Podcast appearances and mentions of holly hollman

Now that Election Day 2024 is in the rearview mirror, what did we learn? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at the results and what they might mean for our country and the protection of faith freedom for all. They discuss where we saw religion used on the campaign trail, what we might expect to see in the next four years under a second Trump administration, and ways all of us can make a significant difference in local communities.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:37): Did Americans vote for authoritarianism when they voted for Trump? Holly mentioned being in Georgia after the elections for BJC's Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State. You can learn more about the presentations from Dr. John Compton during that event, focused on the politics of secularization, on our website at BJConline.org/ShurdenLectures. Amanda mentioned her current book tour for How to End Christian Nationalism. Her last stop in 2024 will be in Richmond, Va., this weekend, but she will be back on the road in 2025. Visit EndChristianNationalism.com for details and ways to order the book.   Segment 2 (starting at 13:42): Where did we see religion and Christian nationalism in the closing days of the campaign and its aftermath?  Click this link to watch remarks from President-elect Donald Trump on election night, and click this link to watch Vice President Kamala Harris' concession speech on election night, both via C-SPAN. For more on the January 6 attack on the Capitol, read the report itiled “Christian Nationalism and the January 6, 2021, Insurrection,” created by BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Amanda sent an email to the BJC community after the election. You can read it on Baptist News Global: This is the time for our movement to meet the moment If you want to receive emails from BJC, you can sign up on our website: BJConline.org/subscribe Amanda mentioned being in Austin, Texas, on Monday to testify against the troubling Bible-infused curriculum proposed for Texas public schools. For the latest, read this article by Troy Closson for The New York Times: Texas Education Board Backs Curriculum With Lessons Drawn From Bible. Amanada and Holly discussed the issues with this curriculum in episode 2 of season 6: Oklahoma and Texas try to force Bible teaching in public schools.  We want to hear from you! If you want to connect us with an organization doing good work in your community, contact Joy Pettigrew, BJC's community partnership manager, at jpettigrew@BJConline.org. An organization does not need to be devoted to countering Christian nationalism, even if that might be the outcome of the work they are doing.  If you are in North Texas and want to get involved in the North Texas Organizing Project, contact Lisa Jacob at ljacob@BJConline.org.    Segment 3 (starting 32:51): Good news about school voucher initiatives Don Byrd wrote an article for BJC's website about the rejection of school vouchers in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Colorado: Voters soundly reject school voucher initiatives in multiple states For more discussion on the problems with school vouchers, listen to episode 8 and episode 9 of season 5. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

We continue to see bold attempts by people who espouse Christian nationalism to influence our youngest population, and news this summer out of Oklahoma and Texas show two troubling examples. In this episode, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about the edict from Ryan Walters in Oklahoma to mandate having the Bible in public schools – alongside our nation's founding documents – and the new proposed curriculum in Texas that strangely uses religious beliefs as fact in lessons for students as young as kindergarten.    Segment 1 (starting at 00:37): How does Christian nationalism impact public schools? BJC has several resources for issues at the intersection of religion in public schools. Click here to see a list, including a short overview from BJC and classic resources that include A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools and A Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools.   Learn more about BJC's Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org.  Holly and Amanda discussed Christian nationalism in the public schools in episode 14 of season 4.    Segment 2 (starting at 05:39): Oklahoma created a Bible mandate … and you'll never guess which Bible perfectly fit the requirements! (actually, you probably will guess immediately) Read the original edict from Ryan Walters at this link, and read the guidance released later at this link. Amanda and Holly read from this article by Jennifer Palmer, Paul Monies and Heather Warlickand for The Oklahoman: ‘Trump Bible' one of few that meet Walters' criteria for Oklahoma classrooms In October of this year, Oklahoma amended its requirement for Bibles in classrooms to no longer require the Bible to include U.S. historical documents. Read more in this article by Ken Miller for the Associated Press: Oklahoma amends request for Bibles that initially appeared to match only version backed by Trump   Segment 3 (starting 21:32): Troubling Texas curriculum Amanda mentioned this article by By Linda Jacobson  for The 74 which broke the story: Exclusive: Texas Seeks to Inject Bible Stories into Elementary School Reading Program Read more about the September day of action in Texas in this article from BJC's Report from the Capital magazine: Saying ‘no' to Bible-based curriculum in Texas Amanda shares more about her experience with the curriculum in her column for the magazine: Do something If you live in Texas, there is still time to contact your State Board of Education member about this troubling curriculum before their November vote. Visit this link to find out who represents you, and scroll to the bottom of this page for tips on crafting your email.  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

To kick off season 6 of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman take stock of the Supreme Court. There is no religion case on the docket – yet – for this term, but there are several cases that do impact religion. They review the most important things we saw out of last year's term – from the “Trump docket” to the abortion cases – and they talk about how the Rahimi decision about a gun regulation illustrates the trouble with the Court's new “history and tradition” test. Plus, this is the last episode before the release of Amanda's book How to End Christian Nationalism, and they preview the upcoming book tour and how you can participate.    Segment 1 (starting at 00:37): Back together after a tumultuous summer Amanda talked with  Ava Kofman for her feature article in the New York Times Magazine: How Two Billionaire Preachers Remade Texas Politics Amanda mentioned an article by Russell Gold for Texas Monthly, titled The Billionaire Bully Who Wants to Turn Texas Into a Christian Theocracy   Segment 2 (starting at 08:02): The Supreme Court is back, but why are people still talking about the past term?  Amanda and Holly mentioned the upcoming case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, which will examine gender-affirming care. They talked about previous cases involving the definition of “sex” in Episode 17 of season 1, titled “A landmark case for LGBTQ rights: What's next for religious liberty?” Amanda and Holly discussed the intersection of religion and the law in the two abortion cases in Episode 28 of season 5, titled “Conscience protections in SCOTUS abortion cases.” Read Holly's column in BJC's fall magazine, which discusses the impact of the Rahimi case: The Court at a crossroads Amanda and Holly discussed the Supreme Court's obsession with history in the context of legislative prayer in the Greece v. Galloway decision in Episode 3 of season 5, titled “SCOTUS is fixated on history. What's prayer got to do with it?”   Segment 3 (starting 37:37): Come see Amanda in a city near you! How to End Christian Nationalism is the new book by Amanda Tyler. It releases on October 22, and you can pre-order it now from Amazon, your local bookstore, or anywhere you buy books.  Visit EndChristianNationalism.com for more information on the book and on the book tour, which includes stops in California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and more.  Learn more about BJC's Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org.  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

As the weather heats up, so does the pace of Supreme Court decisions. On our season 5 finale of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly recap some recent decisions and discuss what we can expect in the next month. Religion is still at play in several cases, even if religious legal statutes aren't the questions being considered. Plus, they look at some recent statements from Supreme Court justices during extracurricular activities and share what those reveal about the justices themselves and the work at the Court, including a rare – and surprising – statement one justice gave directly to the media.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:51): Recent Supreme Court actions Amanda and Holly discussed the two Supreme Court cases dealing with abortion rights in episode 28 of this season: Conscience protections in SCOTUS abortion cases Click here to read the Washington Post article tracking big cases this Supreme Court term. The case upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is called Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Limited. Amanda and Holly mentioned two articles about it: Amy Howe's piece for SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court lets CFPB funding stand Steve Vladeck's piece for One First: How to describe *this* Court The Louisiana voting map decision comes from the consolidated cases of Robinson v. Callais and Landry v. Callais.  Read Amy Howe's coverage for SCOTUSblog: Court allows Louisiana to move forward with two majority-Black districts Read Steve Vladeck's piece for One First: Louisiana's Congressional Map Comes Back to the Court   Segment 2 (starting at 09:07): Justices on the stump: Shocking statements and unlikely pairings Amanda and Holly mentioned recent reporting on appearances by justices of the Supreme Court. The articles they  referred to are: Justice Kavanaugh on the Presidency, the Court and Taylor Swift by Adam Liptak for The New York Times Justice Thomas Denounces ‘the Nastiness and the Lies' Faced by His Family by Abbie VanSickle for The New York Times Justice Alito Warns of Threats to Freedom of Speech and Religion by Adam Liptak for The New York Times The Supreme Court seems bitterly divided. Two justices say otherwise. by Ann E. Marimow for The Washington Post According to reports discussed in this show, Justice Kavanaugh mentioned that the school prayer cases are settled law. School District of Abington Township v. Schempp (1963) and Engel v. Vitale (1962) are commonly called the “school prayer cases,” with the decisions in those cases finding government-sponsored religious exercises unconstitutional in public schools, providing protection for the religious liberty rights of all students. Learn more in this 2013 piece by Holly Hollman.  Amanda and Holly discussed this New York Times story by Jodi Kantor that the American flag outside of Justice Samuel Alito's home was flown upside down in the days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. After we recorded this episode, new reporting revealed Justice Alito's summer house displayed the “Appeal to Heaven” flag in 2023. Read more in this New York Times story by Jodi Kantor, Aric Toler, and Julie Tate: Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home To watch the iCivics event featuring Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, visit this C-SPAN link.   Segment 3 (starting 26:58): A reading recommendation Amanda's book is called How to End Christian Nationalism, and it will be released October 22 from Broadleaf Books. Click here for links to pre-order the book. Learn more about the work of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign by visiting the website. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

LGBTQ rights and religious freedom are often pitted against one another, but they are not mutually exclusive. This episode of Respecting Religion looks at the recent decision by the United Methodist Church to repeal its ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings as well as the broader conversation. Holly Hollman is joined by guest co-host Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, BJC Communications Director. He shares some of his personal story, then he and Holly reflect on work bridging differences between LGBTQ rights advocacy and religious groups that oppose LGBTQ protections. They highlight the Respect for Marriage Act as one hallmark of bipartisan consensus building that achieves civil rights protections and safeguards religious liberty.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 1:23): The changing landscape of LGBTQ rights and religious freedom Learn more about Guthrie Graves-Fitzimmons in his BJC bio. Find more resources on religious liberty and the LGBTQ community on BJC's website.  For in-depth information about public opinion on LGBTQ rights among different religious groups, visit the Public Religion Research Institute's website at this link.     Segment 2 (starting at 5:20): The United Methodist Church lifts ban on LGBTQ clergy Read coverage from Ruth Graham of The New York Times: United Methodist Church Reverses Ban on Practicing Gay Clergy Read Guthrie's MSNBC column: “Why United Methodists' historic vote means so much to gay Christians like me.”   Segment 3 (starting 16:33): Bridging differences  Holly and Guthrie discussed the 2020 Brookings Institution report “A Time to Heal, A Time to Build,” by E.J. Dionne Jr. and Melissa Rogers.  Respecting Religion has devoted several episodes to the topics discussed in this episode. Listen to Season 4, Episode 7 for more on the Respect for Marriage Act, Season 4, Episode 26 for more on 303 Creative v. Elenis, and Season 1, Episode 17 for more on Bostock v. Clayton County.   Read more about BJC's reaction to the Obergefell decision in 2015 in this column from Holly Hollman: Obergefell decision does not remove the separation of church and state. You can also access a 2-page resource with frequently asked questions about the decision. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

