In his ruling, Benitez made clear that the state had overstepped its constitutional authority by sidelining parents, compelling educators to violate their consciences, and harming vulnerable children by depriving them of parental guidance. At the heart of the case was the question of who holds primary authority over a child’s welfare. The court answered decisively: parents do.

“Nearly all U.S. hospitals participate in Medicare and Medicaid and this action is designed to ensure that the U.S. government will not be in business with organizations that intentionally or unintentionally inflict permanent harm on children,” the HHS press release stated. “Sex-rejecting procedures on children—which include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations—expose them to irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other irreversible physiological effects.”

A Scottish grandmother charged for silently holding a sign offering conversations with women considering abortions had her first hearing in Glasgow Sheriff Court. 

Rev. Kamran Salamat, 45, was attacked on Dec. 5 and found with wounds to the lower abdomen, right wrist, and left ear. Salamat was about to take his daughter, 16, to her college. After gunning him down, the motorcyclist, who is suspected to have been accompanied by two other men, fled unharmed.

“We call on the government of Nicaragua to lift this ban immediately,” Stangl said, “and to cease its continued efforts to stifle freedom of religion or belief and expression in the country. We also reiterate our call on the international community to seek creative ways to support and strengthen independent Nicaraguan voices both inside the country and in exile.”

“The First Amendment grants all Americans the right to express their point of view, religious or secular,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Ryan Gardner. “Rejecting a faith-based advertising banner yet accepting other secular ads is clearly hypocritical, discriminatory, and illegal. We are thankful the City reversed course and will allow New Life Christian Center to run its advertisement.”

Pro-life billboards in West Kelowna, British Columbia, are scheduled to come down at the end of their contract following a fight with pro-abortion activists. The billboards—which state, “All lives are precious”—were purchased from B.C. Billboards by the Kelowna Right to Life Society and stand along Route 97, just 120 miles north of the American-Canadian border. 

“Puberty blockers, and the cross-sex hormones that so often follow them, are highly dangerous drugs that can cause long-lasting damage to children—impacting their bodily development, bone density, mental health, lifelong fertility, and more,” explained Miller. “It is scandalous to expose children to these drugs, and it is scandalous to silence and jail those who speak out about it. No one should fear arrest for defending children’s safety.”

“Parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education and health care of their children without fear of government interference,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, director of ADF’s Center for Parental Rights, in a press release. “Schools should never hide vital information from parents, let alone go against their express instructions related to the well-being of their children. School officials should support parents, not replace them. In this case, we’re pleased HISD agreed to honor the Osborns’ wishes and respect parents’ constitutional rights.”

"People are hungry for what’s real and true,” said Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion’s founder and CEO. “The Bible stands alone as the source of truth, carefully passed from generation to generation. It’s alive and active, and relevant to our everyday lives. These numbers represent millions of changed lives—people finding hope, direction and purpose in God’s Word.”

“We had a very interactive panel of judges who engaged with Pastor Hodges’ legal arguments,” Fleischer said. “Even the government’s attorney effectively conceded the core of our position. When asked whether there were any limits—such as if a mayor might refuse to reappoint someone simply because of disagreement with their religious beliefs—she responded, ‘It would depend on whether there was a nexus between religious tenants and politics.’ In this case, there was no nexus. Pastor Hodges was removed not because of anything he did or how he carried out his duties, but solely because of his Biblical worldview.”

Olivier paused preaching in the area after COVID shut down the amphitheater’s concerts, but in May 2021, he returned to share the Gospel. At first, he evangelized in the designated zone but then eventually moved outside the area to preach because the zone isolated him from speaking to crowds. After he was arrested and fined, Olivier filed suit against the city, arguing that the ordinance violated his First and 14th Amendment rights. 

Both ADF and First Choice Executive Director Aimee Huber have pointed out that the state attorney’s general’s office seems to be attacking the centers because they’re pro-life. “Our state’s government has done everything they could to make New Jersey a sanctuary state for abortion,” said Huber. “Since pregnancy centers like ours do not perform or refer for abortion, we are targets for a government that disagrees with our views.”

A University of Oklahoma student filed a discrimination report after she received a zero out of a 25 for writing an essay that expressed her Christian beliefs on gender norms. The school responded by removing the graduate assistant who graded the essay. 

Religious practice includes groups praying in parks, streets, public squares, universities and other public areas and institutions, Premier Christian News reports. Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s secularism minister, lauded the introduction, believing the bill would be a step toward full secularization in Quebec.