Why I testified at a congressional hearing on anti-Sharia laws
Religious freedom has never been something you protect only for yourself.
Today, I testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government at a hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.”
I want to tell you why I went.
The hearing was built around a premise that betrays our constitutional values — that Congress has the authority to determine which religion is compatible with American life. It does not. The moment the government begins making that determination, it has already violated the First Amendment. That is not a partisan position; it is the founding logic of religious freedom in this country.
Baptists have been making this argument for more than 400 years — and we have been making it on behalf of everyone, not just ourselves. In 1612, Thomas Helwys, one of the founders of the Baptist movement, wrote to King James I and argued that the king had no authority over the religious conscience of his subjects. He named Muslims specifically. He said that whether a person is a heretic, a Turk, a Jew, or whatsoever — it is not for earthly power to punish them. Helwys was arrested and eventually died in prison for his advocacy for religious freedom for all.
This is not a new argument for Baptists. It is our oldest one.
What is happening in Congress right now — introducing legislation that would deport people based on their religious practice, bar entry to those who observe their faith, strip citizenship without any possibility of judicial review — is precisely what our forebears gave their lives to prevent. Not just for Baptists. For everyone.
I testified because BJC was built for moments like this. I testified because religious freedom has never been something you protect only for yourself. And I testified because the Baptist tradition taught me that soul liberty is not a privilege extended to approved religions. It is the birthright of every person.
That has always been our witness. And with your support, it remains our witness today and for these challenging days ahead.
