Thomas M. Messner researches and writes about religious liberty, right of conscience, nondiscrimination laws and the definition of marriage, among other issues, as a visiting fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.
Messner earned his law degree from Notre Dame Law School and his bachelor of arts degree from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. After law school, Messner clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and practiced law in Washington, D.C.
All Publications by Thomas Messner
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Backgrounder posted April 13, 2011 by Thomas Messner
From Culture Wars to Conscience Wars: Emerging Threats to Conscience
Abstract: Today, religious liberty issues are more complicated than simply freedom from government interference in religious worship or teaching. Threats to religious liberty and respect for conscience are emerging in the health care field, in the area of institutional religious freedom, and in the…
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Executive Summary posted October 22, 2009 by Thomas Messner
Executive Summary: The Price of Prop 8
Support for Proposition 8, the democratically established
marriage amendment in California, has come with a heavy price for
many individuals and institutions that think that marriage should
remain the union of husband and wife. Publicly available sources,
including evidence submitted in a federal lawsuit in California,
show that expressions of support for Prop 8 have…
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Backgrounder posted October 22, 2009 by Thomas Messner
The Price of Prop 8
Abstract: Supporters of Proposition 8 in California
have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial
scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships,
angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross
expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex
marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage
to…
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Backgrounder posted September 18, 2009 by Thomas Messner
ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage
Abstract: A significant body of evidence
suggests that sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws like the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) can function as important
incremental steps toward same-sex marriage. This evidence, which
shows how effective a step-by-step strategy can be for redefining
marriage, provides substantial cause for individuals who support
marriage as the union of husband and…
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Executive Summary posted September 18, 2009 by Thomas Messner
Executive Summary: ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage
Individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and
wife have strong reasons to be concerned about nondiscrimination
proposals like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA
would elevate sexual orientation to a protected status under
workplace nondiscrimination laws. Proponents often argue that ENDA
and similar laws at the state and local levels are focused
exclusively…
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Special Report posted January 13, 2009 by Thomas Messner, Jennifer Marshall
Defending Marriage: A Memo to President-elect Obama
I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a
woman.
-Barack Obama, Saddleback Presidential Candidates Forum, August
17, 2008[1]
I do not support gay marriage. Marriage has religious and
social connotations, and I consider marriage to be between a man
and a woman.
-Barack Obama, Response to 2008…
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Blog Post on 5/16/2012 8:30:20 AM
Franciscan University Stands Strong for Faith and Freedom
Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, recently announced that it would no longer offer a student health insurance...…
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Blog Post on 5/9/2012 5:47:01 AM
Another Vote for Marriage
Yesterday, North Carolina voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that protects marriage as the union of...…
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Blog Post on 4/24/2012 6:00:56 AM
Marriage Debate Moves to North Carolina
According to the Alliance Defense Fund, “Sixty-three million Americans have voted on marriage, and in 31 out of 31...…
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Blog Post on 4/12/2012 1:30:34 PM
Catholic Bishops: 'Constant Vigilance and Protection' Required for Religious Liberty
This morning, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a document titled “Our First, Most...…
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Blog Post on 3/30/2012 6:45:52 AM
Justice Kennedy Shows How Court Can Avoid Conflicts on Religious Freedom
Obamacare is a train wreck for religious freedom, and the federal courts are likely going to be forced into cleaning up...…
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Blog Post on 3/19/2012 10:30:42 AM
Institution of Marriage Defended Throughout the Nation
The institution of marriage has seen better days in America. The question now is how Americans will think about, shape,...…
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Blog Post on 2/14/2012 12:15:39 PM
No Way Out: How Conscience Gets Trapped in Obamacare’s Little Box of Horrors
If it weren’t for Obamacare, we wouldn’t have this problem. By “this problem,” we mean of course the Obamacare...…
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Blog Post on 2/9/2012 9:20:19 AM
Obama Gets Hit with Another Religious Freedom Lawsuit
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has already filed two lawsuits challenging the Obamacare regulation that...…
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Blog Post on 1/31/2012 11:08:44 AM
White House Picks Fight with Conscience; Congress Can Fight Back
A remarkable page in the history of American conscientious objection is being written by citizens throughout the United...…
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Blog Post on 1/11/2012 8:56:01 AM
Supreme Court Decision in Hosanna-Tabor a Major Win for Religious Freedom
Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision that resoundingly affirms the freedom of religious groups to...…