Facade of the Supreme Court. (Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)
"What they were doing was deciding what it means to be religious," she added. "And the First Amendment prohibits the government from doing that."
The case, Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, questioned whether faith-based nonprofits that provide public services are "religious enough" to receive the same benefits as churches or houses of worship.
Catholic Charities, affiliated with the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, provides critical care services for people with disabilities and mental health needs. Wisconsin argued those acts were not "primarily religious."
The Supreme Court disagreed.
SCOTUS RULINGS THIS TERM COULD STRENGTHEN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS PROTECTIONS, EXPERT SAYS
A Catholic Charities blanket is on the floor of a makeshift shelter at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Oct. 24, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The court’s language in the ruling, Dunkin pointed out, "affirms what the Supreme Court has said for nearly a century," that the government cannot choose which expressions of faith are valid.
"This sends a great message to people of all religions and all charitable organizations," she said. "The government… cannot intrude into telling you exactly what you can and can’t do, whether you’re religious or not religious, in order to receive a government benefit or participate in society."
Had SCOTUS ruled the other way, Dunkin warned, it would have "grave implications" for religious charities and ministries nationwide.
"It would allow the government to step into the religious doctrine of all faiths more than our Founding Fathers ever intended," she said. "The government cannot step in and get involved in deciding and picking and choosing between one type of religious activity and another."
When asked what this means for churches and ministries on the ground, Dunkin’s answer was clear: "They should feel emboldened to continue to do what they feel called to do by their religious faith… especially in a charitable sense."
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And for those who may see this as a one-off legal win? Not so fast.
"I see this really as two different things," she said. "One, an affirmance of what the First Amendment has always stood for… but of course, going forward, we do hope and we’re encouraged that religious liberty in America is alive and well. And of course, First Liberty Institute is here to continue to fight for that."
Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-legal-institute-celebrates-scotus-decision-declares-religious-liberty-alive-well