religious freedom Archives

BANFIELD: Are Some Portsmouth Students More Equal Than Others?

October 24, 2025 Ann Marie Banfield

The Portsmouth School District seems to hold some students in higher esteem than others. The latest controversy centers on Anthony Ferola, a 17-year-old senior at Portsmouth High School, who has been told to refrain from praying publicly during basketball games. According to Seacoast Online, Ferola prayed before games for his teammates’ health and to express … Read more

Defend the Gospel from Prosecution in NH

August 1, 2024 Op-Ed

Police have accused a New Hampshire Bible-believing Christian of posting “criminally threatening, coercive and hateful” messages on the door of a LGBTQ-affirming church in Dover, NH, but it is abundantly clear that the message he posted was based in Biblical Truth and love. Now the Gospel message itself is on trial in New Hampshire District … Read more

Local Government vs. Property Rights and Religious Liberty

February 21, 2024 Steve MacDonald

Weare, New Hampshire, an allegedly Republican and pro-liberty bastion, has been putting a local pastor through the bureaucratic meat grinder for daring to hold religious services in his barn.

Reading education sunset Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

It is Time to Repeal the Blaine Amendment in New Hampshire

July 13, 2022 Op-Ed

The United States Supreme Court recently issued a ruling in a Maine case (Carson v. Makin) that is another major victory for parents trying to find the education option that best meets the needs of their children.

The Teaching Of Critical Race Theory in Public Schools Must Be Challenged In Court

April 16, 2021 Op-Ed

Whether or not HB544 passes or fails in New Hampshire, it is of serious importance that public officials familiarize themselves with the following information regarding the Constitutional right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion and the paths to preserving these rights for Americans in the face of CRT indoctrination.

End the COVID Detention in NH – (A Declaration and a Petition)

March 3, 2021 Op-Ed

End the Covid Detention – A Peaceful Letter To Governor Sununu Declaring That the Signatories Must Be Immediately Released From The Detention Which They Have Been Placed Under By Way Of The Unjustified Covid-19 Emergency and Executive Orders.

Seeking to Reverse the Plymouth Mask Mandate and, at the Very Least, to Create a Religious Exemption

February 23, 2021 Op-Ed

Address of E. David Smith, Esq., to the Plymouth, New Hampshire, Select Board, on behalf of client, Mr. Tejasinha Sivalingam, in seeking to reverse the Plymouth mask mandate and, at the very least, to create a religious exemption, February 22, 2021. A video is available here.

Religious Freedom and Free Exercise

November 3, 2020
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Religious freedom and free exercise of religion are prominent in the First Amendment. Coronavirus response has, among other things brought on a very intense, national debate. Yes, people are continuing to discuss the wisdom of lockdowns.

The Election is November 3 … Choosing America

October 1, 2020

Americans, on November 3rd, we will choose someone to lead the nation. In making the choice we are choosing what kind of country we want to live in, work in, and raise their families in. We’ll be deciding what kind of America we believe in.

The Biden-Harris Ticket on Religious Freedom

August 23, 2020August 22, 2020

The Biden-Harris ticket has a position on religious freedom. Joe Biden promises to protect religious freedom… except when it is politically inconvenient. Both he and Harris advocate policies contrary to the religious convictions of many Americans. Joe and Kamala know the right words to say. We all have a right to practice our faith openly, … Read more

Shades of Sandra Fluke – Democrat Attorney Generals ticked that birth control isn’t free anymore.

July 9, 2020 Skip

I’m on all kinds of Democrat advocacy and candidate email lists. Sometimes I deliberately sign up; other times it’s like I’m some Democrat’s mail slave that keeps getting passed around all over the place. A lot of times it is because I was an Independent for so long so I guess they think my eyeballs are free.

Quick Thought: IF NH Governor Sununu is a Constitutionalist, why Doesn’t He Talk Like One?

May 6, 2020May 5, 2020 Skip

Background: NH Gov. Chris Sununu: “Public Health Trumps Everything“. As many of us have noted: Constitution, even? Something has been bothering me since his 3pm Presser last Friday at which time he announced his “Stay at Home 2.0”. At one point during the Presser, he was asked a question about Out of Staters coming into … Read more

People who Believe in religious freedom need to start speaking up!

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020 Steve MacDonald

If you’re Christian, shut up. Are you are conservative, just shut up. If you are a capitalist, shut up. That’s the unmistakable message of the Left. Karen Pence took a lambasting for her decision to teach at a Christian school.

“Powerful Interests on the Left Want to Shrink Freedom of Religion”

December 15, 2019December 15, 2019 Skip

The above is the title of an address that US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave concerning Religious Freedom and the Right to Conscience. He’s right and there is no better example of it in the LGBT movement by militants attacking both at every level of Government. They’ve introduced new wording, phrasing, and new definitions … Read more

ICYMI: “F— Private and Religious Schools” – Rep. Tamara Le (D-North Hampton)

November 3, 2019

Democrat Representative Tamara Meyer Le (Rockingham-31, North Hampton) went on a tirade against private and religious schools, claiming “f— private and religious schools.”

Are You Liberal? Should People Be Able to Choose Their Religion?

August 4, 2019

Should you be free to practice the religion of your choice? Should you be able you choose whether or not to practice a religion? Is it wrong to punish a person for leaving the state religion? Those questions are very real today. Muslim majority nations like Iran put people in prison for this. There is … Read more

Notable Quote – It’s all about tolerance towards them until Power has been achieved

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 Skip

…Turning to the Equality Act, Biden said, “I promise you if I’m elected president it will be the first thing I ask to be done. It will send a message around the world, not just at home.” “This is our soul, da*mit, this is who we have to be… This is our real moral obligation,” … Read more

SCOTUS: now and in the future – a presentation

December 18, 2018December 17, 2018 Norm Silber

After the disgraceful sideshow of the confirmation hearings for now US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it is never too late to take a dive into the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) as it exists today and perhaps as it may evolve in the future, whether with upcoming case decisions and/or with possible appointments to the Court in the next two years.

“I’m so angry that he put us in this situation. I’m in no mood to help him right now.”

September 26, 2018July 22, 2018 Skip

That from an ally over NH Gov. Chris Sununu signing HB1319, the latest Bathroom Bill (aka “today I feel like a women even without the lady bits so I’m going into the ladies room”) and HB587 (gotta let gays be gays and no talking them out of it) which is a sop to the gay lobby and is an affront to both the First Amendment and NH’s Constitution in the matter of denying free speech and free conscious. I wrote this at the time:

So Governor Chris Sununu just told his Conservative and Faith-Based base to buzz off. You just told those that brung you to the dance that you’re in love with another. OK, buzz off we shall – like a buzzsaw. You asked we’ll deliver.

So how do I tell him and NH State Rep Mindi Messmer apart, who is running for US Congress with pretty much the same message

On Two Recent Court Decisions That Deal with ‘In God We Trust’ On U.S. Currency

September 26, 2018June 3, 2018 Steve MacDonald

Two cases came down last week in separate circuit courts on the subject of the motto ‘In God We Trust’ as presented in various forms of US currency.

On May 28th, the 6th Circuit ruled that “In God We Trust” on US currency was not a burden to plaintiffs under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 and dismissed their case. If you like to get into the weeds the decision makes for interesting reading.

The court’s examination could also be useful to Gov. Sununu as he prepares to sign trans legislation that could place an unreasonable burden on free speech, association, and possibly burden business owners in a way that could force the state into a lengthy legal challenge that is entirely unnecessary.