The Tension Between Religious Freedom and Secular Law

In a ruling a few days ago, the Supreme Court lifted coronavirus restrictions imposed by California on religious services held in private homes. The decision gave religious Americans another win against government rules that they say infringe on their freedom to worship.

With the latest victory, the question has become whether the Supreme Court’s majority is protecting the rights of the faithful or giving them favorable treatment.

Guest: Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times.

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Background reading: 

• Late Friday night, the Supreme Court lifted California’s restrictions on religious gatherings in private homes. The order followed earlier ones striking down limits on attendance at houses of worship.
• A study that considered data from the past 70 years found that the Supreme Court had become far more likely to rule in favor of religious rights in recent years.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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