By Jon BrownChristian Post Reporter Saturday, August 31, 2024

Editors Note: This is part 14 of The Christian Post's year-long article series “Politics in the Churches: Evangelical Christian engagement in Moral Majority elections today.” In this series, we'll look at issues related to election integrity and new ways to get out the vote, including churches participating in ballot collection. We will also look at issues that evangelicals think are most important to them before the presidential election and the political engagement of various groups, politically and ethnically. Read part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12 and part 13 at the links provided.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and other experts warned earlier this week that Christians must continue to fight for religious freedom in American culture even if they achieve major political or legal victories.

The panelists gathered Tuesday as an extension of The Christian Post's “Politics in the Pews” podcast and article series to discuss diminishing religious freedom in the United States and the growing threats to religious freedom, including the Equality Act and the politicization of the U.S. Supreme Court. .

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The panel, which was one of three moderated at Fellowship Church by Christian Post reporter and podcaster Ian M. Giatti, included insights from former GOP Kansas Governor Brownback, First Liberty Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys, Family Research Council Senior Fellow Meg Kilgannon and Joseph Kennedy . , the former football coach fired for praying on the field, who won his case before the US Supreme Court in 2022.

'You'll have to fight'

Brownback, who resigned as Kansas governor in 2018 to serve as U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom under former President Donald Trump until 2021, emphasized the importance of defending religious freedom and the need for individuals to be proactive in defending theirs. rights

Even if Christians like Kennedy win in court under the current 6-3 conservative makeup, Brownback suggested that American Christians will have to fight for their religious freedom if they hope to keep it.

“The Supreme Court doesn't set the culture of the country; we do, it's the people,” Brownback said. “But if you're not willing to go out there and practice and find it and push it — really, the bigger problem is that you're just not willing to stand up and fight a little bit, because you're going to have to fight a little bit to do that — it doesn't matter.”

He spoke of a time when he asked Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito whether religious freedom would continue in the United States, to which the Catholic reportedly said, “You'll have it in the law, but I'm not sure you'll have it in the culture.” .”

Brownback said some Christians are beginning to face financial persecution as major U.S. banks allegedly began “unbanking” religious organizations like his National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF).

NCRF, a multi-faith 501(c)4 political action nonprofit, made headlines in 2022 when it claimed JPMorgan Chase closed its bank account without explanation after demanding a list of its donors, the candidates they support and potential political donations.

NCRF's situation is not unique, and Bank of America prompted a letter from 15 Republican state attorneys general earlier this year claiming the company “is responsible for some of the worst known cases of debanking” while simultaneously cooperating with the federal government. for providing “harmless” private information to paint some conservative clients as “potential domestic terrorists.”

Brownback said he is personally aware of a woman who runs a crisis pregnancy center and was recently denied Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance because the insurance company told her they didn't approve of what she was doing.

“It's de-insurance and de-platforming, de-banking, and it's this effort to stifle,” he said. “And we have every right on our side. We have the Free Exercise Clause, and now we have a Supreme Court that defined it and said, 'You have this right to do this.'”

“I don't care what other people think about it, you have a free constitutional right to exercise your faith, but we have to fight for it,” he added.

Restore the standards

Kennedy, an 18-year Marine veteran and former assistant coach for the varsity football team at Bremerton High School in Washington state, faced suspension and possible firing in 2015 for kneeling in prayer at the 50-yard line after games. His case reached the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in 2022 that his prayers were protected by the First Amendment.

The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Kennedy and upheld the constitutional right of public school employees to engage in brief, personal private prayer, effectively overturning the 1971 Supreme Court decision in Lemon vs. Kurtzmanwho established the three-pronged “Lemon attempt.”

The Lemon test allowed the government to be involved in religion only if it served a secular purpose, did not impede or advance religion and did not result in excessive involvement of church and state.

Jeremy Dys, who serves as senior counsel at First Liberty Institute and represented Kennedy, explained the important nature of the Supreme Court ruling in Kennedy's case.

“It says our religious speech is doubly protected, because what Lemon did was set up this, this false battle between the two clauses in the Constitution governing religious expression – the Establishment Clause, which prevents the government from telling you what you should believe and how you should believe it – and the Free Exercise Clause, which guarantees your right to be able to express your religious beliefs.”

Dys said that the case of Kennedy allowed the Supreme Court to decide that the Lemon test was a misreading of the US Constitution and that the two clauses were meant to complement each other “to maximize your religious freedoms, to keep the government from telling you what to believe and how to believe it, and also to give you the space to engage your freedom of religion.”

Dys said the Kennedy case reset the standards for the constitution and “reminded everyone of the freedoms we once had in this country that for four generations we allowed to wither and die on the vine because the Supreme Court and other courts said so. .”

“We won the case; we won your freedom back,” said Dys. “Go do something with it. I need you to be a free people again.”

Dys also warned that if the Left succeeds in its purported goal of politicizing the Supreme Court by expanding the number of justices or imposing term limits, victories like the one Kennedy achieved will become less likely.

“If we don't have fair umpires behind the plate, there's nothing I can do to make the game fair,” he said.

Equality Act

Kilgannon, who serves as senior fellow for education studies at the conservative Christian advocacy group Family Research Council, warned of the potential dangers posed to people of faith by the Equality Act championed by Democrats in Congress, which she noted is at odds with biblical values. . and received the full-throated endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The act would codify discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity into federal law.

“We see so often that it comes down to these questions of human life and human sexuality, where our values ​​as Christians are in direct contrast to what such propositions would entail and require us to say things that are not true, to agree with things that we do. no believe in, and promote those things and support those things,” she said.

“And we just can't do that as Christians. We can't do it for ourselves, but we also can't do it because it's not good for anybody, not even the people who believe those things are true. And so we really have to stand fast against such pressures.”

During a recent “Politics in the Pews” podcast, Kilgannon said supporters of the Equality Act, like Harris, are trying to use civil rights as a “skin suit” to enshrine sexuality and gender identity protections into law, which she warned would be introduced. a threat to religious freedom.

'Strap on the brass knuckles'

The panelists emphasized the importance of using truth and legal action to combat the threats to religious freedom.

Dys noted that “there is a time and a place” for Christians “to be kind and gentle and good,” but added that for some Christians, there is “a time to strap on the brass knuckles and punch back and take back what is rightfully yours.”

“That is in no way intended to fuel violence,” he added. “Don't read that at all, but that's metaphorically the position we find ourselves in today.”

Dys urged the audience to keep the faith of those who possess the truth, the Word of God and the protections of the United States Constitution.

“Take that confidence forward and move into the territory you own today,” he said.

When Giatti asked the panel for their advice for the average Christian to make their voices heard, Kennedy jumped in and noted that while he may not be able to provide an in-depth answer like his fellow panelists, he believes the answer is simple and begins with men spiritually leading their own families

“It starts on your knees in prayer,” he said, adding that “men need to feed their families and stand up and be men.” He also encouraged them to get involved in their local school districts and make small decisions about which companies to subsidize.

“Not everyone is called to fight against everyone, but to support the people who are on the front lines,” he added. “Everyone can do that.”