How do religion and religious freedom arguments interact with cases about abortion access? The legal landscape here is beyond complex, and in this episode, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at how conscience protections were discussed in two recent Supreme Court cases about abortion. There is a deepening religion and policy conversation in our country, and they discuss how that conversation is reflected in these oral arguments – from Church Amendments to the doctrine of preemption.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38):  U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine Amanda and Holly discussed state laws after the Dobbs decision two weeks ago – in episode 26 of season 5: Archaic laws and new theories emerge from state abortion debates Learn more about the Arizona legislature's repeal of the 1864 law in this article by Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern in the Arizona Republic: Arizona abortion ban repeal signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, but 1864 law will linger for months. What's next? Learn more about the 6-week ban on abortions in Florida in this article by Stephanie Colombini for NPR: Florida's 6-week abortion ban is now in effect, curbing access across the South We played a series of clips from the oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which the Supreme Court heard on March 26, 2024. You can hear the audio at this link. The clips we played featured: Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar (from 00:00:48 into the arguments) Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar (from 00:28:31 into the arguments) Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar (from 00:29:11 into the argument) Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Attorney Erin Hawley (from 01:16:40 into the argument) Read an overview of conscience protections from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at this link.   Segment 2 (starting at 19:26): Moyle v. United States Moyle v. United States is a consolidated case with Idaho v. United States. “EMTALA” stands for “Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.” Read what the American Medical Association says about the case and EMTALA at this link.  We played a series of clips from the oral arguments in Moyle v. United States, which the Supreme Court heard on April 24, 2024. You can hear the audio at this link. The clips we played featured: Justice Elena Kagan and Attorney Joshua Turner (from 00:06:09 into the argument) Attorney Joshua Turner and Justice Elena Kagan (from 00:08:02 into the argument) Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Attorney Joshua Turner (from 00:23:54 into the argument) Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Attorney Joshua Turner (from 00:48:43 into the argument) Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

For the 100th episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer listener questions, ranging from the law surrounding the tax-exempt status of religious institutions to their favorite Supreme Court justices. They also look at some of the big Supreme Court decisions and the shifts on the Court since this podcast began four years ago, sharing some of their favorite and most impactful episodes.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): How did we get to 100 episodes? The podcast series on the dangers of Christian nationalism ran in 2019, and it's available on the BJC Podcast feed, and you can see all of the episodes on this page of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism website.  Holly and Amanda mentioned some of their favorite episodes, including: S3, Ep. 21: The live show reacting to the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision S4, Ep. 22: Amanda's experience at the ReAwaken America tour S1, Ep. 15: Reacting to President Trump's photo-op with a Bible in 2020 You can see a list of every single episode at BJConline.org/RespectingReligion   Segment 2 (starting at 19:06): Questions on tax-exempt status, tough conversations, and more Holly mentioned the 1983 case of Bob Jones University v. United States. You can read the decision here. For more about the Respect for Marriage Act, check out episode 7 from season 4: Does the Respect for Marriage Act protect religious liberty? For more on the Johnson Amendment and the way it protects churches and other groups who are eligible for the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, visit this page on our website. Amanda and Holly also discussed it a bit on episode 4 of season 2: Grading the Trump administration on religious freedom. Holly mentioned episode 6 from season 3: Challenging misinformation: How to have productive conversations with friends and family.   Segment 3 (starting at 34:07): Questions on podcast recommendations, favorite Supreme Court justices, and more The podcasts mentioned by Amanda and Holly were: Strict Scrutiny Prosecuting Donald Trump  The Ezra Klein Show Another Mother Runner Amicus Ten Percent Happier Amanda and Holly discussed being interns at BJC. The internship program is ongoing – learn more about the opportunities by visiting BJConline.org/internships Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

When former President Donald Trump announced during Holy Week that he was endorsing the “God Bless the USA” Bible, the reaction was swift. But, beyond the punchlines and the obvious concerns, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss why the video is concerning to our current political moment and the continued rise of Christian nationalism. Not all examples are this obvious – what does this mean to those important conversations? Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Why is this a problem? The New York Times has more about the video and the marketing in this article by By Michael Gold and Maggie Haberman: Trump's Newest Venture? A $60 Bible. Segment 2 (starting at 08:11): Reacting to the video pitch  You can watch the video endorsing the Bible at this link on YouTube. Amanda and Holly talked about using the Bible as a prop and the idea of “divinely inspired” founding documents in episode 21 of this season, titled “But … is it Christian nationalism?”  Dr. Jemar Tisby shared about how he and other authors worked to stop an earlier version of this Bible in an article on his Substack: Three Years Ago We Stopped Harper Collins/Zondervan from Publishing the "God Bless the USA" Bible Segment 3 (starting at 26:44): Understanding how this is part of a larger political strategy Holly read from this piece by Michael C. Bender in The New York Times: The Church of Trump: How He's Infusing Christianity Into His Movement Amanda discussed her experience attending the ReAwaken America tour in episode 22 of season 4. Amanda read from this piece by David French in The New York Times: Trump is no Savior  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.  

There are many religious holidays in the spring, but not all are given the same public acknowledgment – from government-sponsored events to time off from school and work. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss how Christian privilege shows up in how our country recognizes and accommodates certain holidays, as well as how holidays help us understand and celebrate the religious pluralism in our country.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The March Madness of spring break and public school holidays Access “A Parent's Guide to Religion in Public Schools” published decades ago by the National PTA and the First Amendment Center with funding from the Freedom Forum at this link on BJC's website.    Segment 2 (starting at 15:05): Religious holidays and public officials/elected leaders Read about Dr. Anthea Butler's experience at the White House St. Patrick's Day celebration in this reflection on her Substack.    Segment 3 (starting at 24:00): Reflections on Christian privilege Amanda mentioned her forthcoming book, How to End Christian Nationalism. It releases October 22, and it is available for preorder at endchristiannationalism.com.  Read the story by Kevin Reynolds in the Salt Lake Tribune discussing Muslim players fasting during March Madness, which coincides with Ramadan: BYU doesn't have to play on Sundays. So should the NCAA better accommodate Muslim athletes during Ramadan? Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired”? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we should be asking ourselves.     SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What does it mean to determine the level of Christian nationalism? Learn more about the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, including the statement of principles, at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org. If you are a Christian who agrees with the statement, we encourage you to sign your name!   Segment 2 (starting at 08:23): Answering some political questions about Christian nationalism  Amanda mentioned this recent op-ed by David French in The New York Times: What is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?  Visit this link to access the report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection from BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.  Amanda mentioned this article by Steven Monacelli for the Daily Dot: A new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America gains traction with GOP politicians Hear Amanda and Holly's reaction to President Trump's 2020 appearance at St. John's Church with a Bible in episode 15 of our first season: Protests, the president and the photo op with a Bible   Segment 3 (starting at 29:09): Answering some church-related questions about Christian nationalism  Read about the new survey results from PRRI on the support for Christian nationalism at this link. To learn more about Patriot Churches, read this 2020 article in The Washington Post by Sarah Pulliam Bailey: Seeking power in Jesus' name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches   Segment 4 (starting at 38:54): History and civics questions about Christian nationalism Amanda and Holly spoke about some lawmakers sharing the idea that the Constitution is “divinely inspired” in episode 10 of season 4: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Two years after January 6 Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Get a first-hand account of attending the State of the Union address on this episode. Amanda Tyler talks with Holly Hollman about her experience, providing a new way to think about who represents our country in the room during the president's address. She shares about her invitation and various discussions with members of Congress about Christian nationalism. Plus, if you've ever wondered what it's like to serve your country by working at a polling place on Election Day, hear about Amanda's experience in Texas and how you can do the same, helping to ensure free and fair elections for our representatives in D.C.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The cost of speaking out against Christian nationalism Amanda mentioned this article by Jack Jenkins for Religion News Service: Freethought Caucus' Huffman invites Christian nationalism critic to State of the Union Read the report published by BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation on Christian nationalism and the January 6, insurrection. Click here to watch Rep. Jared Huffman's floor speech on the dangers of Christian nationalism, which mentions the joint report.  Hear Amanda's conversation with Rob Reiner and Dan Partland on their film “God & Country” in episode 12 of this season of Respecting Religion   Segment 2 (starting at 08:44): Attending the State of the Union address Amanda and Rep. Jared Huffman filmed a video together before they went to the State of the Union address. You can watch it on Instagram.  Amanda and Holly discussed the Alabama ruling impacting IVF treatments in the state on episode 18 of this season of Respecting Religion.   Segment 3 (starting at 30:23): Serving as an election worker Holly spoke with Chris Crawford of Protect Democracy about ways people of faith can be involved in free and fair elections on episode 14 of this season of Respecting Religion. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

The Supreme Court declines to hear thousands of cases a year, but one recent denial included a troubling statement from Justice Samuel Alito. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at a case out of Missouri about potential jurors being struck from the jury pool because of their anti-LGBTQ beliefs, and they break down Justice Alito's 5-page statement that seems to be asking for another case with the same issue at stake. What could this mean for the future, and why is Justice Alito still hung up on the Obergefell v. Hodges decision from 2015?    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What happened in this case? Holly mentioned this resource from The Washington Post that shows an update on cases as the term progresses: The Supreme Court Trump-Colorado ruling, and big 2024 decisions to come Amanda and Holly discussed Donald Trump's plan to create a task force fighting anti-Christian bias in episode 13 of this current season ‘God Made Trump,' Biden campaigns at a church, and more news from the campaign trail Amanda read from this article in The New York Times by Abbie VanSickle describing the factual background of the lawsuit: Justice Alito Renews Criticism of Landmark Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage   Segment 2 (starting at 14:33): Why did Justice Alito write this statement? You can read Justice Alito's statement on the denial of cert on page 25 of this PDF document of the order list from the Supreme Court on Feb. 20, 2024. Amanda mentioned three cases invoked by Justice Alito: Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017) Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah (1993) Carson v. Makin (2022) Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

An alarming ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court is leading to the shutdown of in vitro fertilization clinics, and the concurrence's use of Scripture and Christian theology is causing additional concerns. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at this troubling ruling, the various religious views on life, and why it's an issue for a justice to cite the Bible in an opinion.  SHOW NOTES: Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What is the Alabama case about? The Alabama Supreme Court case is called LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine. You can read the decision and the concurrence here. For additional information on the case, listen to the NPR interview with law professor Mary Ziegler in this story: How Alabama's ruling that frozen embryos are ‘children' could impact IVF Amanda and  Holly discussed the Dobbs decision in episode 4 of season 4.   Segment 2 (starting at 13:18): The decision and even more-troubling concurrence Listen to the “On the Media”  interview with Matthew D. Taylor: Christian Nationalism is Reshaping Fertility Rights, and Books Dominate at the Oscars Amanda talked about her experience at the ReAwaken America tour in episode 22 of season 4 of Respecting Religion.   Segment 3 (starting at 31:15): Additional reactions to the opinion Read the entire piece by Noah Feldman for Bloomberg at this link: Embryos Are Now Children in Alabama. Blame the Supreme Court. Amanda and Holly discussed the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision in episode 21 of season 3. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Presidents have made broad appeals to our country without dividing along religious belief throughout American history. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at presidential leadership and talk about how our country's founding documents set up our system of government that does not create a “Christian nation” in any sort of legal sense – rather, it ensures freedom of religion and freedom from a state establishment of religion. They also talk about why people like to claim we are a “Christian nation” and the reasons that is a problematic statement.   Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Religious freedom at the founding Learn more about the celebration of the holiday known as Washington's Birthday from the National Archives.  Amanda and Holly mentioned this article by Peter Smith for the Associated Press: Many believe the founders wanted a Christian America. Some want the government to declare one now. He also wrote this piece with some frequently asked questions. Amanda mentioned a book she is writing that will come out later this year, which is titled How to End Christian Nationalism. Watch Holly's video answering the question “Is America a Christian nation?” at this link. The Rev. Jennifer Hawks wrote this piece about Article VI for Baptist News Global: How the Constitution's original religious freedom guarantee almost didn't happen Amanda spoke with historian Steven Green in 2019 for this episode of our podcast series on the dangers of Christian nationalism: We were founded as a Christian nation? Michael Meyerson is the author of Endowed by our Creator: The Birth of Religious Freedom in America. You can read more about his 2014 lectures – given for the Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State – in this recap.  The BJC Fellows Program is open to all young professionals interested in deepening their historical, legal and theological understanding of religious liberty. The deadline to apply for the 2024 class is March 1 – visit BJConline.org/Fellows to learn more and apply.      Segment 2 (starting at 24:21): Words from previous presidents Click here to visit BJC's website page with a few quotes from Founders, presidents, and Baptists about the relationship between church and state. The quotes include links or citations to the original source material.   Segment 3 (starting at 33:20): What now? Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

There is a novel – and concerning – development in public education and the relationship between the institutions of church and state: Oklahoma and Guam have proposed religious charter schools. Litigation has already started. But, what is a religious charter school, and why is the idea such a problem? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman say they are illegal and that they challenge some basic assumptions.  Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What are religious charter schools, and what's the problem? Holly and Amanda discussed the trouble with school vouchers in episode 8 and episode 9 of this season.  In an order on his way out the door, former Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor issued an opinion that said religious charter schools were ok, but then new Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond reversed that guidance. Read Don Byrd's article for BJC's website about the Oklahoma and Guam charter schools: Guam joins Oklahoma in approving government-funded religious charter schools after legislature overrides governor's veto Segment 2 (starting at 12:39): The lawsuits in Oklahoma trying to stop this action You can download the petition for the lawsuit by Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond in the Oklahoma Supreme Court at this link on the website of the Oklahoma State Courts Network. The lawsuit brought by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and others is called OKPLAC, Inc. v. Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. Read the Complaint and learn more on the websites of the ACLU and of Americans United. OKPLAC is the “Oklahoma Parent Legislative Advocacy Coalition.” Segment 3 (starting at 18:43): State and constitutional questions about charter schools Visit this resource from the U.S. Department of Education to learn more about charter schools. The trinity of recent Supreme Court cases mentioned were: Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017) Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue (2020) Carson v. Makin (2022) Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.  

