U.S. Supreme Court Rules Religious Outreach Qualifies as Religious Activity
The following is a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom:
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a decision Thursday from the U.S. Supreme Court in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission in which the court unanimously overturned a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that said Catholic Charities was not a religious organization because the way it served the poor and needy was not religious enough. ADF attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of By the Hand Club for Kids, an Illinois ministry, in support of overturning the Wisconsin court ruling:
“Government has no business second-guessing the way a faith organization lives out its ministry. When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it unconstitutionally entangles church and state—at the expense of ministries that live out their faith, at least in part, through serving their communities. The U.S. Supreme Court rightly struck down the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling that would have allowed government officials to inevitably favor religious views and activities they are familiar with, while excluding those that are either unfamiliar or disfavored. Religious ministries that aid a diverse range of people outside their congregations are still engaged in religious activity, and we applaud the court for upholding these core First Amendment freedoms unanimously.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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