Author: Charles C. Haynes
Trump and the future of the First Amendment
Vicious name-calling, racist fear-mongering, crude remarks about women’s body parts, cyberbullying, playground taunts: Welcome to the ever-lowering low bar for political discourse in Trump’s America…
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Justice Scalia’s disastrous decision on religious freedom
Justice Scalia was no defender of religious freedom. On the contrary, Scalia authored Employment Division v. Smith, the landmark 1990 Supreme Court decision that all but erased the Free Exercise clause from the First Amendment.
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At Morocco summit, Muslim leaders stand up for religious freedom
The Marrakesh Declaration comes at a time of unprecedented persecution of Christians and other minority groups by extremists acting in the name of Islam in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
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Religious diversity, school calendars and the quest for fairness
Religious monopolies like the one enjoyed for so long by Protestants in public schools are antithetical to religious freedom. We can disagree on how best to move from monopoly to diversity, but we should work together toward the shared goal of fairness and equity for all.
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In 2016, genocide is taking place and it must end
The New Year begins, mass killings continue, and the United States government has yet to declare what is happening in Iraq and Syria “genocide.”
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The First Amendment, our articles of peace
In 2015, America’s increasingly crowded public square was often filled with hostility, becoming an angry arena where people shout past one another across religious and ideological divides.
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Fear and loathing in America
Trump’s outrageous, un-American and unconstitutional proposal is the latest escalation of his ongoing campaign to demonize Islam and Muslims. He has already informed us that, if elected, he will consider closing mosques and registering American Muslims.
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Muslims, refugees, and the struggle for the soul of America
The horrific terrorist attacks of recent weeks have brought out the worst – and the best – in the American character.
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Islam, public schools, and the challenge of teaching about religions
What has triggered recent conflicts is not so much inclusion of study about religions in the curriculum – some level of religious literacy, after all, is required by all state standards. The fight is over how teaching about religions – in this case Islam – is carried out in the classroom.
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Politics and perils of Muslim bashing on the campaign trail
According to conventional presidential campaign wisdom, loose talk denigrating a religious tradition practiced by millions of Americans would seriously damage – if not sink – a candidate’s bid for the nomination of either major party.
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