Much is said and assumed about the religious landscape of Black America, but it's more diverse than the common narratives. Holly Hollman speaks with Dr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Anthony Pinn about misconceptions and how they brought together Black Church leaders and Black nontheists for key conversations. Tune in for this open and honest conversation about how we can work across racial and religious lines to help all communities thrive.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): Misconceptions about the religious landscape of Black America Dr. Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities at Rice University, and he's also the Founding Director of Rice's Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning. He is the author/editor of more than 35 books, and he is also director of research for the Institute for Humanist Studies. Read Dr. Pinn's full biography here. Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is the director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, which is the home of our project on Race and Religious Freedom. Learn more about the Center on our website and in this video. She is the editor and contributing author of the book African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. Read Dr. Dent's full biography here. “(Dis)belief: Reimagining the Religious Landscape of Black America” was the topic for the 2023 Religious Freedom Mobile Institute. Click here to read about it in a piece by Jaziah Masters, Research Fellow for the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation.    Segment 2 (starting at 20:13): The connections between religious freedom and racial justice BJC's “Religious Freedom Has Been White Too Long: Voices of Black Scholars” was BJC's 2021 lecture featuring Dr. Anthony Pinn, Dr. Nicole Myers Turner, Dr. Teresa L. Smallwood, and Dr. David Goatley. Watch the event at this link and read a recap on our website. James Baldwin wrote in The New York Times on Feb. 2, 1969, that the bulk of the country's white population is beyond hope of moral rehabilitation. “They have been white, if I may so put it, too long.”   Segment 3 (starting at 30:23): Key moments from the conference As mentioned, Dr. Dent and Dr. Pinn will be co-editors of a forthcoming book of essays from the participants in the conference. Keep up with BJC and the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation for the latest! Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

What is the role of churches and other houses of worship in protecting democracy? This topic usually comes up because of bad actors that overstep into partisanship, but today's show looks at how faith communities can help our elections run smoothly. Holly Hollman speaks with Chris Crawford of Protect Democracy – a nonprofit, cross-ideological organization that has a new playbook to help faith communities ensure “all eligible voters can access a ballot and every valid vote is counted.” Learn more about how people of faith can love their neighbors and take active roles in protecting our system of government.   SHOW NOTES: Segment 1 (starting at 00:45): Working across differences without papering over them Read more about Chris Crawford at this link. Protect Democracy and Interfaith America partnered to help faith communities to serve their communities during the 2024 election. Click here to access the Faith in Elections Playbook, and learn more about Protect Democracy at this link. Protect Democracy's guide for recognizing authoritarianism is available at this link.   Segment 2 (starting at 11:49): The Faith in Elections Playbook  Chris Crawford mentioned A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy. Learn more about their work on their website. Chris Crawford mentioned PowerThePolls.org as a resource to learn more about being a poll worker.   Segment 3 (starting at 31:03): Religious freedom and protecting our democracy Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.  

Now that the first votes have been cast in the presidential primaries, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at some of the troubling statements and activities on the campaign trail concerning the role of religion and religious freedom – from both Democrats and Republicans. While candidates are – and should be – free to talk about the ways their faith inspires them, there are some red lines when it comes to politicking in houses of worship with tax-exempt resources or using political power as a way to impose religion on others.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What makes someone “religious” according to voters? Amanda and Holly mentioned the following articles: Trump's biggest Iowa gains are in evangelical areas, smallest wins in cities by By Dan Keating, Adrian Blanco and Clara Ence Morse for The Washington Post Trump Is connecting with a different type of evangelical voter By Ruth Graham and Charles Homans for The New York Times Most Republicans think Donald Trump is a person of faith. We asked why by Samuel Benson for Deseret News There's a seed of truth in the 'God Made Trump' ad. But his acolytes don't see it. by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons for MSNBC.com. It includes a link to the “God Made Trump” campaign video Amanda and Holly discussed the “God Made a Fighter” video for the 2022 gubernatorial campaign of Ron DeSantis in episode 6 of season 4: Evaluating Christian nationalism as a campaign strategy. Amanda and Holly discussed the ReAwaken America tour in episode 22 of season 4. Read more about Speaker Mike Johnson and Steve Bannon debating “God's will” in this article by Mark Wingfield for Baptist News Global: Mike Johnson and Steve Bannon spar over whether it is ‘God's will' that Joe Biden is president Segment 2 (starting at 23:05): A war on Christians? Trump's promises if he returns to office Holly mentioned this piece by Meryl Kornfield, Colby Itkowitz, Hannah Knowles and Marianne LeVine for The Washington Post: Ordained by God: Trump's legal problems galvanize Iowa evangelicals Read more about former President Donald Trump's promises if he returns to office in this pice by Sarah Posner for MSNBC.com: Trump just promised an authoritarian ‘task force' to impose Christian ideology Segment 3 (starting at 31:47): President Biden at Mother Emanuel Church Amanda mentioned this piece by Ken Macon for MSNBC.com on President Biden's appearance at Mother Emanuel AME Church: It's protesters, not politicians, who keep the history of Mother Emanuel AME alive BJC has a one-page explainer of how houses of worship and other religious nonprofits can how to use their prophetic voice in the political process while maintaining their 501(c)(3) tax status. Click here to access the PDF, called “Advocates, not partisans.” Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.  

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor showed a thoughtful approach toward religious liberty issues during her time on the bench, upholding both the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause. Paying tribute to her soon after her passing on December 1, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman remember Justice O'Connor's contributions and talk about her legacy, sharing personal reflections as well as wisdom from Justice O'Connor that holds true today. They also look at her controversial endorsement test and how the Supreme Court has shifted – both the law and in terms of public opinion – after her retirement. Amanda and Holly also take a moment to share what we learned about you, our listeners, from this year's Spotify Wrapped.    SHOW NOTES: Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The life of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Here are a few remembrances of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, lauded as “a human being, extraordinary,” lies in repose at the court by Mark Walsh for SCOTUSblog Click here for the entire “In Memoriam” section on SCOTUSblog Sandra Day O'Connor, First Woman on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 93 – The New York Times' obituary by Linda Greenhouse Justice O'Connor's official Supreme Court bio Click here to see the online version of the Supreme Court exhibit on Justice O'Connor's life Justice O'Connor's funeral was a private event at the Washington National Cathedral, but it is available for the public to view on the Cathedral's YouTube page.    Segment 2 (starting at 15:41): Justice O'Connor on church-state cases Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor leaves legacy of civic-minded church-state jurisprudence by Don Byrd for BJC's website Amanda and Holly mentioned the following cases: Board of Education v. Mergens (1990) Lynch v. Donnelly (1984) McCreary County, Ky., v. ACLU (2005) was the Ten Commandments case with Justice O'Connor's famous concurrence. Click here to learn more about the two Ten Commandments cases and decisions from a column Holly wrote in 2005.    Segment 3 (starting at 26:49): The ongoing impact of Justice O'Connor Amanda and Holly mentioned that Justice O'Connor was one of the authors of the plurality opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) Amanda and Holly discuss this article from Linda Greenhouse for The New York Times: “What Sandra Day O'Connor got wrong”   Segment 4 (starting at 35:31): Who are your fellow listeners? See our Spotify Wrapped on Instagram at this link. Our most popular podcast on Spotify in 2023 was Episode 22 of Season 4, discussing the ReAwaken America tour. Our most shared one was Episode 23 of Season 4 on the myth of American “chosenness.”  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Use this special link to support these conversations, and thank you for listening! 

In part two of our conversation on school vouchers, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at who really wants the troublesome programs, and why. They discuss how court decisions are chipping away at constitutional boundaries and dive into the policy debates and political fights over school vouchers that are pitting communities against each other. Plus, they share the origins of some of the language used in these conversations and why Texas – surprisingly – hasn't passed a voucher program.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Analyzing Zelman and cases chipping away at constitutional boundaries Listen to part one of this conversion in episode 8 of season 5. Holly and Amanda discuss the ruling in the 2002 case of Zelman v. Simmons-Harris. You can read the opinion and dissent here. They mention a trilogy of cases that came later – click the case name for more information, including podcast episodes: Trinity Lutheran v. Comer (2017) Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue (2020) Carson v. Makin (2022)   Segment 2 (starting at 06:04): Policy debates and political fights  Holly and Amanda mentioned the following articles: GOP states are embracing vouchers. Wealthy parents are benefitting. by Andrew Atterbury for Politico ‘School choice' developed as a way to protect segregation and abolish public schools by Nancy MacLean for The Washington Post in 2021 Rural resistance to statewide school vouchers by Deven Carlson for Brookings Are school vouchers inevitable? was the headline of the article by Robert T. Garrett on the front page of the Dallas Morning News “Our public school system is our town”: Why this rural Republican is voting against school vouchers By Brian Lopez and Patrick Svitek for The Texas Tribune Amanda and Holly discussed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's push for school vouchers in episode 1 of this season. Learn more about Pastors for Texas Children and their work countering vouchers by visiting their website.   Segment 3: (starting at 24:00): Additional resources on vouchers  Here are some additional resources from BJC on school vouchers: U.S. House rejects nationwide school voucher amendment 311-113, while states continue to enact voucher programs by Don Byrd (March 2023) Voucher-funded religious education: A threat to religious liberty byJennifer Hawks (February 2020) School vouchers threaten religious autonomy by Jennifer Hawks (March 2015) You can also access additional resources on religion and public schools at this link on our website. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

The National Association of Christian Lawmakers is devoted to promoting a right wing Christian nationalist vision in right-wing statehouses across the land. Working with the powerful Christianist law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, the NACL is waging what some have called “a spiritual civil war.” Who's the enemy? Trans kids, book authors and librarians, anyone who's not a fundamentalist Christian born in these United States, etc. Who's a friend? House Speaker Mike Johnson, who the NACL just awarded their “American Patriot Award for Christian Honor and Courage.” I'll talk with BJC general counsel and associate executive director Holly Hollman about ways to identify and resist the erosion of American democracy at the hands of a theocratic minority. And Interfaith Alliance Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Darcy Hirsh will be here to highlight the steps that are needed to push back against this growing threat.

