This year marks the BJC’s 75th year of defending and extending religious liberty for all, a milestone we celebrated at our annual Religious Liberty Council luncheon. The luncheon was held in conjunction with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly in Tampa, Fla., during which CBF celebrated its 20th anniversary. As I enter my 10th year of service to the BJC, I am thankful for anniversaries. They provide an occasion to pause, if only for a minute, to review the past and look to the future together, joined by our common commitment.
Beginning at the luncheon and continuing through the end of this year, we look forward to sharing our 75th anniversary with you by highlighting how our work today builds on the work of Baptists through the years. There are many stories to tell, and we were honored to kick off the celebration with a great storyteller. The RLC luncheon featured Dr. James M. Dunn, one whose experience as a religious freedom fighter spans decades and who is widely known for inspiring so many Baptists and others to lift their voice for religious freedom. Those of you who couldn’t be with us can watch video of his remarks. [link coming soon]
It is clear that in the church-state arena many of the challenges we face today are similar to ones that have always been with us. The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment give religion special protection — against government establishment of religion and against interference with the free exercise of religion. Most Americans would agree that our constitutional tradition of religious liberty is a key part of what distinguishes our country, and few would trade our system for those found elsewhere. But, we’d be hard pressed to find a time in our nation’s history where we were not engaged in battles about how to interpret and apply the laws that protect religious freedom.
For example, as we gathered in Florida, the state legislature just completed a session that included proposals that would promote prayer in public schools, alter public school science education regarding the teaching of evolution, and forbid courts from considering “foreign law” (based on a recent trend that stokes fear of Islam). Each reflects a current twist on long-standing debates about religious freedom.
The most significant religious liberty issue in Florida is one that both reflects a long-standing debate and underscores the need to redouble our efforts. Florida is one of many states that has a “no aid” provision in its constitution, which provides stronger protection against government aid to religion than the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause under current U.S. Supreme Court standards. It is a hurdle for those who think school vouchers are the silver bullet to the educational challenges of the 21st century and want to see government aid flow to religious institutions. The Florida legislature passed a measure for a 2012 ballot initiative that would amend this provision. The last attempt to amend the provision ended in a court battle just three years ago, but the proponents of this measure came back with a revised approach and greater political power.
Seventy-five years is a long time for any organization. It is long enough to build a strong reputation, a network of friends and allies, and the expertise to affect the public conversations. It is not long enough, however, to complete the work of defending and extending religious liberty for all. That work is never done. We must continue to look to our history and to each other for inspiration and encouragement to protect religious freedom for all this year and every year.
