Regardless of federal funding rules, proselytizers, practitioners and preachers should be aware of state tort laws that impose liability for harmful speech. Whether religious speech is immune from defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims depends on the context and content of the speech.
Explainer
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
How James G. Blaine became the face of anti-Catholicism in education
And what the editors of America magazine had to say about Blaine amendments
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: Is the Iran nuclear deal totally dead now?
In response to the U.S. attack that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran has announced it will enrich uranium beyond the restrictions of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Is the Vatican misleading donors? Peter’s Pence, explained.
What is Peter’s Pence and how is it used?
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: Who are the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, the Catholics convicted of protesting nuclear weapons?
The obvious religious motivation of the Plowshares activists did not insulate them from criminal prosecution. The First Amendment prohibits the government from applying different rules to religious believers, but the Plowshares defendants were treated the same as any other intruder on government property.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: What is the global response to the refugee crisis?
More people have been forced to flee their homes than at any time in recorded history, writes Kevin White of Jesuit Refugee Service. But there is good news about global initiatives to address the problem.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: When can someone be denied the Eucharist?
When is it permissible, acceptable or prudent to deny the Eucharist to someone?
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
What parents (and everyone else) should know about education laws
Despite the alphabet soup of acronyms used to describe educational programs and the bureaucratic red tape involved in obtaining benefits, learning is a singular experience and small improvements can have profound impacts.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: What is impeachment and why is it an option?
Why do we even an impeachment process when we can just vote the president out of office? John D. Feerick of the Fordham University School of Law explains in an interview with America’s Nicholas D. Sawicki.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Why a repeal of the 2nd Amendment would not be enough to stop gun violence
Unlike other nations that prohibit or narrowly restrict ownership of high-body-count weaponry and ammunition, the United States is hindered in establishing effective gun control by federal and state constitutional roadblocks. Understanding these roadblocks is essential to devising a route around them.