Case in Point May/June 2026
May/June 2026High-Stakes Debate in Canada Over Religious Speech
Canada’s House of Commons has passed the Combatting Hate Act, a sweeping bill that would strengthen penalties for hate crimes and remove a long-standing protection for speech based on religious texts or sincerely held religious beliefs. Religious freedom advocates and conservative lawmakers warn that the change could expose clergy, religious organizations, and ordinary believers to prosecution for quoting or teaching biblical passages on issues such as sexuality and gender identity. The concerns intensified after a Canadian cabinet minister suggested during parliamentary debate that some Bible passages could be considered hateful and should not automatically qualify as protected religious expression. Supporters of the legislation say it is intended to combat extremism and protect vulnerable groups, while critics argue the bill risks giving the government broad authority to police religious speech and determine which religious teachings are acceptable in public life. The bill is now undergoing review in the Senate, which must study and approve Bill C-9 before it can become law and may also propose changes to the legislation.
Colorado Therapy Ban Fails First Amendment Test
In an 8–1 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most applications of Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for minors, ruling that the law violated the First Amendment when applied to counseling based solely on speech. In Chiles v. Salazar, the Court held that Colorado could not prohibit a licensed Christian counselor from engaging in talk therapy aimed at helping minors change or reduce unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria while allowing counseling that affirms LGBTQ identities. Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the state’s law amounted to viewpoint discrimination because it permitted counselors to express one perspective on sexuality and gender identity but not another. The ruling is expected to have major implications for similar bans in other states and for broader debates over free speech, religious liberty, and the regulation of licensed professionals.
Trump Task Force Alleges Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden
A Justice Department task force created under President Donald Trump issued a report in April alleging that the Biden administration engaged in widespread discrimination against Christians, particularly when religious beliefs conflicted with policies on issues such as abortion, gender, and vaccine mandates. The report from the President’s Task Force to Eradicate anti-Christian Bias argues that while private belief was tolerated, efforts to live out those beliefs in public life were often restricted, and it cites examples involving prosecutions, education policies, and regulatory actions. Critics, however, say the report relies on selective examples, conflates policy disagreements with religious persecution, and fails to demonstrate a broader pattern of anti-Christian bias.
Catholic Preschool Challenge Heads to Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court has added another religious liberty dispute to its docket, agreeing to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. The case involves a Catholic preschool in Colorado that was excluded from the state’s universal preschool program because it would not comply with rules requiring it to admit all families, including those with LGBTQ parents; the school argues this amounts to religious discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. Oral argument is expected in the fall of 2026.
Court Allows Texas Ten Commandments Law to Take Effect
A sharply divided federal appeals court has allowed Texas to enforce a law requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. In a 9–8 decision, the Fifth Circuit upheld the law, rejecting claims by multifaith families that the displays violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The court relied on the Supreme Court’s newer “history and tradition” approach to religious liberty cases, signaling a departure from earlier precedent that barred similar classroom displays. The case seems likely to be headed for Supreme Court review.
Limits on Church Campaign Endorsements Remain in Place
A federal judge in Texas has rejected a proposed agreement that would have prevented the U.S. Internal Revenue Service from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against churches, ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction to approve the deal. The Johnson Amendment, adopted in 1954, is a provision in federal tax law that bars tax-exempt nonprofits, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The proposed settlement would have allowed clergy to endorse candidates during worship services without risking their tax-exempt status, a move critics warned could further blur the line between church and state and increase partisan political activity within houses of worship.
Supreme Court Weighs In on School Gender Policies
The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily sided with a group of California parents challenging school policies that allow students to socially transition their gender at school without notifying or obtaining consent from parents. The emergency ruling split the Court 6 to 3, with the majority voting to reinstate the lower court order. This order requires schools to follow parents’ instructions regarding student names and pronouns and prohibits schools from withholding information from parents about their children’s gender presentation at school. The majority said the parents were likely to succeed in arguing that the policies violated their religious freedom and their constitutional right to direct the upbringing of their children, while dissenting justices criticized the Court for deciding such a significant issue without full briefing and oral argument.
Christian Woman Wins Religious Identity Case in Iraq
In a potentially landmark ruling for religious freedom in the Middle East, an Iraqi court has ruled in favor of a young Christian woman seeking to correct her official religious status after she was automatically registered as Muslim under Iraqi law. The woman was raised as a Christian but had been classified as Muslim as a child after her mother remarried a Muslim man. The court’s decision affirms her right to identify publicly as Christian despite state-imposed religious classification, a significant development in a country where legal rights and personal status are closely tied to government-recognized religious identity.