As legislators in different states test new ways to impose far-right Christian nationalism on everyone, Unitarian Universalists, the Unitarian Universalist Association, other faith traditions, and legal advocates are defending religious liberty and human rights. Here is a spotlight on three recent legal victories for religious pluralism.  

1. Acknowledging Abortion Access as a Religious Belief

In 2024, the UUA joined an amicus brief led by the National Council of Jewish Women in the case Anonymous Plaintiffs v. the Individual Members of the Medical Licensing Board that challenged Indiana’s near-total abortion ban on religious grounds. On March 5, Marion County Superior Court permanently blocked the state from enforcing the law for people whose sincerely held religious beliefs require access to abortion care.   “The decision is significant not only for the protection it provides, but for what it reinforces: the state cannot privilege one view of abortion and religion over all others,” notes the ACLU of Indiana.

2. Protecting Children from Religious Indoctrination in Public Schools

Arkansas passed a law last year that required “all public schools to permanently display a government-chosen, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library,” according to the ACLU of Arkansas. A group of multifaith families living in Arkansas, including Unitarian Universalists, filed a lawsuit, Stinson v. Fayetteville School District No. 1, which argues the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. This month, a U.S. federal judge ruled in favor of the families and permanently blocked the law from enforcement.

3. Advocating for the Religious Rights of People in Immigration Detention

Interfaith clergy sued to offer in-person pastoral care to people held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Hennepin County, Minnesota. On Friday, March 20, a U.S. federal judge ruled that under the First Amendment, the government must let faith leaders enter the building to provide spiritual support.  
“This decision reaffirms the humanity of those who are detained and facing fear, isolation, and crisis: our lives have worth, our souls have value,” said Bishop Jen Nagel of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, according to a news release.