School voucher programs across the country seek to divert taxpayer money to religious schools, which raises significant concerns for religious freedom advocates. In part one of this two-part episode, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman explore the problematic issue of school vouchers. They talk about the various iterations of vouchers and the many issues they can create, including their coercive nature. Plus, they look at the first time the Supreme Court upheld a voucher program and what that ruling actually says.    SHOW NOTES: Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What is the problem with the government funding of religion? Amanda and Holly talked about the Texas chaplain bill in episode 5: An alarming push to put chaplains in public schools Segment 2 (starting at 12:33): What are school vouchers?  Segment 3: (starting at 19:37): Exploring Zelman and the chain of causation Holly and Amanda review the ruling in the 2002 case of Zelman v. Simmons-Harris. You can read the opinion and dissent here. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Thirty years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law. It was a monumental event in religious liberty law at the time, and it remains part of an even more complex legal landscape of religious exemptions today. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at the standard set by RFRA and discuss how the law has been used in cases dealing with issues ranging from sacramental drug use to application of health insurance regulations. They discuss the non-controversial applications of RFRA, too, and the search for win-win solutions to complicated situations that arise in a religiously pluralistic society.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The need for and passage of RFRA Learn more about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) on BJC's website: BJConline.org/RFRA Holly wrote a column on RFRA for Word&Way's “A Public Witness” newsletter, and you can read it here: Revisiting RFRA 30 years later Read the text of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act at this link. Amanda mentioned these two “high water mark” cases in the period before 1990: Sherbert v. Verner (1963) and Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972). The 1990 Employment Division v. Smith is the case often known as the “peyote case.” We played audio from Justice Antonin Scalia reading the opinion of the Court from the bench, which you can listen to and read at this link. Watch the signing ceremony for RFRA on November 16, 1993, at this link on the YouTube channel of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Holly mentioned this printed resource available on our website, produced for the 20th anniversary of RFRA.    Segment 2 (starting at 14:16): Twists and turns of RFRA over 30 years Amanda mentioned the 1997 case that struck down RFRA as applied to the states: City of Boerne v. Flores. The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) has the same standard as RFRA, but it has not been the subject of so many controversies. Holly and Amanda mentioned three other RFRA cases: Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal in 2006 (also known as the “UDV” case), Tanzin v. Tanvir in 2020, and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores in 2014. Holly wrote about the application of RFRA to corporations in light of the Hobby Lobby decision in 2014: Examining RFRA in light of Hobby Lobby J. Brent Walker, former executive director of BJC at the time, wrote about the Hobby Lobby decision in 2014: Exploring Hobby Lobby's narrow victory   Segment 3 (starting at 32:28): The state of RFRA today Here are additional resources from BJC providing more context on the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Podcasts: S1, Ep. 06: Stay-at-home orders, religious freedom and RFRA (2020) S1, Ep. 12: Not a charm: Contraceptive mandate returns to the Supreme Court for the third time (2020) S3, Ep. 03: What's going on with religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates? (2021) Video: Watch this video of former BJC General Counsel Oliver “Buzz” Thomas discussing the origins of RFRA Resources from BJC on cases: Zubik v. Burwell (2016) Tanzin v. Tanvir (2020) Additional reading: Do states need religious freedom legislation? By J. Brent Walker, 2015 Contraceptive mandate oral arguments shed light on underreported issues by Holly Hollman, 2014 RFRA's constitutionality called into question by J. Brent Walker, 2014 RFRA at 20: A retrospective by Holly Hollman, 2013 Remembering the origins of RFRA by J. Brent Walker, 2013 Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. 

A new Texas law allows public schools to replace counselors with chaplains. In this wee's episode, discover why Texas chaplains are voicing their opposition. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss SB 763 and their concerns about government-sponsored proselytization in public schools. They discuss the group behind this law and how Texans are resisting its implementation in their local communities. School districts have until March 1, 2024 to vote on creating chaplain programs. The only qualification to serve as a “chaplain” is to pass a criminal background check.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 1:55): The group behind the push for this law The Texas Tribune's Robert Downen and Brian Lopez looked into Rocky Malloy's troubling work: Key supporter of Texas school chaplain bill has pushed for evangelism in schools   Segment 2 (starting at 7:07): Texas chaplains respond to this law You can read the letter from chaplains opposing chaplains in public schools at this link. Read a story about Texans opposing the school chaplain law in the Dallas Morning News, an op-ed from two Texas clergy in the Austin American-Statesman, or the transcript of a radio segment that aired on National Public Radio.    Segment 3 (starting at 20:10): What can you do? Find more information about how to get involved on the BJC website.  If you're a chaplain living in or educated in Texas, add your name to the letter from Texas chaplains here.  The petition for Texans of faith opposing law can be accessed here. The petition for people of faith across the country opposing any attempt to bring public school chaplains to their state can be found here. Advocates who want information about how to make a difference in their Texas school district can fill out this form.  A short video about the law and how-tos on advocacy to school boards is available on our YouTube channel.  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. 

Buy Kevin Richberg's New Batch of Honey!  Amanda Tyler is executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), leading the organization as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty: defending the free exercise of religion and protecting against its establishment by government. She is the lead organizer of BJC's Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign and co-host of BJC's Respecting Religion podcast. Tyler's constitutional law analysis and advocacy for faith freedom for all have been featured by major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, and MSNBC. Religion News Service named Tyler one of “2022's rising stars in religion,” and she regularly preaches in Baptist churches, speaks at denominational gatherings, and leads sessions on college campuses and with community groups of all sizes. A member of the Texas and U.S. Supreme Court Bar, Tyler has experience working in Congress, in a private legal practice, and serving as a law clerk for a federal judge. She testified before Congress in 2022 about the ways in which Christian nationalism proves cover for white supremacy and in 2018 about threats to religious liberty around the world. Originally from Austin, Texas, Tyler grew up hearing about the cherished Baptist principles of religious liberty and the separation of church and state as a member of Highland Park Baptist Church. Because she was committed to these principles, Tyler sought out BJC when she moved to Washington to attend Georgetown University, and she began volunteering in the office. Tyler graduated from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with a bachelor's degree in foreign service, magna cum laude. She was hired by BJC to serve as assistant to the general counsel, working closely with Brent Walker, James Dunn, Melissa Rogers and Holly Hollman. During this time, she wrote columns for Report from the Capital, drafted statements on religious liberty issues, presented educational programs, and coordinated the broad coalition in support of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Tyler left BJC to enroll in The University of Texas School of Law, where she received her J.D. with honors. In 2019, the school named her their “Outstanding Young Alumna.” Following law school, Tyler worked in private practice and served as a law clerk for a U.S. district court judge in Dallas, Texas. She later joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett in Austin and Washington, D.C. In Austin, Tyler served as the congressman's district director, leading the staff in the development and execution of an outreach agenda for a 7-county congressional district, as well as serving as a spokesperson for his office. She later served as Rep. Doggett's counsel for the Ways and Means Committee. Tyler was named executive director of BJC in 2016, and she began her tenure in January 2017. She lives in Dallas with her husband, Robert Behrendt, and their son. You can follow her on X: @AmandaTylerBJC. Learn more about Amanda in her BJC staff Q&A.    Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe      

Get an inside look at the U.S. House of Representatives and the challenges of Christian nationalism in this week's episode. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman take you behind-the-scenes of Amanda's testimony to Congress, held on the same day lawmakers elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., to be Speaker of the House. They share key moments from the hearing on religious freedom around the world, including a powerful moment with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. Plus, they discuss troubling statements from Speaker Johnson, his embrace of Christian nationalism, and how he might navigate his new role.    Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Returning to testify before Congress Read Amanda's written testimony at this link. Watch a portion of Amanda's opening statement at this link, and watch the entire hearing on the YouTube channel of the U.S. House Oversight's Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. Learn more about the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom here. It is also known by its initials USCIRF, pronounced “You-Surf” in conversation. The United Nations has a website page devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which will be Dec 10, 2023. Read more about BJC's advocacy fighting the travel ban here.    Segment 2 (starting at 17:34): Questions from Congress and an exchange with Rep. Maxwell Frost You can watch the exchange with Amanda and Rep. Frost at this link.   Segment 3 (starting at 30:08): Speaker Mike Johnson and Christian nationalism  Amanda is quoted in this article by Nick Mordowanec for Newsweek: Mike Johnson Uses Bible to Justify ‘Aggression,' Urges Christians to Fight Amanda is quoted in this article by Peter Smith for the Associated Press: Christian conservatives cheer one of their own as Mike Johnson assumes Congress' most powerful seat Brian Kaylor and Jeremy Fuzy of Word&Way wrote this piece on Speaker Mike Johnson for the “A Public Witness” newsletter: Christian nationalism in the Speaker's chair Dr. Kristin Du Mez did a Q&A with Politico's Katelyn Fossett about Speaker Johnson: ‘He Seems to Be Saying His Commitment Is to Minority Rule' Dr. Andrew Whitehead and Dr. Samuel Perry wrote this piece for TIME magazine: The Christian Nationalism of Speaker Mike Johnson Amanda mentioned Dr. Walter B. “Buddy” Shurden's writings on Baptist history. Click here to read a copy of his “How We Got That Way” presentation on Baptists and religious liberty.   Holly mentioned this piece in The New Yorker by David Kirpatrick on ADF: The next targets for the group that overturned Roe Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. 

Is the Supreme Court immune from public pressure? What is the role of the government when it comes to nondiscrimination laws, gender identity, and posting Scripture? As we begin season 5 of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman take live questions from an audience on these topics and more. Hear their updates from the summer as they share what we can expect from this new Supreme Court term, as well as how decisions are impacting our country at all levels.    SHOW NOTES: Segment 1 (starting at 1:18): Welcome back for season 5 Amanda spoke about the role of religious nationalism in the Israel-Gaza War this week at a church in Pennsylvania during a previously-scheduled talk on Christian nationalism. “I believe God weeps at the sight of God's children killing one another, and God yearns for peace,” she said. You can watch her remarks here.  Amanda and Holly discussed the decisions in Groff v. DeJoy and 303 Creative v. Elenis in our season 4 finale. Read Holly's column on Groff: The Supreme Court got something right on religion Read more reactions to the Supreme Court's decision striking down race-conscious college admissions in this article from BJC's fall magazine, including the statement from the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation. Holly talked about the new Supreme Court term in this article by Pamela Manson for UPI: Religious liberty cases could land on Supreme Court docket this term Amanda mentioned this op-ed she wrote for CNN: New Texas law deprives families of religious liberty rights Read more about Amanda's move to Texas in her recent column: Faith freedom across the country Segment 2 (starting at 12:00): Questions from our audience The first question referred to remarks Justice Samuel Alito made about supposed hostility to religion in a 2022 speech, which you can watch here. This episode was recorded during Banned Books Week, which took place from October 1-7. Learn more on the website of the American Library Association. Learn more about the troubling law in Texas requiring school boards to vote on creating a “chaplain” program and how you can take action on our website at BJConline.org/publicschoolchaplains Amanda mentioned this statement from the current and former leaders of Texas Baptists denouncing “School Choice Sunday.” Read more in this article by Ken Camp for the Baptist Standard: BGCT leaders call Gov. Abbott's appeal ‘out of bounds' Amanda and Holly had an in-depth discussion on the Respect for Marriage Act in episode 7 of season 4. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. 

