Article from The Daily Wire by Jeremy Dys.

Duquesne distinguishes itself as “Catholic University in the Spiritan Tradition.” Its mission statement reads simply: “Duquesne serves God by serving students.” Like many religious colleges and universities, Duquesne’s commitment to its religious identity permeates throughout its entire campus. Adjunct faculty are a critical part of that mission.

Jude Griffith notes from the outset that our Constitution restrains government agencies from excessive involvement with religious organizations. “The Establishment Clause,” he writes, “limits governmental involvement in the affairs of religious groups, and the Free Exercise Clause safeguards the freedom to practice religion, whether as an individual or as part of a group.”

That is critical, he said, because it means religious institutions retain the independence required to pursue religious activity, inculcate its religious identity, and teach according to its religious tradition. Indeed, he notes, “For many Americans, religion cannot be exercised apart from religious organizations.” Thus, their institutions must be — and are — protected by the First Amendment. After all, the Constitution is meant to restrain government, not empower its creep into every aspect of our lives.

This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its decision in Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit v. NLRB. When Duquesne refused to bargain with a group of adjunct faculty seeking to unionize, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) stepped in, recommending that the union be certified. But, in a decision authored by Judge Thomas B. Griffith, the D.C. Circuit rejected the NLRB’s jurisdiction over the Catholic university.

Read the entire article at The Daily Wire.

Image Credit: By Cellofellow (Gadsden_flag.svg) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons