Alan Sears, General Counsel for Alliance Defense Fund said that this case and prior precedents could “pave the way for returning to the Constitution’s original intent” regarding other religious liberty cases, including freedom-of-conscience for medical professionals, and cases where parents want to take out their children from school functions that oppose their religion. Id., at 673, 108 S.Ct., at 1452. This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. '', In addition to filing their own dissenting opinion, Justices Blackmun, Marshall and Brennan signed much of Justice O'Connor's opinion. Case Summary Can a Black Democrat win Mississippi’s Senate race? “RFRA requires the Government to demonstrate that the compelling interest test is satisfied through application of the challenged law ‘to the person’—the particular claimant whose sincere exercise of religion is being substantially burdened,” wrote Roberts. Related Illinois Case. Congress can provide more protection for religious exercise than the Constitution (as interpreted by the court) affords, but it can’t provide less. However the Chief Justice indicated that the RFRA works by requiring that exceptions to general rules be applied. Today it’s a prospect that many Republicans would welcome and many Democrats would dread. Hoasca, they say, is a vital part of that connection. In her opinion concurring only in the result of the case, Justice O'Connor called the majority opinion ''incompatible with our nation's fundamental commitment to individual religious liberty.''. (+1) 202-419-4349 | Fax That measure allows believers to opt out of complying with laws that impose a “substantial burden” on the free exercise of their religion unless there is a compelling government interest in forcing them to comply and the law is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest. Alito went on to say that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against the coach, had taken a troublingly narrow view of teachers’ free-speech rights. . Members believe that peyote itself is sacred, embodying the Holy Spirit. No criminal charges were brought against Bronfman, the UDV or individual church members. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The UDV case arises from the non-traditional religious beliefs of a small band of UDV converts in New Mexico. An addendum to the backgrounder analyzing the court’s decision and its possible impact on future cases will soon be available on the Forum’s Web site, pewforum.org. On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed creating a commission that would determine whether a president is incapacitated. The early date raises the question of who will represent the Administration in the most politically charged argument of the year. The Supreme Court will tackle that question Tuesday in the case Gonzalez v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal (UDV). The Times endorses one incumbent and three newcomers for the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. Endorsement: The Times endorses Hoffman, Anderson, Henderson and Han for LACCD. "This is a sincerely held religious belief and it should be protected so that (UDV members) can pursue their faith without government interference or intrusion.". “We conclude that the government has not carried the burden expressly placed on it by Congress in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” wrote Roberts. '', He said: ''We cannot afford the luxury of deeming presumptively invalid, as applied to a religious objector, every regulation of conduct that does not protect an interest of the highest order.''. They claimed, under the Restoration of Religious Freedoms Act (RRFA), that the federal government could not restrict their use of the hallucinogenic tea in religious services. Feb. 21, 2006 — -- The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a congregation in New Mexico may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a four-hour ritual intended to connect with God. But the Justice Department argues that it has the requisite "compelling interest" necessary to thwart the religious activities of the UDV. This week, as Californians began receiving their mail-in ballots and vote centers officially opened, the Los Angeles Times published a collection of voter and election resources in advance of Nov. 3. The case involves a church, known as Uniao Do Vegetal or the Union of the Plants, that preaches a brand of “Christian spiritualism” that combines indigenous Brazilian beliefs with contemporary Christian teachings. By Linda Greenhouse, Special To the New York Times. Here are the Los Angeles Times’ editorial board endorsements for president, California ballot measures and more. The exception, they claim, has already been applied to the use of peyote by Native American religious groups. Show off your early voting pride with our “I voted early” stickers on Instagram and in print. A landmark Supreme Court decision cutting back on religious freedom under the 1st Amendment may be in trouble.