Attorney General Alan Wilson defends the right of churches to be free from unnecessary litigation

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a 23-state friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court supporting churches’ right to autonomy in decisions touching on religious faith, doctrine, leadership, membership, and internal affairs.

“Churches have a clearly defined set of values protected by the First Amendment,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “When dealing with litigation, these values should be respected from the outset, not treated as a tool of defense.”

In the brief, the Amici states argue that churches have discretion in internal doctrinal and organizational deliberations. As stated in the brief, religious entities have the right “to be free from needless government interference.” That includes freedom from litigation over churches’ internal functioning and doctrinal decisions.

“The moment government intrudes on the internal operations of churches becomes a dangerous moment in our republic,” Attorney General Wilson said. “As Attorney General, I will always fight for religious liberty and the ability for every citizen and church to worship God freely.”

Attorney General Wilson joined this brief along with Missouri, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

You can read the brief here.