the journey of faith except as one in which we are free to participate as we feel called? And if this is the case, how much more important is it for us to defend the right of all to express their faith in a way that is authentic to them, even if it does not look the same as the faith that is authentic to us?

experience would cause me to wrestle with who I am spiritually; and, as a woman of color who still seeks to tell her story unapologetically in a society that seldom listens. . . . My engagement with staff, lecturers, and other Fellows afforded me the opportunity to become aware of my own strengths, challenges, and areas for growth.

as having initially influenced the idea of religious liberty, BJC Executive Director Brent Walker pointed out during one of his lectures the influence Roger Williams, one of our Baptist forerunners, had in initially casting light on the topic of religious liberty, thus predating Locke’s often regarded seminal thinking on the topic of religious freedom.

just like with building a theological case, we pick and choose quotes from the Framers and use them to proclaim the United States was founded as a Christian nation. Religious liberty has been hijacked and used to mean “religious liberty just for Protestants.”

through his interactions with Baptist preachers and leaders. . . . As Baptists today, we need to remember this history of Pamphlet, John Leland and the other Baptists who advocated broadly and specifically for social justice.

tolerance was a lower ideal to be reached compared to acceptance, encouragement, and/or empowerment. Who am I to put myself on a pedestal and look down on someone else? I want to seek mutual cooperation with those different than me to make this world a better place rather than merely “tolerate” them.

outlined the diversity of opinions among the Framers in regards to religious liberty. It is only after looking at the wide array of beliefs and deep conversations that resulted from these values that the complexity of the issue could be understood and better appreciated. Meyerson said devout religious belief is not opposed to strong religious freedom. His words challenge those polarizing narratives that are so dominant today. The Framers did not have to be atheists to support religious freedom, and for many it was their faith that led them to their eventual conclusions on the issue. In the same vein, devoutness of faith is not challenged by a strong belief in and advocacy for religious freedom for all. In fact, it is out of the desire for our own religious freedoms that we fight for that right for others.

on other people, but this actually pushes people further away. Coercive prayer in a government-related setting often times excludes people. This was particularly eye-opening for me, and it actually made my faith stronger. It made me realize that I am confident enough about my faith that if there was no more prayer before a legislative meeting, town meeting, or in school, it would not interfere with my confidence in God or my faith in God. True separation of church and state places responsibility for one’s own faith on the individual. The interesting facet of legislative-type prayer is that it is usually not individualized, personalized prayer. My prayers to God through Jesus look much differently than a legislative-type prayer, and I am glad for that.

was prayer in schools, and the impact of the Equal Access Act. As a group, all seemed to agree that administrator-led prayer is inappropriate in any public school, no matter the makeup of the student body. School administrators in small or rural settings sometimes assume that everyone attending the school has the same religious beliefs and, therefore, prayer is acceptable. BJC General Counsel Holly Hollman said that when religious assumptions are made, even in a homogeneous area, it undermines the religious liberty of everyone involved. This conversation was a good reminder not to make assumptions about the religious beliefs of others, and reinforced some of my views regarding the necessity of separation of church and state.