events in Washington and elsewhere — more than half of the nation opposes abortion, and a greater majority doesn’t understand why tax dollars ever pay for the violent termination of an unborn baby’s life.

It’s appropriate, then, that one of the first legislative priorities for the new Congress is found in H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017. This bill, if enacted into law, would keep the abortion industry away from the federal treasury. Importantly, it would also make the Hyde Amendment, passed annually to prohibit Medicaid funds from being used for abortion, a permanent part of federal law.

Click Congress is found in here to ask your Member of Congress to support H.R. 7 when it comes to the House floor for a vote.

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The inauguration of President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, as we’ve said before, represents "a chance to dramatically improve public policy concerning the nation’s most important issues — including life, religious liberties and the temperament of the federal judiciary. But that’s exactly what it is — a chance." There are no guarantees.

To seize the opportunity before us will require one of Jesus’s admonitions to His disciples: "Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16, MEV). We must be like the Old Testament tribe of Issachar, understanding the times as well as what to do about them. Importantly, we have to remember that being on the right side of the issues is no guarantee of success.

To begin to right our upside–down culture, we need to set attainable goals and work toward them smartly.

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