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As the suspension of Minerva Carcano, bishop of the United Methodist California-Nevada Conference, crosses the one-year mark, a UMC agency is asking to serve as a monitor as the bishop's [...]

INTRODUCTION Religion has played an important role in the foundation of human society, particularly in the United States. American coins say "In God We Trust," the pledge of allegiance includes [...]

Introduction The Canadian jurisprudence on freedom of religion has tended to focus on the accommodation of religious practices rather than exploring the constitutionality of judicial reliance on religious-based reasoning. A [...]

Is it ever acceptable for a judge in a secular liberal democracy (1) to rely on, and explicitly refer to, religious-based reasoning (2) in reaching a decision? While it is [...]

Reference to the works of Edmund Burke help to illuminate the need for judges to elevate law to its intrinsic spiritual component. Economics cannot and should not be used by jurists because people are simply not rational actors devoid of spirituality and differences. Attention to the truth of what people really are and what they really desire results in the conclusion that judges should do religion and not economics.

Critics contend that judges who use religion as a partial basis for their opinions may be overstepping their authority, demonstrating bias or violating the First Amendment line of a wall between church and state. These judicial actions come at a time of common belief in a general lack of morals and personal character that only religion can change. Some judges see their religious values as operating subconsciously and say deliberate usage of religion in crafting a judicial opinion is rare. Recusal for religious reasons has even been known to happen.