Christians won some major victories in the courts in 2017. The Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns, won a significant ruling for religious liberty at the US Supreme Court. Obamacare mandates were forcing them to provide coverage for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions or face millions of dollars in punitive fines. The Supreme Court said that the Little Sisters are protected from having to pay these massive government fines or choose to violate their religious beliefs.
In another win, Congress will be able to continue opening their legislative sessions with a prayer after a challenge to the tradition by an atheist.The judge pointed out that an opening prayer has been a part of Congress for more than two centuries and doesn’t conflict with the establishment clause according to the US Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court also allowed Trinity Lutheran Learning Center access to public funds to upgrade a gravel playground – Trinity was initially refused access to public funds to improve their playground simply because they were a religious organization. The Supreme Court voted 7-2 to reverse that discriminatory ruling against organizations of faith. This ruling also ensured that religious institutions applying for government aid after the Hurricane Harvey incident would be eligible to receive aid. That’s a big deal.