The Fairness for All Act (FAA) introduced into the House of Representatives on December 6, 2019, is intended to resolve ongoing conflicts between LGBT civil rights advocates and religious freedom advocates. FFA will add protections for LGBT people to federal civil rights laws while simultaneously strengthening protections for religious freedom and other rights. Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies explains why FFA takes a pluralist approach and how that aligns with the Institutional Freedom Alliance.
**STATEMENT** The Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance Endorses the Fairness for All Bill December 6, 2019 (WASHINGTON, DC) – The Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance supports the…
By Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed to eliminate an Obama-administration regulation requiring its grantees not discriminate…
By Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies The Vital Role in Society of Faith-Based Organizations Here are three . . . quick indicators of the importance of religious…
By Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies Nearly 110,000 comments on a seemingly obscure proposed change to the federal contracting regulations were recently received by the U.S. Department…
Religious organizations often do things that others disagree with or may even consider harmful. But civil society – the zone of religious as well as secular non-governmental organizations – is the place of voluntary mixing and matching. In this lecture from Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies as part of the Religious Freedom Institute’s FORIS lecture series, Carlson-Thies says that when these organizations are allowed to be distinctive, then job seekers can find a compatible workplace, and then students, patients, and customers can find a place best suited for their particular needs and convictions. Not all difference is harmful discrimination; much is positive pluralism.
In his book Pluralism and Freedom, Stephen V. Monsma challenges an individualistic, Enlightenment-shaped perspective that interprets our constitutional right to religion as a private matter. Such an understanding dictates that religious behavior does not belong in the public square. Andrea Rice compares and contrasts Monsma’s arguments with a public justice framework. She concludes that a vision of religious freedom that encompasses the contributions of faith-based organizations, institutions and community groups must be included in our definition of freedom and human rights.
Seven Baskets, a faith-based nonprofit focused on community development in Columbus, Ohio, collaborates with the public sector to transform the lives of Ohio’s urban residents. Providing tutoring, extracurricular programs, meals, discipleship, and workforce development, this faith-based organization exemplifies the meaning of community renewal through its collaboration with other faith-based organizations, as well as through creative government partnerships. In this interview with Seven Baskets CEO JeffMansel, Sacred Sector Director Chelsea Langston Bombino identifies the ways Seven Baskets has uniquely partnered with the government to help nourish the Columbus, Ohio residents it serves.
This article will discuss organizational best practices for Michigan churches and faith-based organizations (FBOs) that receive, or are considering receiving, government grants or contracts. It emphasizes how an organization can maintain its faith-based mission and identity even if the organization is considering partnering with government. This resource will help an FBO consider guidelines for accepting government and private funds in a way that aligns with its sacred mission.
An August 15th Trump administration proposal to clarify the religious hiring rights of religious employers in federal contracting is being labeled a “license to discriminate” against LGBT job seekers. Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies suggests an alternative framework for understanding this proposed rulemaking: it is a much-needed effort to affirm the religious staffing freedom that exists in the federal contracting rules and that was left untouched when President Obama added protections for LGBT people. There are not many religious organizations that contract with the federal government (in distinction from receiving federal grants). Still, the proposed changes are important protections for their religious rights and important also for ensuring that such organizations—who may be the best providers of goods and services—are not excluded from eligibility.