Today's show refers to this writing:    Religion News Service ran a story last week on the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, and their efforts to pass laws that (they claim) are based on Christianity.   Specifically (from their website), they are about “abolishing abortion,” “restoring marriage between one man and one woman,” and (an often forgotten part of the Sermon on the Mount), “promoting universal school choice.”   The story attributes the following criticism of the NACL to Holly Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty: that making laws “shaped by a legislator's view of Christian values can be harmful for both the government and people of faith because it erodes the separation of church and state.”   There's a lot to unpack here, with implications for everyone—Christian or not, religious or not—who cares about the future of American democracy.   The key phrase in Hollman's criticism is “the separation of church and state.” What does this phrase mean today? In what ways has it become a reflexive and feckless fallback position for well-intentioned religious people who are politically liberal? And in what circumstances is it indispensable?   So permit me, then, as a thought experiment, to defend the National Association of Christian Lawmakers—not for their specific causes, nor for their method. No. Let me defend the NACL for what they are trying to do, understood in the most generous way possible: they are trying to bring a moral vision into our shared common life, and reconnect that vision to the practice of making laws.   That's a good thing. A healthy society needs to ask questions about, and have respectful debates about, the good towards which policies and practices are aimed. And a healthy politics is connected to a vision of the common good, or else you get what you have now—a politics of getting and keeping power for personal gain, bought by powerful moneyed interests.   Here's where the imprecision of the phrase “separation of church and state” becomes problematic.    If Hollman is playing the “separation of church and state” card in order to trump any religious voice's articulation of values in public conversations, including conversations about public policy and the making of laws, then she (along with many secularists who believe religion should be just a private activity) are making 2 mistakes: the first is constitutional; the second is strategic.   Let me take the constitutional mistake first. The separation of church and state is a Jeffersonian phrase that refers to the First Amendment. The First Amendment prohibits the  establishment of a state religion, and prohibits the government from restricting individuals' free exercise of religion.   Neither of these prohibitions can be construed to mean that religious voices are disqualified from articulating values or visions of human flourishing that rise from religious commitments, or advocating for those values as matters of policy. There's nothing about articulation or advocacy per se, that establishes a state religion or prohibits an individual's free exercise of religion. A particular bill that NACL supports that gets signed into law may violate the First Amendment, but that's a separate question.    The second, strategic mistake Hollman makes in playing the “separation of church and state” card is not unique to her. In fact, it is common to most religious people who are politically left of center. It's a failure to engage with substantive moral and theological critiques of liberal democracy, including laws that rise from liberal democracy's commitment to equality and individual rights.    Failing to engage these moral and theological critiques is a strategic mistake because it (to use the language of battle) cedes the moral field to the critics. In short, where there needs to be an articulation of moral good in the public square by religious people who are politically left of center, those people retreat behind the wall of “separation  of church and state.” The needed moral and theological articulation is never made. Silence ensues, and the loud voices win.   Let me be more concrete. NACL wants to undo Obergefell. Instead of criticizing NACL's advocacy for reversing Obergefell as violating the separation of church and state, what religious people (and non-religious people, for that matter) ought to do, is articulate the moral and theological good that the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause (on which Obergefell was decided) guards.   Or again, abortion. Instead of criticizing NACL as violating the separation of church and state by seeking to abolish abortion, what religious people ought to do, is articulate how “choice” is a moral and theological good in this humanly complex issue.   The “separation of church and state” was never meant to disconnect moral philosophy and moral theology from public questions.   There are reasonable people, of good will, who have substantive critiques of liberal (understood as a political philosophy, not a political party) democracy, and (some of) its laws. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers may or may not be reasonable, or of good will. Either way, to refrain from engaging the moral and humanistic theological dimensions of our shared common life, in the name of the “separation of church and state,” leaves a void that such voices then fill.    And leaves the positive goods of liberal democracy unspoken.    Chris Owen   Chris is the Founder and Co-Associate Director of the S-1 Project, dedicated to the promotion of moral and humanistic theological reflection on our shared common life 

Season 5 of the Respecting Religion podcast launches in October 2023! Tune in as BJC's Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss the Supreme Court, the continued rise of Christian nationalism, and a multitude of current issues impacting faith freedom for all. Here's a look at a few of the topics covered in season 4, including the ReAwaken America tour, federal regulations about religious expression in school, the National Prayer Breakfast, and various ways the two religion clauses of the First Amendment impact our life and protect the institutional separation of church and state. You can watch this trailer on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/MwnSSS6rGfs?feature=shared You can find all episodes of Respecting Religion -- including transcripts -- at RespectingReligion.org or BJConline.org/respectingreligion.

On tonight's show, I'm coming to you from City of Athens, Alabama, city hall. I'm speaking with Holly Hollman about Relay for Life of Limestone County, Alabama, and their upcoming fundraiser at Applebee's tomorrow night and the survivors dinner and walk coming up on May 12th. I hope you will listen and share.

On this MADM, Holly Hollman is sharing about the Limestone County Relay for effort and how she became passionately involved. I hope you will listen and share. Sponsor: Phoenix Glass Recycling of North Alabama phoenixglassrecycling.com

In this episode, we talk with Holly Hollman about do's and don'ts in election season. Holly is the general Council and associate executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee. Together we reflect on the implications of separation of church and state for churches and their leaders during election season.

In this episode, we talk with Holly Hollman about do's and don'ts in election season. Holly is the general Council and associate executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee. Together we reflect on the implications of separation of church and state for churches and their leaders during election season.

A weekly podcast exploring stories at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. This week: Missy gives Mitch -- and our listeners -- a quiz about the Supreme Court. Play along! Guest: Jennifer Hawks, associate general counsel at BJC in Washington, D.C. "Good Faith Weekly" is produced out of Norman, Oklahoma. Music is by Pond5. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Jennifer Hawks ~ https://bjconline.org/jennifer-hawks/ BJC ~ https://bjconline.org/ Oct. 5 USA Today opinion piece by BJC's Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman ~ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2022/10/05/supreme-court-ignores-precedents-protect-religious-liberty/8139768001/

Sponsors: Central Seminary, CBF Church Benefits, & Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. Join the listener community at https://www.classy.org/campaign/podcast-listener-support/c251116. Music from HookSounds.com

For new podcast episodes featuring BJC's Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman, subscribe to the “Respecting Religion” podcast feed. It is available on this same podcasting provider. There, you'll find their latest conversations on faith freedom for all, including their reactions to Supreme Court arguments and decisions impacting religious liberty. Subscribe to Respecting Religion today! Learn more at https://bjconline.org/respectingreligion/

In today's episode of Interactions, we discuss the ongoing court case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District with Ira “Chip” Lupu and Holly Hollman. The case concerns a public high school football coach in Washington State who argues that he has the right to pray on the fifty-yard line of the field after each game—and that his high school players should be allowed to join in. Coach Kennedy argues that his “brief and quiet” prayer is private speech protected under the First Amendment and the Free Exercise clause. But his position as a football coach at a public school means that his prayer could actually be in violation of the wall of separation between church and state.  Ira, nationally recognized scholar in constitutional law, is professor of law emeritus at George Washington University and coauthor of https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eerdmans.com%2FProducts%2F7079%2Fsecular-government-religious-people.aspx&data=05%7C01%7Ceythen.aaron.anthony%40emory.edu%7C6bf41ae639a44ff41d2b08da26cc9f9f%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637864957535493840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ENOeKj5BJwyvRsCbCeATAjRd2CZVGDXe32gLv%2FdQsaM%3D&reserved=0 (Secular Government, Religious People). Holly is a leading expert on religious liberty and general counsel at Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC). She is also cohost of the Respecting Religion podcast with BJC executive director Amanda Tyler and adjunct faculty at Georgetown University. Is Coach Kennedy's prayer public or private speech? Does it violate the establishment clause? And should teachers be allowed to pray with students in public schools? Find out in today's episode of Interactions. Legal scholars to speak in support of Coach Kennedy were invited to the discussion but declined to participate. Follow Ira on Twitter https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Ficlupu&data=05%7C01%7Ceythen.aaron.anthony%40emory.edu%7C6bf41ae639a44ff41d2b08da26cc9f9f%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637864957535493840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3lnXrXb71zD3CVnmxtzm78xhyGyVGeRg6BedeeWHJEQ%3D&reserved=0 (here), and click https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eerdmans.com%2FProducts%2F7079%2Fsecular-government-religious-people.aspx&data=05%7C01%7Ceythen.aaron.anthony%40emory.edu%7C6bf41ae639a44ff41d2b08da26cc9f9f%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637864957535493840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ENOeKj5BJwyvRsCbCeATAjRd2CZVGDXe32gLv%2FdQsaM%3D&reserved=0 (here) to purchase his book. Subscribe to Holly's podcast, Respecting Religion, on https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F29IoVEN0fXxTdjhZgw9KMc%3Fsi%3Dd25c35376fca4a49&data=05%7C01%7Ceythen.aaron.anthony%40emory.edu%7C6bf41ae639a44ff41d2b08da26cc9f9f%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637864957535493840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Cc2OoQCKGPZuo9xZMQ3awr9B4YrZRcI4OObeJFKJxL4%3D&reserved=0 (Spotify). Her amicus briefing, written in tandem with Christopher C. Lund, Douglas Laycock, and several denominational groups and referenced in today's episode, can be...

Also, a new book from Obery Hendricks. The title is, Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith. Alarmist? Tune in to hear the author make his case. And BJC launches a comprehensive curriculum to teach about and warn against the growing threat of Christian nationalism. BJC's Holly Hollman will be with us to explain.

In our season finale, we look to the future and the potential ways the Biden administration could impact religious liberty. Our guest for this episode is Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama administration. Amanda, Holly and Melissa discuss the need for an administration to be organized at the outset and ready for issues that are going to impact religious liberty, both explicitly and implicitly. There is a key difference between an administration making unforced errors and actions that inflame the culture wars. Plus, the trio reviews the religious liberty impact of the Trump administration and the centuries of partnership between the government and religious organizations.     Segment 1: Why do we need priorities for the next administration? (Starting at 00:47) Melissa Rogers is the author of Faith in American Public Life, which is available wherever books are sold. The report for the Brookings Institution written by Melissa and E.J. Dionne is titled “A Time to Heal, a Time To Build.” You can read it online.  Melissa was previously on the BJC Podcast in 2019 alongside Rabbi David Saperstein and Holly Hollman during our series on the dangers of Christian nationalism. You can listen here and watch a video of the podcast here. Amanda and Holly talked about the Trump administration's record on religious liberty in episode 4 of this season.    Segment 2: What does the next administration need to keep in mind? (Starting at 21:29) Amanda mentioned this piece that Melissa wrote for The Washington Post: President Trump just unveiled a new White House ‘faith' office. It actually weakens religious freedom. Melissa mentioned the conversation BJC hosted in 2019 on an inclusive approach to religious liberty, featuring Amanda, Dr. Corey Walker, and Dr. Linda McKinnish Bridges. You can watch it at this link.   Join the BJC Advocacy Team: BJConline.org/subscribe. Join the BJC Book Club to participate in a group discussion as we read through Melissa's book Faith in American Public Life. We will be meeting on Tuesday nights in January, and it's free to join: BJConline.org/BookClub.   Segment 3: Thanks for a great year of Respecting Religion! (Starting at 45:02) Thank you, listeners, for joining us for 26 episodes of Respecting Religion as we've navigated the twists and turns of 2020. We hope that we've met our goal of highlighting some of the most important questions and topics respecting religion in the context of all that this year has thrown at us — a global pandemic, reckoning with systemic racism and white supremacy, hugely consequential presidential election, shifts in the Supreme Court and more. This year has taken us all on a wild ride, and we are glad we could slow down a bit and give these important stories their due.  Subscribe to the BJC Podcast on your favorite platform to keep up with what's next! We're on all the major providers: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and more.

