Originally published at National Catholic Register
Unemployment insurance seems unlikely territory for a disagreement over religious freedom. But a Wisconsin dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court could have far-reaching effects on how Catholic nonprofit organizations function, observers say.
Oral arguments in the case, Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, are set for 10 a.m. Monday in Washington.
At issue is whether a charitable organization created by a Catholic diocese and overseen by a Catholic bishop can claim a religious exemption provided by state law, or whether a state agency can determine instead that the charitable organization doesn’t qualify for the exemption because its activities don’t meet the state’s standards for being “religious.”
“It’s a lot bigger than just unemployment insurance. Here, the court has to figure out a basic rule about religious exemptions,” said Christopher Lund, a professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit and a religious-liberty expert.
“Can the government exempt some kinds of religious organizations from rules without exempting others? If the answer is Yes, then there’s a risk that some religious organizations will be, in fact, favored over others. If the answer is No, then there’s a risk that government won’t be able to give special
