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U.S. Supreme Court Protects Religious Ministries

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June 5, 2025

News Release
For Immediate Release: 6.5.25
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4454

U.S. Supreme Court Protects Religious Ministries
Court unanimously rules in favor of Wisconsin Catholic Charities.

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Supreme Court today in Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission unanimously reversed a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that said Catholic Charities was not a religious organization because their ministries and outreach to the poor was not religious enough. First Liberty Institute filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Catholic Charities.  The following statement may be attributed to Ryan Gardner, Counsel for First Liberty Institute:

Any attempt by the government to determine which religiously motivated actions are sufficiently religious enough to enjoy either constitutional protection or eligibility for a government benefit like tax exemption is ‘obnoxious to the Constitution.’  In our cases involving Dad’s Place church in Ohio, Rock Church in Colorado, and Gethsemani church in Arizona, the government has argued that the ministries at issue are not religious enough because, they claim, serving those in need is not a religious act. That’s ludicrous. We applaud the Justices for again affirming unanimously that the First Amendment guarantees the right of all Americans to engage in religious exercise defined by the manner dictated by their sincere religious beliefs rather than the government’s preferences.

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About First Liberty Institute 
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org.

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