In our season finale, we look to the future and the potential ways the Biden administration could impact religious liberty. Our guest for this episode is Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama administration. Amanda, Holly and Melissa discuss the need for an administration to be organized at the outset and ready for issues that are going to impact religious liberty, both explicitly and implicitly. There is a key difference between an administration making unforced errors and actions that inflame the culture wars. Plus, the trio reviews the religious liberty impact of the Trump administration and the centuries of partnership between the government and religious organizations.     Show notes: Segment 1: Why do we need priorities for the next administration? (Starting at 00:47) Melissa Rogers is the author of Faith in American Public Life, which is available wherever books are sold. The report for the Brookings Institution written by Melissa and E.J. Dionne is titled A Time to Heal, a Time To Build. You can read it online.  Melissa was previously on the BJC Podcast in 2019 alongside Rabbi David Saperstein and Holly Hollman during our series on the dangers of Christian nationalism. You can listen here and watch a video of the podcast here. Amanda and Holly talked about the Trump administration’s record on religious liberty in episode 4 of this season.    Segment 2: What does the next administration need to keep in mind? (Starting at 21:29) Amanda mentioned this piece that Melissa wrote for The Washington Post: President Trump just unveiled a new White House ‘faith’ office. It actually weakens religious freedom. Melissa mentioned the conversation BJC hosted in 2019 on an inclusive approach to religious liberty, featuring Amanda, Dr. Corey Walker, and Dr. Linda McKinnish Bridges. You can watch it at this link.   Join the BJC Advocacy Team: BJConline.org/subscribe. Join the BJC Book Club to participate in a group discussion as we read through Melissa’s book Faith in American Public Life. We will be meeting on Tuesday nights in January, and it’s free to join: BJConline.org/BookClub.   Segment 3: Thanks for a great year of Respecting Religion! (Starting at 45:02) Thank you, listeners, for joining us for 26 episodes of Respecting Religion as we’ve navigated the twists and turns of 2020. We hope that we’ve met our goal of highlighting some of the most important questions and topics respecting religion in the context of all that this year has thrown at us -- a global pandemic, reckoning with systemic racism and white supremacy, hugely consequential presidential election, shifts in the Supreme Court and more. This year has taken us all on a wild ride, and we are glad we could slow down a bit and give these important stories their due.  Subscribe to the BJC Podcast on your favorite platform to keep up with what’s next! We’re on all the major providers: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and more.

What's at stake in the high-profile religious liberty case at the Supreme Court this term? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman break down the oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, which centers on whether a religious organization can apply its religious criteria to discriminate when operating as a government contractor delivering foster care services. They share four takeaways and speculate about what sort of decision we might see in the case. Plus, they take a look at how religion has been discussed in terms of voting this week, including problematic implications of a religious test for office.    Segment one: What are the religious liberty issues at play in Fulton v. Philadelphia? (starting at 1:05) For more on Employment Division v. Smith (1990) and the legislative response, visit BJConline.org/RFRA Holly mentioned this story in the Washington Post by Michelle Boorstein: Religious conservatives hopeful new Supreme Court majority will redefine religious liberty precedents BJC has a page dedicated to the Fulton v. Philadelphia case: BJConline.org/Fulton Read BJC's brief in the Fulton case at this link.   Segment two:  Four takeaways from the oral arguments (starting at 19:32) You can listen to the oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia via CSPAN at this link.   We played three clips from the arguments: Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaking with Lori Windham, the advocate for Fulton (around 16:25 into the argument) Neal Katyal, the advocate for Philadelphia, talking about how Fulton's position can lead to religions being against each other (around 1:18:04 into the argument) Justice Samuel Alito expressing outrage at government actors trying to impose their beliefs on religious actors (around 1:04:17 into the argument) Learn more about the Masterpiece Cakeshop case on our website: BJConline.org/Masterpiece   Segment three: Religion and the election (starting at 44:56) For more on the “no religious test” principle, read this article from Amanda Tyler, written in advance of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings. 

What’s at stake in the high-profile religious liberty case at the Supreme Court this term? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman break down the oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, which centers on whether a religious organization can apply its religious criteria to discriminate when operating as a government contractor delivering foster care services. They share four takeaways and speculate about what sort of decision we might see in the case. Plus, they take a look at how religion has been discussed in terms of voting this week, including problematic implications of a religious test for office.     Segment one: What are the religious liberty issues at play in Fulton v. Philadelphia? (starting at 1:05) For more on Employment Division v. Smith (1990) and the legislative response, visit BJConline.org/RFRA Holly mentioned this story in the Washington Post by Michelle Boorstein: Religious conservatives hopeful new Supreme Court majority will redefine religious liberty precedents BJC has a page dedicated to the Fulton v. Philadelphia case: BJConline.org/Fulton Read BJC’s brief in the Fulton case at this link.   Segment two:  Four takeaways from the oral arguments (starting at 19:32) You can listen to the oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia via CSPAN at this link.   We played three clips from the arguments: Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaking with Lori Windham, the advocate for Fulton (around 16:25 into the argument) Neal Katyal, the advocate for Philadelphia, talking about how Fulton’s position can lead to religions being against each other (around 1:18:04 into the argument) Justice Samuel Alito expressing outrage at government actors trying to impose their beliefs on religious actors (around 1:04:17 into the argument) Learn more about the Masterpiece Cakeshop case on our website: BJConline.org/Masterpiece   Segment three: Religion and the election (starting at 44:56) For more on the “no religious test” principle, read this article from Amanda Tyler, written in advance of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings. 

What did we learn about religious freedom from the Amy Coney Barrett hearings? To kick off season two of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman put the Senate's confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett into context, spotlighting the religious freedom issues raised – or politicized – during the event. And, after so much talk about the Constitution's prohibition on a religious test for office, they ask an important question: Who was imposing a religious test during the hearings? Plus, in segment three, they look at how religion is showing up in our world today, including in a controversy with one of the Hollywood stars named “Chris” and a recent statement by Pope Francis about civil unions. Segment one: Barrett and Ginsburg, Cruz and Cornyn (starts at 1:09) Amanda mentioned two pieces BJC wrote about the impact and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: RBG: Defender of equality, principled dissenter, faithful supporter of religious liberty by Holly Hollman, published by Baptist News Global Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy in upholding a key religious freedom law by Holly Hollman and Amanda Tyler,  published by The Christian Citizen Click here to read BJC's review of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's church-state record, which was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee before the hearings began. It includes questions BJC suggested that senators ask of her. For clips of discussions of religious liberty during the two days of hearings that involved questions, check out these two articles by Don Byrd on the “Latest News” section of our website: In Day 2 of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing, some religious liberty discussions, though little depth or insight Religious Liberty discussions on day 3 of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing   Segment two: What did Judge Barrett say about religious freedom during her hearings? (17:43) Read the most recent State of the First Amendment Survey at this link, published by the Freedom Forum Institute. It says only 4% of respondents can name “petition” as one of the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.  Holly mentioned the travel ban issued by President Trump in his first week in office. Read more about that case, which eventually was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court as Trump v. Hawaii: BJConline.org/travelban Holly mentioned the upcoming Fulton v. Philadelphia case, which focuses on nondiscrimination in government-funded foster care. Learn more at BJConline.org/Fulton Holly recently presented during a webinar on the future of the Establishment Clause, hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA). You can watch it at this link. The ABA also did a seminar on the Free Exercise Clause, which is available at this link. Amanda wrote a commentary about Article VI and the “no religious test” principle before the confirmation hearings began. You can read it at this link, published by Good Faith Media:  This article from The Washington Post that includes the number of times “religion” was mentioned: Democrats' non-persecution of Amy Coney Barrett.    Segment three: Where did we see religion in our world? Recent discussions on religion and LGBTQ rights in our culture (38:40) Holly mentioned the story surrounding Chris Pratt and his church's stance on same-sex marriage. Here's an article from The Washington Post: The latest celebrity cause: Defending the honor of Chris Pratt. Read more on BJC's website about the recent statement from Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito about the Court reconsidering the Obergefell case in 2015 that upheld same-sex marriage. Statement from Justices Thomas and Alito on religious liberty and same-sex marriage makes tensions worse Amanda mentioned this New York Times article about Pope Francis and his recent support of civil unions: In Shift for Church, Pope Francis Voices Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions

What did we learn about religious freedom from the Amy Coney Barrett hearings? To kick off season two of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman put the Senate’s confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett into context, spotlighting the religious freedom issues raised – or politicized – during the event. And, after so much talk about the Constitution’s prohibition on a religious test for office, they ask an important question: Who was imposing a religious test during the hearings? Plus, in segment three, they look at how religion is showing up in our world today, including in a controversy with one of the Hollywood stars named “Chris” and a recent statement by Pope Francis about civil unions.   Segment one: Barrett and Ginsburg, Cruz and Cornyn (starts at 1:09) Amanda mentioned two pieces BJC wrote about the impact and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: RBG: Defender of equality, principled dissenter, faithful supporter of religious liberty by Holly Hollman, published by Baptist News Global Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy in upholding a key religious freedom law by Holly Hollman and Amanda Tyler,  published by The Christian Citizen Click here to read BJC’s review of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s church-state record, which was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee before the hearings began. It includes questions BJC suggested that senators ask of her. For clips of discussions of religious liberty during the two days of hearings that involved questions, check out these two articles by Don Byrd on the “Latest News” section of our website: In Day 2 of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing, some religious liberty discussions, though little depth or insight Religious Liberty discussions on day 3 of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing   Segment two: What did Judge Barrett say about religious freedom during her hearings? (17:43) Read the most recent State of the First Amendment Survey at this link, published by the Freedom Forum Institute. It says only 4% of respondents can name “petition” as one of the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.  Holly mentioned the travel ban issued by President Trump in his first week in office. Read more about that case, which eventually was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court as Trump v. Hawaii: BJConline.org/travelban Holly mentioned the upcoming Fulton v. Philadelphia case, which focuses on nondiscrimination in government-funded foster care. Learn more at BJConline.org/Fulton Holly recently presented during a webinar on the future of the Establishment Clause, hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA). You can watch it at this link. The ABA also did a seminar on the Free Exercise Clause, which is available at this link. Amanda wrote a commentary about Article VI and the “no religious test” principle before the confirmation hearings began. You can read it at this link, published by Good Faith Media:  This article from The Washington Post that includes the number of times “religion” was mentioned: Democrats’ non-persecution of Amy Coney Barrett.  Segment three: Where did we see religion in our world? Recent discussions on religion and LGBTQ rights in our culture (38:40) Holly mentioned the story surrounding Chris Pratt and his church’s stance on same-sex marriage. Here’s an article from The Washington Post: The latest celebrity cause: Defending the honor of Chris Pratt. Read more on BJC’s website about the recent statement from Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito about the Court reconsidering the Obergefell case in 2015 that upheld same-sex marriage. Statement from Justices Thomas and Alito on religious liberty and same-sex marriage makes tensions worse Amanda mentioned this New York Times article about Pope Francis and his recent support of civil unions: In Shift for Church, Pope Francis Voices Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions

After President Trump publicly addressed the unrest following the killing of George Floyd, peaceful protesters were violently dispersed and the president posed for a photo holding a Bible in front of a church. This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about the photo op and what it means in terms of religious liberty and Christian nationalism. They also review the most recent legal developments related to houses of worship and the coronavirus, including a late-night Supreme Court order and an unexplained change on the CDC's guidance for houses of worship. In the third segment, Amanda and Holly answer listener questions and share important books for self-reflection and action to take a stand against systemic racial injustice. Segment 1: New developments related to religious liberty, presidential statements and the coronavirus (starting at 00:40) Amanda shared her reflections on responding to racial injustice in this piece on BJC's Medium channel: Reflections in solidarity: Our work to do See President Trump's comments from Friday, May 22, about re-opening houses of worship at this C-SPAN link. The story Holly mentioned on the changing CDC guidelines is this article by Lena H. Sun and Josh Dawsey for The Washington Post: White House and CDC remove coronavirus warnings about choirs in faith guidance. Read the original guidance for houses of worship from the CDC at this link, and read the current version at this link, which no longer includes the suggestion to consider suspending or decreasing choirs and congregational singing as “singing may contribute to transmission of COVID-19.” You can view a report on the CDC's website about the spread of COVID-19 at a choir practice in Skagit County, Washington, at this link. Read the Supreme Court's order from May 29 denying a church's request to halt California Gov. Gavin Newsom's restrictions on in-person worship services at this link. You can hear their earlier discussion on various lawsuits regarding stay-at-home orders and the importance of comparing like things to like things on episode six of this podcast series.   Segment 2: A photo op in the middle of protests about racial injustice (Starting at 19:15) Holly mentioned this article by Toluse Olorunnipa and Sarah Pulliam Bailey in The Washington Post. The online title is Trump's naked use of religion as a political tool draws rebukes from some faith leaders. Amanda quoted this Episcopal News Service article by Egan Millard about the fire in St. John's Church, which quotes both Rev. Rob Fisher and Bishop Mariann Budde: Fire causes minor damage to St. John's, the ‘church of presidents' in Washington, during night of riots. Amanda Tweeted this statement after the president's photo op: “The Bible is not a prop. A church is not a photo backdrop. Trump's version of Christianity provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. My fellow Christians who feel the same: join us in denouncing #Christiannationalism.” Amanda mentioned Bishop Mariann Budde's appearance on Anderson Cooper 360. You can read more about that interview at this link. Read the Christians Against Christian Nationalism statement and add your name by visiting christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org. Amanda mentioned the article written by Andrew Whitehead for Religion News Service about Christian nationalism: With Bibles and flash grenades, Trump walks the Christian nationalist walk   Segment 3: Resources for educating yourself and learning more (starting at 39:09) Amanda mentioned the following books: These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby Listen to Amanda's conversation with Jemar Tisby on our previous podcast series about the dangers of Christian nationalism at this link. Holly mentioned the following books: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David Blight Pulpit and Politics: Separation of Church and State in the Black Church by Marvin McMickle (and you can hear Dr. McMickle's address to BJC's 2015 luncheon about Juneteenth at this link) White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones You can hear a conversation with Robert P. Jones and journalist Joy Reid about white supremacy at our BJC Luncheon, which will be a virtual event on June 26. Learn more and register for free at BJConline.org/luncheon.

