The most consequential church-state case of this Supreme Court term involves whether the government could – or even must – fund religious charter schools. Amanda and Holly examine key moments in the oral arguments from Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, et al. v. Drummond, playing clips from the courtroom and looking at how the justices may apply recent precedent to shape future law. As BJC noted in the brief we filed, if the government funds religious charter schools, it will drag our government deeper into questions it is unfit to answer on matters of doctrine and church composition. That’s not government neutrality toward religion – that’s religious preference repackaged as educational choice.
Melissa Rogers joins the podcast for a conversation about how each of us can take steps to promote religious freedom and the common good in the United States today. After leading the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Obama and Biden administrations, she shares her inside perspective on government, where we are right now, and how people can truly make an impact. Our religious freedom protects everyone’s right to bring their faith to the public square, and you won’t want to miss this conversation about opportunities we have as Americans to engage government at all levels and express ourselves in the face of injustice.
Amanda Tyler: “Those of us who are Christians profess this hope in the midst of profound grief, but I am asking myself in this fraught time: Are we practicing it?”
Today, we mourn with people around the world the passing of Pope Francis, a spiritual leader whose voice reflected a deep commitment to human dignity, justice, and compassion.
The Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey reflects on a post-presidency interview with Jimmy Carter at his church in Plains, Ga., in 1981.
“It’s not just about resisting — it’s about transforming our communities into spaces of inclusion, equity and shared strength.”
A group of Texas faith leaders are calling on state legislators to vote against SB 10, HB 1009, and any other bill that would require every K-12 public school to display a government-selected version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Actions and rumors of actions in Washington, D.C., are continuing to dominate the news cycle and keep people on edge. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly discuss the devastation of dismantling the Department of Education and the problematic push for a nationwide school voucher program. They also look at the latest in the battle between faith communities and the Trump administration to protect sensitive locations from immigration raids, and they preview the three religious liberty cases on the Supreme Court’s docket this term.
BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler: This ‘reckless move’ is a threat to both religious liberty and public schools
The second edition of ‘African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities’ is now available, providing novel interpretations of religious freedom that speak to our contemporary moment.
