Don’t run out of coffee during the apocalypse. Stock up on delicious coffee that’s freeze-dried and sealed to keep it fresh for decades.
In a surprising turn of events, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of Catholic Social Services (CSS) and against the City of Philadelphia. Upon learning that the Catholic agency would not place children with same-sex couples as a part of its foster care work, the city did not renew its contract with CSS, citing antidiscrimination laws. Philadelphia argued that when hiring independent contractors, the city may include any provisions it wishes in the contract.
Article by Antón Chamberlin from Mises.
CSS lawyers argued that the agency’s only desire was to be able to continue the work it has done for centuries and that requiring it to endorse same-sex couples as foster parents would violate its religious teachings on marriage, and thus is a violation of the First Amendment. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of the United States sided with Catholic Social Services. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote:
The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless CSS agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
Roberts also added:
CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else.
The decision, however, was made in such a way as not to challenge Employment Division v. Smith, where the court ruled that “when the government has a ‘generally applicable’ law or regulation and enforces it neutrally, the government’s action is presumptively legitimate, even if it has some ‘incidental’ adverse impact on some citizens.”
Not all those on the bench were satisfied with this strict ruling. Justice Amy Coney Barrett called arguments in favor of overturning Smith “serious” and “compelling,” and Justice Neil Gorsuch pointed out that cases like this will keep coming up until the court “musters the fortitude” to overturn Smith. Joining Justices Barrett and Gorsuch, Justice Samuel Alito was “disappointed” the court failed to uphold the First Amendment by making this decision so limited.
This decision brings to the forefront the absolute absurdity of our current foster system. Given our knowledge of the dangers of monopolies and the inherent unaccountability of the state, it is astounding that the government has a monopoly on foster kids, in any city whatsoever. The fact that Catholic Social Services even needs Philadelphia’s permission to take care of children, like the church has for two millennia, should infuriate everyone of goodwill.
What is also frustrating is the fact that even though no gay couple has ever approached CSS for fostering, it is apparently not sufficient for gay couples to go to the other twenty-nine agencies contracted by the city (even though CSS stated that if a gay couple were to approach them, they would simply redirect them to one of the other, again, twenty-nine foster agencies in the city). No, the city decided it would try to use the coercion of the government to force the Catholic agency to act in contradiction of its faith.
Build your own med-kit by filling it with various Med Packs of your choosing. You know what you need.
Conservative justices do not have a great track record. Indeed, history shows them to be largely useless (case in point, its recent decision to maintain the so-called Affordable Care Act). But sometimes the useless counteracts the stupid. While it certainly can be argued that the Supreme Court has no constitutional authorization to involve itself in municipal adoption laws, it can at least be celebrated that the city’s asinine law will not be imposed upon CSS. Nonetheless, victories should be celebrated as they come. With any luck, Employment Decision v. Smith will be overturned in the near future. Most germanely though, Catholic Social Services will be able to continue practicing its faith in the city of Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
The Catholic Church served children for two millennia before the state usurped that power, and she will serve the poor, and needy long after the state withers away, God willing.
New Conservative Network Seeks Crowdfunding Help
They say we have to go big or go home. We’re trying to go big and bring the patriotic truth the the nation, but we need help.
Readers may or may not realize that over the past year, we’ve been bringing more conservative news and opinion outlets under our wing. Don’t take our expansion as a sign of riches; all of the “acquisitions” have been through sweat and promises of greater things to come for all involved. As a result, we’ve been able to bring together several independent media sites under a unified vision of preventing America from succumbing to the progressive, “woke,” Neo-Marxist ideologies that are spreading like wildfire across America.
The slow and steady reopening of America is revealing there was a lot more economic hardship brought about from the Covd-19 lockdowns than most realize. While we continue to hope advertising dollars on the sites go up, it’s simply not enough to do things the right way. We are currently experiencing a gap between revenue and expenses that cannot be overcome by click-ads and MyPillow promos alone (promo code “NOQ” by the way).
To overcome our revenue gap and keep these sites running, our needs fluctuate between $3000-$7000 per month. In other words, we’re in the red and hemorrhaging.
The best way you can help us grow and continue to bring the truth to the people is by donating. We appreciate everything, whether a dollar or $10,000. Anything brings us closer to a point of stability when we can hire writers, editors, and support staff to make the America First message louder. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well.
As the world spirals towards radical progressivism, the need for truthful journalism has never been greater. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report and the other sites in the network going.
Whatever they throw at us next, be ready. Dr. Zelenko’s new Z-DTox makes your immune system clean, resilient, and resistant.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
Bitcoin: 32SeW2Ajn86g4dATWtWreABhEkiqxsKUGn
Yes, We Need Your Help
I hate being “that guy” who asks people to donate because I think our conservative news network is so crucial, but here I am…
When I left my cushy corporate job in 2017, I did so knowing that my family would have to make sacrifices. But I couldn’t continue to watch the nation slip into oblivion and was inspired by President Trump’s willingness to fight the good fight even at his own personal expense. What I didn’t realize then is that conservative media would be so heavily attacked, canceled, and defunded that the sacrifices would be extreme.
Many in this nation are struggling right now even though we weren’t struggling just a few years ago. I’m not alone. But I wake up every morning and operate the sites we’ve been able to build because there’s really no other choice. I refuse to be beholden to Big Tech like so many other conservative news outlets, which is why you won’t see Google ads here. With that said, it’s often challenging to pay the bills and it’s even harder to expand so we can get the America First message out to a wider audience.
The economic downturn has forced me to make a plea for help. Between cancel culture, lockdowns, and diminishing ad revenue, we need financial assistance in order to continue to spread the truth. We ask all who have the means, please donate through our new GiveSendGo. Your generosity is what keeps these sites running and allows us to expand our reach so the truth can get to the masses. We’ve had great success in growing but we know we can do more with your assistance.
We currently operate:
- NOQ Report
- Conservative Playlist
- Uncanceled News
- Based Underground
- Truth Based Media
- Five other conservative news sites
I would even be willing to entertain investments and partnerships at this stage. I’ve turned them down in the past because editorial purity is extremely important. I’ll turn them down again if anyone wants us to start supporting RINOs or avoid “taboo” topics like voter fraud, vaccines, or transgender supremacy. But I’d talk to fellow America First patriots who want to help any (or all) of our 10 news sites. Hit me up at jdrucker (at) substack (dot) com if you’re interested.
For those who have the means and just want to help keep the mission of spreading a conservative, Christian message to the nation, please consider a generous donation.
Buy precious metals to protect your wealth. Pick your style: JD GoldCo offers options. Our Gold Guy has no frills.