by Ryan Foley, Christian Post
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued updated guidance on religious liberty to executive branch agencies, including a new clarification on parental rights and expanded references to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
The new guidance, released Thursday, updates previous guidance on religious liberty issued by the DOJ in 2017. The revised edition includes a bullet point on parental rights and features multiple references to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on religious liberty.
It comes eight days after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to lead the department, and follows a June recommendation from the DOJ’s Religious Liberty Commission that Trump “instruct the Department of Justice to issue guidance clarifying the proper understanding of the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state.”
“Religious liberty is one of our nation’s founding principles and a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,” Blanche said in a statement announcing the release. “It is essential that federal agencies fully respect and protect the ability of all Americans to live out their faith in daily life, including in their interactions with the federal government.”
Kelly Shackelford, president of First Liberty Institute, praised the new guidance as consistent with the Trump administration’s “strong efforts to protect America’s first freedom — religious freedom” in a statement Thursday. “This updated guidance will ensure that the federal government will respect the religious liberty rights of all Americans when implementing the President’s policies,” he predicted. “We will continue to fight with the President to ensure that religious liberty is protected for all Americans.”