After President Trump publicly addressed the unrest following the killing of George Floyd, peaceful protesters were violently dispersed and the president posed for a photo holding a Bible in front of a church. This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about the photo op and what it means in terms of religious liberty and Christian nationalism. They also review the most recent legal developments related to houses of worship and the coronavirus, including a late-night Supreme Court order and an unexplained change on the CDC’s guidance for houses of worship. In the third segment, Amanda and Holly answer listener questions and share important books for self-reflection and action to take a stand against systemic racial injustice. The post Ep. 15: Protests, the president, and the photo op with a Bible appeared first on BJC.

On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss this week's Supreme Court arguments in cases involving the ministerial exception, a First Amendment doctrine that makes Title VII and other employment discrimination protections inapplicable to certain employees of religious organizations. They explain what the doctrine means (5:33), what you need to know about the 2012 Hosanna-Tabor case that looms large in this term's cases (3:55), and what to make of active questioning from the justices in this week's oral arguments (17:20). They also comment on a related line of questioning about public schools that connects to other Supreme Court cases and areas of BJC's work. Segment 1: What do you need to know about a previous case to understand the ministerial exception? (starting at 00:40) Learn more about the 2012 case that dealt with the ministerial exception (Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC) on our website at BJConline.org/hosanna-tabor. To read the Hosanna-Tabor decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and the concurrences from Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, visit this link. Amanda and Holly also talked about the ministerial exception and other important employment discrimination cases this term in episode 5 of this podcast series. You can listen to it here.   Segment 2: What are our takeaways from this week's oral argument? (Starting at 15:01) The two consolidated cases heard on Monday, May 11, are Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel. You can access briefs and additional information on the cases at SCOTUSblog. You can listen to the Supreme Court arguments at this C-SPAN link. The clip from Justice Stephen Breyer is from about 1:05:29 in the argument. The clip from Justice Elena Kagan is from about 43:53 in the argument. The clip from Justice Neil Gorsuch is from 44:58 in the argument. The clip from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is from about 30:16 in the argument. The clip form Justice Sonia Sotomayor is from about 13:43 in the argument.   Segment 3: How do these arguments relate to other areas of BJC's work? (starting at 32:33) Amanda and Holly discussed the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case in episode 2 of this podcast series. Amanda and Holly also talked more about religion in public schools on episode 3 of this podcast series.

The controversy over the contraceptive mandate was back at the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman react to the live arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania and give the history of the contraceptive mandate, including how the Hobby Lobby and Zubik cases led to this one. They also share audio clips from key moments in the arguments and discuss what's at stake for religious liberty when religious accommodations turn into “all-or-nothing” claims on both sides. Segment 1: The history of the contraceptive mandate (starting at 00:40) For more resources on the 2016 Zubik v. Burwell case (also known as the “Little Sisters of the Poor” case) and to read our brief written with Douglas Laycock, visit BJConline.org/Zubik.   Segment 2: Breaking down the arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania (Starting at 21:33) To listen to the oral arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania from May 6, 2020, visit this link from C-SPAN. The excerpts Holly and Amanda used in the podcast can be found at the following time in the oral arguments: The clip of Chief Justice John Roberts is from around 27:44 into the arguments The clip of Justice Stephen Breyer is from around 35:00 into the arguments The clip of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is from around 32:44 into the arguments The clip of Justice Sonia Sotomayor is from around 40:00 into the arguments   Segment 3: What else is happening in our world (starting at 39:30) Next week's consolidated cases on the ministerial exception are known as Our Lady of Guadalupe v. Morissey-Berru. Amanda and Holly discussed the issue in episode 5 of this podcast series during the second segment. See BJC's page of coronavirus articles and podcasts at BJConline.org/COVID-19. To read stories we shared on Giving Tuesday Now from members of our community making a difference, visit BJConline.org/givingtuesdaynow-2020.

The controversy over the contraceptive mandate was back at the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman react to the live arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania and give the history of the contraceptive mandate, including how the Hobby Lobby and Zubik cases led to this one. They also share audio clips from key moments in the arguments and discuss what’s at stake for religious liberty when religious accommodations turn into “all-or-nothing” claims on both sides. The post Ep. 12: Not a charm: Contraceptive mandate returns to the Supreme Court for the third time appeared first on BJC.

As religious communities deal with bans on mass gatherings, legal disputes are popping up across the country. What's happening now, and what could we see more of when the country begins lifting restrictions? This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman examine the key issues in these lawsuits (starting at 12:45) and talk about how courts are ruling in the various cases, including drive-in church services (19:42). Plus, they share how they're learning about other religious traditions as people of faith continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Segment 1: A patchwork of orders and how the vast majority of churches are responding (starting at 00:40) Amanda mentioned this research from PRRI that shows most Americans stayed home for Easter and oppose religious exemptions to “stay-at-home” orders. Amanda also mentioned this story in The Washington Post: Cellphone data shows coronavirus kept churchgoers at home in every state on Easter. Amanda shared two tragic examples of the coronavirus impacting religious communities: The church choir in Washington state that saw members fall ill with the coronavirus after a rehearsal in March. The death of Bishop Gerald Glenn, the pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Richmond. Amanda and Holly talked in general about cases and the three religious liberty principles to keep in mind on episode 8 of this podcast series. They also discussed “stay-at-home” orders on episode 6.   Segment 2: Lawsuits across the country, including drive-in churches (Starting at 17:25) Holly mentioned DriveInMovie.com, a website with news and information about drive-in movie theaters. Read the Department of Justice's Statement of Interest in the Mississippi case about a church holding a service in a parking lot at this link. For a look at some of the various cases being litigated, read this post on the “Latest News” section of our website.     Segment 3: Where did we see religion respected in our world? (starting at 41:37) Holly talked about the American Humanist Association's “Ask an Atheist” day, which included a Facebook Live from Greg M. Epstein, Harvard University's humanist chaplain. You can watch it here. Amanda mentioned this story by Aysha Khan for Religion News Service: Gift drive for the children of Muslim inmates seeks to serve the “hidden ummah.”

As religious communities deal with bans on mass gatherings, legal disputes are popping up across the country. What’s happening now, and what could we see more of when the country begins lifting restrictions? This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman examine the key issues in these lawsuits (starting at 12:45) and talk about how courts are ruling in the various cases, including drive-in church services (19:42). Plus, they share how they’re learning about other religious traditions as people of faith continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The post Ep. 10: Lawsuits challenging COVID-19 directives appeared first on BJC.

How do religious groups work together for the greater good? On this episode of Respecting Religion, we bring you a conversation featuring Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith Youth Core (starting at 13:01). In this discussion from March 2020, Patel talks about how the history behind the term “Judeo-Christian” suggests opportunities for greater religious inclusion, shares personal reflections on what it is like to be a Muslim in America today, and explains why he is optimistic about religious pluralism. Plus, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about how they saw religion respected in the world during the celebrations of Easter and Passover. Show notes: Segment 1: Where we saw religion respected (Starting at 00:40) Amanda mentioned her church's rendition of Handel's Messiah, which is available on YouTube. Holly mentioned this piece by Michele Norris in The Washington Post: The coronavirus is depriving people of the rituals needed to process pain. Amanda mentioned this piece in Religion News Service by Simrin Singh about the Sikh community finding new ways to celebrate Vaisakhi: Sikhs turn to online Vaisakhi For more information on the Shurden Lectures — including an interview with Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden — visit BJConline.org/ShurdenLectures. To learn more about the Baptist House of Studies at the Perkins School of Theology at SMU, visit this link. The Rev. Dr. George Mason of Wilshire Baptist Church and Faith Commons interviews Patel during this discussion. To learn more about Faith Commons, visit this link.     Segment 2: Eboo Patel on the term “Judeo-Christian” and working across faiths (Starting at 13:01) Eboo Patel's latest book is Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise. Patel mentioned the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. Learn more at this link. Patel mentioned an opinion piece by Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi published in The Washington Post. It is titled “I thought the Iranian Revolution would bring freedom. I was wrong.”   Segment 3: Close (Starting at 47:42) Videos of all three of Eboo Patel's presentations for the 2020 Shurden Lectures will soon be available on BJC's YouTube channel.

How do religious groups work together for the greater good? On this episode of Respecting Religion, we bring you a conversation featuring Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith Youth Core (starting at 13:01). In this discussion from March 2020, Patel talks about how the history behind the term “Judeo-Christian” suggests opportunities for greater religious inclusion, shares personal reflections on what it is like to be a Muslim in America today, and explains why he is optimistic about religious pluralism. Plus, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about how they saw religion respected in the world during the celebrations of Easter and Passover. The post Ep. 09: Eboo Patel and interfaith collaboration appeared first on BJC.

As the coronavirus changes everything – including the topics for this podcast series – Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review how religious freedom principles are coming into focus. They talk about three principles that are part of many conversations during this time: the essential nature of religion for many people (04:53), why the government does not have to treat religious organizations differently when it comes to health and safety (12:00), and why the government should not fund religion (19:55). In the third segment, Amanda and Holly talk about what they are doing – and being inspired by – during this week that marks the beginning of Passover and the advent of Easter. Segment 1: Religion is essential, but the government doesn't have to treat religious organizations differently when it comes to health and safety. (starting at 00:40) The front-page Washington Post story that Holly and Amanda mentioned is from April 5, titled “Coronavirus creates conflict for churches, where gatherings can be dangerous but also provide solace.” It was written by Scott Wilson, Michelle Boorstein, Arelis R. Hernández and Lori Rozsa. Amanda read a message on COVID-19 from Timothy Stewart, the president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Read the entire statement at this link.   Segment 2: Government should not fund religion. (starting at 19:55) Holly and Amanda discussed the Espinoza case on government funding of religion during episode 2 of this podcast series. Holly mentioned the 2017 Trinity Lutheran case about funding a church playground. Learn more and read BJC's brief at BJConline.org/TrinityLutheran. For more information and frequently asked questions about the regulations and guidelines of the CARES Act from the Small Business Association, visit this link.   Segment 3: Where did we see religion respected in the world around us? Passover and Easter week (starting at 32:14) Holly mentioned the article by Marc Fisher in the Washington Post titled “Flushing out the true cause of the global toilet paper shortage amid coronavirus pandemic.” Amanda is using this matzo ball soup recipe from The New York Times.

As the coronavirus changes everything – including the topics for this podcast series – Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review how religious freedom principles are coming into focus. They talk about three principles that are part of many conversations during this time: the essential nature of religion for many people (04:53), why the government does not have to treat religious organizations differently when it comes to health and safety (12:00), and why the government should not fund religion (19:55). In the third segment, Amanda and Holly talk about what they are doing – and being inspired by – during this week that marks the beginning of Passover and the advent of Easter. The post Ep. 08: Religious freedom in the age of coronavirus appeared first on BJC.

