Supreme Court Backs Catholic Charity in Tax Exemption Case

The United States Supreme Court has delivered a significant judgment favoring religious freedom, ruling unanimously that Wisconsin cannot withhold a tax exemption from a Catholic charity due to its secular activities, a decision met with disapproval from secularist groups.

The case, Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor Review Commission et al., addressed whether Wisconsin could compel Catholic Charities Bureau to contribute to the state’s unemployment insurance program.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor penned the Court’s unanimous opinion, which overturned a prior decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and sent the case back to a lower court for additional proceedings.

“It is fundamental to our constitutional order that the government maintain ‘neutrality between religion and religion,'” Justice Sotomayor stated. “There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one.”

She emphasized, “When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it imposes a denominational preference that must satisfy the highest level of judicial scrutiny.”

This ruling has sparked significant reactions. Here are five perspectives on the decision.