Religion and the First Amendment: Abortion Law, Free Speech, and Saving Lives (March 18, 2026)

Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits. In this week's episode, Frank DeVito and Joseph Clement explain why abortion cannot be justly deemed a religious right, a lawsuit challenging Texas' ban on sexually oriented performances in public spaces in the presence of minors, and Wyoming's new Heartbeat Bill.

In this episode, we discuss:

0:57 Is abortion access a religious right? An Indiana judge recently ruled that the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act invalidates the state's ban on abortion.

16:34 Can Texas prevent sexually explicit "drag shows" from being performed in public spaces in front of minors? The Fifth Circuit recently upheld the state's ban and remanded a lawsuit challenging the law.

25:35 Will Wyoming's new Heartbeat Bill be upheld? The state recently banned nearly all abortions after an unborn child's heartbeat can be detected. Pro-life advocates worry that the state's courts will again overrule this effort to save lives.

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Topics: Religious freedom, what is religion, First Amendment, Miller, free speech, abortion.

The Napa Legal Podcast, March 18, 2026.

#freedomofreligion #religiousliberty