The SPLC Indictment
In a bombshell development, an Alabama grand jury has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on eleven counts. The charges include wire fraud and making false statements to a federally insured bank. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the nonprofit organization sent more than $3 million to informants inside extremist groups without informing donors how their money was used.
Mail Order Abortion
Mail order abortions are at the center of a legal spat once again this week after two notable court decisions. First, on Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Louisiana and restricted the dispensing of Mifepristone—the first of a two-part drug regime used for at-home abortions—to patients seen in-person. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court paused enforcement of that ruling until it could further consider whether to take up the case. This most recent order temporarily restores mail order access to the abortion drug, but the Court is expected to weigh in further after a May 11 deadline.
Birthright Citizenship at the High Court
Our hearts should be inclined toward, and our energies focused on, the eternal condition of every person—citizen and foreigner—we encounter. While our earthly citizenship and legal status is of some significance, we are each traveling to an eternal home and our status in that place is of far greater consequence (Philip. 3:20)!
The Supreme Court Upholds Christian Therapist’s Challenge to Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy
On the Supreme Court’s view, Colorado is engaged in a naked application of its power in a way that shrinks Chiles’ viewpoint and diminishes her speech rights in contravention of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Put differently, Colorado regulates Ms. Chiles' expression while declining to regulate the speech of counselors with which the state agrees.
The Supreme Court Resurrects Street Preacher’s Free Speech Lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that a Mississippi street preacher’s lawsuit challenging restrictions on speech near a city amphitheater can proceed. The court held that his prior convictions do not bar claims seeking only prospective (future) relief. This case reflects the increasingly frequent collision between the secular West and churches and ministers.
Can Veranda Ministries Overcome Statutory Limits and Expand Adult Respite Care in Tennessee?
Providing limited respite care service programs is essential for caregivers and elderly adults alike. Despite their unquestioned value to the community and to the state, highly valuable respite care service programs face several crippling challenges.
Once Again, California Endangers Parental Rights
We live in a divided country. As Mary Eberstadt observes, there are two propositions on which divided Americans can agree: (1) that we are more viciously divided than ever before and (2) that identity politics is among the most potent political forces of our time. She argues that the sexual revolution created identity politics.
Colorado Blocks Educational Choice: Will Courts Respond to Religious Discrimination?
Once again, religious observance and practice have been placed in doubt by state action. As a consequence, two plaintiffs have brought a lawsuit that could reshape American education. Led by the distinguished public interest law firm, First Liberty Institute, two plaintiffs, Riverstone Academy and Education ReEnvisioned BOCES (ERBOES), have challenged the Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Commissioner of Education.
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariffs
Tariff policy likely does impact you in at least some way—perhaps prices at the grocery store or even the geopolitical posture of your favorite international destination. But far more important than tariffs or the major questions doctrine (both of which are certainly of some import) is the reality that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus (Matt. 28:18). It is a comforting reality as you grapple with complex questions of earthly authority.
The Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to President Trump
As tariff revenues hit historic highs, the United States Supreme Court has brought the hammer down on Trump’s economic policy.
Medical Groups Reverse Their Position on Transgender Surgeries for Minors
In future cases, the pertinent questions are whether the decisions by the American Medical Association and the American Plastics Surgeons to reverse their medical advice for minors and whether the work of psychologist Brooke Laufer should (1) inform and affect decisions by school boards to offer support plans for minors and socially transition students without parental input, and (2) whether school board decisions can pass muster with citizens, courts, and children in the long run.
Should Biological Reality Govern Who Participates in Women’s Sports?
The contested debate regarding the reality and recognition of the biological differences between men and women has now reached the United States Supreme Court. After a firestorm of social media controversy, on January 13, 2026, the Court heard oral arguments in two cases: West Virginia v. B. P. J. and Little v. Hecox. These cases are framed by recently passed statutes in Idaho and West Virginia that reserve girls’ sports for females.
Can Service Animals Attend Your Church?
We at Gideon Law recently received questions from several clients here in Tennessee regarding their obligations to admit service animals to their churches. Their concerns involved how to ensure their church is a welcoming place for visitors who use service animals, while also following the law and protecting all people and property involved.
We were glad to provide this guidance to our clients. If you or your church have a similar question, please contact us today. We’d love to begin working on your behalf – for the good of your church and the Church.
Conversion Therapy: The Supreme Court Decides. Part I.
The rights of Christians are under a continuing threat from the spirit of the age. This threat implicates the rights of individuals, parents, churches, and Christian schools.
This threat prompts a question: are parents, churches, counselors, and religious institutions, including schools, prepared to fight back and defend their institutions?
Comey Indicted
Nobody is above the law and nobody is below the law. It has become a common refrain for The Equipped family, and it is certainly relevant for this story.
Mocking Justice and Common Sense: A Federal Court Rules Against the Little Sisters of the Poor
For more than 150 years, the Little Sisters of the Poor have faithfully served the poor, motivated by a religious calling to surrender all for the sake of others. The nuns have been engaged in a long-running legal battle over the federal government’s contraception mandates. After several court victories, this battle has now taken an ominous turn since a federal court has ruled against an exemption that permitted the religious order’s opposition to the mandate to take shape.
National Guard in the Nation’s Capital
The National Guard has been authorized to deploy to the streets of the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Let’s together pray that all of DC’s leaders, both federal and local, act with the wellbeing of DC residents in mind.
Can Church Sanctuary Status Shield Illegal Immigrants from Arrest?
Any encounter with ICE within the context of immigration and border enforcement exposes churches and, more particularly, church personnel to the risk that they will be charged with a crime if they continue to provide sanctuary to illegal aliens, particularly aliens who ICE seeks. For churches that intend to continue such a policy, the Trump Administration’s decision to rescind the Biden Administration's rules raises a flood of questions that place such behavior in harm’s way.
Fixing the Issue of Church Political Speech
For decades, there has been a fierce debate about the constitutionality and general legality of the Johnson Amendment. This little-known amendment has been used to restrict the First Amendment rights of churches and faith-based organizations for more than 60 years. But the mission of the church demands that it be encouraged to speak truthfully to America’s postmodern generation. How should the church respond?
100 Years of Monkey Business
It is fascinating that so many people do not know the longstanding impact of the Scopes Trial in 1925 in the town of Dayton, TN. This month marks the centennial anniversary of one of the most impactful trials to have occurred in the history of the United States. Ultimately, the trial had its genesis as a publicity stunt but would end with a schism that has not managed to heal a century later.