New SCOTUS ruling on chaplains in executions

From the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty*:

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court drew harsh criticism from many religious liberty advocates, and deservedly so, after overturning a federal appeals court injunction that had brought an Alabama execution to a halt at the 11th hour [link added to CIL posting]. The inmate argued that denying him an Imam in the execution chamber while a Christian chaplain was made available violated his religious liberty rights. He was executed within hours of the Supreme Court’s reversal.

Tonight, however, the Supreme Court has done the opposite: issuing a late-night reprieve to a Texas man scheduled to be executed this evening. It appears that the issue was essentially the same: whether the state can allow inmates of certain faiths to have clergy of the same faith in the execution chamber with them, but not others. In this case, a Buddhist inmate was denied his request to have a religious leader of his own faith present in the execution chamber, but a Christian clergyman and Muslim Imam were both allowed.

Writing for a majority of the Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh called that arrangement what it is: religious discrimination. 

Read more at BJC Online.

*Note: the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty “is a nonpartison, nonprofit 501(c)(3) education and advocacy denominational organization.” The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab is not an advocacy organization and does not maintain independent 501(c)(3) status.