As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus, Congress passed and the president signed stimulus packages that impact businesses and nonprofits. But, what does this mean for houses of worship? On this week's Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (starting at 5:35), provisions of the CARES Act (15:45) – including the Paycheck Protection Program Loans (20:10) and increased charitable giving incentives – and more. They discuss new requirements and opportunities for nonprofits and what houses of worship need to consider when determining whether to apply for financial relief programs. In the third segment, Amanda and Holly explore how religious communities are caring for people in new ways during this time. Segment 1: Families First Coronavirus Response Act (starting at 00:40) Read BJC's analysis of the COVID-19 stimulus packages in a piece written by Holly on our Medium channel at this link. Read the text of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act at this link. For more on how the provisions apply to nonprofit organizations, check out the helpful resources from the National Council of Nonprofits at this link. The webinar Amanda referenced can be found at this link. The resource memo from the United Church of Christ (UCC) on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is available at this link. The UCC webinar that Holly referenced can be found at this link. Resources from the Department of Labor on COVID-19 and the American Workplace are available at this link. For additional resources, check out the links in BJC's analysis on Medium.   Segment 2: CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program (starting at 15:44) Read the text of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) at this link. To access resources on previous cases on BJC's website, visit this link.   Segment 3: Church daycare programs and how religious communities are caring for others (starting at 38:00) Each week, Amanda and Holly talk about how they are seeing religion respected in the world around us. Amanda mentioned this NPR story by Lulu Garcia-Navarro: Hospital Chaplains Bring Hope And Solace To COVID-19 Patients And Staff.

As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus, Congress passed and the president signed stimulus packages that impact businesses and nonprofits. But, what does this mean for houses of worship? On this week’s Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (starting at 5:35), provisions of the CARES Act (15:45) – including the Paycheck Protection Program Loans (20:10) and increased charitable giving incentives – and more. They discuss new requirements and opportunities for nonprofits and what houses of worship need to consider when determining whether to apply for financial relief programs. In the third segment, Amanda and Holly explore how religious communities are caring for people in new ways during this time. The post Ep. 07: New laws – including the CARES Act – and houses of worship appeared first on BJC.

What does it mean for religious liberty when the government asks houses of worship not to hold services in the middle of a pandemic? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at the impact of the coronavirus on religious communities and how they are responding (starting at 6:13). Plus, they explore a key law that keeps coming up in these conversations: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (23:03). In the final segment, Amanda and Holly share how the stay-at-home orders are impacting them and how churches are finding new ways to serve in this time. Segment 1: How do government-issued stay-at-home orders impact religious exercise? (Starting at 00:40) Read the Pew Forum survey on why people attend religious services at this link.   Segment 2: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act and religious exemptions (starting at 15:40) Read about the pastor who continues to hold church services in Louisiana in this article by Daniel Silliman in Christianity Today: Pentecostal Pastor Won't Stop Church for COVID-19. Learn more about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) at BJConline.org/RFRA. For more on the current Supreme Court case examining RFRA remedies (Tanzin v. Tanvir), visit this link on our website.   Segment 3: Where did we see religion respected in our world? Religious communities react to the coronavirus (30:58) Read the story about a pastor who preached to photos of his congregants in this story by David Wilkinson in Baptist News Global: Don't mess with Texas, COVID-19: this church packed the pews on Sunday. Read the story about the Alabama church that provided space to test people for coronavirus in this article by Sarah Pulliam Bailey in The Washington Post: A megachurch has helped test nearly 1,000 people for coronavirus in two days.

What does it mean for religious liberty when the government asks houses of worship not to hold services in the middle of a pandemic? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at the impact of the coronavirus on religious communities and how they are responding (starting at 6:13). Plus, they explore a key law that keeps coming up in these conversations: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (starting at 23:03). In the final segment, Amanda and Holly share how the stay-at-home orders are impacting them and how churches are finding new ways to serve in this time. The post Ep. 06: Stay-at-home orders, religious freedom and RFRA appeared first on BJC.

This year, the Trump administration released proposed regulations impacting faith-based organizations that partner with the government. But, the story has gone largely unnoticed by the media, and it can have huge implications for people receiving government services. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss the history of government partnerships with faith-based groups – including “Charitable Choice” and the faith-based initiative office under President George W. Bush (6:07). They also explore the new Trump administration proposals and three major points of concern that could undermine the religious freedom rights of those who often receive government services (21:13).  In the final segment, Holly and Amanda discuss how religion has been discussed during the Democratic presidential primary and what this means about how religion is respected in our conversations (36:45). Show notes: Segment 1: The history of charitable choice, the faith-based initiative, and long-standing partnerships between the government and religious institutions (starting at 1:15) The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under the Bush administration was sometimes abbreviated “WHOFBCI,” which some pronounced as “Woof-book-ee.”   Segment 2: Comments on the proposed regulations and three major points of concern (starting at 15:30) You can read information about the final rule issued in 2016 that extends religious liberty protections to beneficiaries at this link. The book by Melissa Rogers that Holly recommended is Faith in American Public Life. Rogers served as the chair of the task force and later as the head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama administration. For more on BJC's comments on the proposed 2020 regulations, read this post on our website. Our comments for the various agencies are pretty similar – here is a direct link to our comments on the regulations in the Department of Veterans Affairs. For additional resources and commentary, visit BJConline.org/resources and click on the “Government Funding of Religious Organizations” category. Links to some of the comments discussed: Comments from the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD):  https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OS-2020-0001-20893 Comments from Melissa Rogers: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OS-2020-0001-22690 Comments filed by Christian Legal Society and National Association of Evangelicals: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OS-2020-0001-21174   Segment 3: Where did we see religion in our world? The Democratic presidential primary campaign and religion (starting at 36:45) Each week, Amanda and Holly talk about where they see religion in the world around us and what they are reading. Amanda mentioned a Deseret News article by Kelsey Dallas titled “Why should the Democrats talk about faith if half of the country isn't listening?” Amanda mentioned this clip of Elizabeth Warren from a CNN Town Hall talking about religion that often circulated on Twitter. Amanda mentioned exit polling in New Hampshire regarding how frequency of church attendance correlated with who people voted for in the primary. Read more in this Religion News Service article by Jack Jenkins: “Klobuchar wins over New Hampshire voters who attend religious services” Amanda also mentioned Brian Kaylor, a researcher and Baptist journalist who has often written about these issues and decried the lack of polling data about religion on Super Tuesday. Read his recent Twitter thread here. Holly mentioned a Washington Post article by Sarah Pulliam Bailey titled “Buttigieg's candidacy made being openly gay and Christian normal, LGBT activists say.”

This year, the Trump administration released proposed regulations impacting faith-based organizations that partner with the government. But, the story has gone largely unnoticed by the media, and it can have huge implications for people receiving government services. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss the history of government partnerships with faith-based groups – including “Charitable Choice” and the faith-based initiative office under President George W. Bush (6:07). They also explore the new Trump administration proposals and three major points of concern that could undermine the religious freedom rights of those who often receive government services (21:13). In the final segment, Holly and Amanda discuss how religion has been discussed during the Democratic presidential primary and what this means about how religion is respected in our conversations (36:45). The post Ep. 04: On the Regs: Faith-based regulations from the Trump administration appeared first on BJC.

Has God been kicked out of the public schools? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman dig into a recent announcement from President Trump about constitutional prayer in public schools and explore the rhetoric and the reality. Hear their reactions to the Oval Office announcement (starting at 3:20), the stories behind the stories shared there (11:11), and the long history of guidelines on religion in the public schools through Supreme Court cases and consensus efforts (18:32). In the final segment, Amanda and Holly look at how religion is portrayed – and not – in the movie “Little Women” (37:35) and discuss a meditation practice in a public school. Show notes: Segment 1: Trump administration's guidelines on prayer in public schools (starting at 01:08) To watch President Trump's announcement from the Oval Office and hear the stories shared by others during the event, visit this C-SPAN link. The guidance from the Trump administration on religious expression in public schools is available at this link. The government guidance on religion in the public schools from 2003 is available at this link. To read more about the stories shared in the Oval Office, here is a Deseret News article about the teacher at the heart of the Ash Wednesday controversy and how she apologized. Here is an article from the Washington Post from 2015 about the lawsuit regarding the student who gathered others to pray at school. As Amanda and Holly mention in the conversation, former BJC Executive Director James Dunn often said, “As long as there are math tests, there will be prayer in schools.” Segment 2: What does the law say about religion in public schools? (starting at 17:35) For more resources from BJC on religion in the public schools – including a printable handout as well as pamphlets created in previous decades that turned the guidance into guidebooks – visit BJConline.org/resources. Amanda mentions an article she wrote during Public Schools Week titled “America's public schools protect religious liberty. We all should be #PublicSchoolProud.” Click here to read it on our Medium channel.   Segment 3: Where did we see religion in our world? The movie “Little Women,” concerns over meditation in schools (starting at 33:12) Each week, Amanda and Holly will talk about where they see religion in the world around us and what they are reading. Holly mentioned this Washington Post article about teachers using meditation in public schools. Holly also mentioned this Wall Street Journal article titled “God Goes Missing in ‘Little Women.'”

Has God been kicked out of the public schools? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman dig into a recent announcement from President Trump about constitutional prayer in public schools and explore the rhetoric and the reality. Hear their reactions to the Oval Office announcement (starting at 3:20), the stories behind the stories shared there (11:11), and the long history of guidelines on religion in the public schools through Supreme Court cases and consensus efforts (18:32). In the final segment, Amanda and Holly look at how religion is portrayed – and not – in the movie “Little Women” (37:35) and discuss a meditation practice in a public school. The post Ep. 03: Religion and public schools appeared first on BJC.

Holly Hollman, general counsel and associate executive director for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, talks with Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor about the work of the BJC and some important church-state issues. She discusses a current Supreme Court case, a recent presidential action on school prayer, and some past court cases where the BJC offered significant arguments for religious liberty. (This episode is sponsored in part by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.)

What does the Supreme Court's most recent church-state decision mean for all of us? BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and General Counsel Holly Hollman examine the Court's splintered 7-2 decision in the Bladensburg cross case and discuss what it means for the future. The post Examining the cross case decision with Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman appeared first on BJC.

In this episode, Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor reports on a U.S. Supreme Court case involving a debate about the religious meaning of a cross on government land. The episode includes clips from the Court's oral arguments in the case, as well as comments by Holly Hollman, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. (This episode is sponsored in part by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.)

BJC's Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman share their takeaways from the oral arguments in the Bladensburg cross case, including their analysis of what they heard in the courtroom and the scene outside the Court. The post Reflections on Supreme Court arguments in the Cross Case appeared first on BJC.

A conversation on the case of The American Legion v. American Humanist Association. The post Bladensburg Cross Case: A Discussion with Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman appeared first on BJC.

Holly Hollman and Amanda Tyler discuss the high-profile Masterpiece Cakeshop case and the BJC's brief in this podcast. The post Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission appeared first on BJC.

The post Constitution Day Podcast: Holly Hollman on foundations of religious liberty appeared first on BJC.

Newly sworn-in Justice Neil Gorsuch gets his first chance to make his mark on the Court at this week’s oral arguments for Trinity Lutheran v. Comer. The important case asks whether the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause compels the state of Missouri to provide public grant money directly to a church. Holly Hollman, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, joins us to discuss BJC’s amicus brief in the case, which argues that religious institutions are actually freer if they are barred from accepting government funds. We also sit down with Jeffrey Toobin, whose piece in this week’s The New Yorker examines the enormous influence that the Federalist Society – and especially its executive vice president Leonard Leo – have on the American judiciary. Toobin argues that with the ascension of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, Leo can now be credited with the selection of one-third of the nation’s most powerful judges.  Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members, several days after each episode posts. For a limited time, get 90 days of free access to Slate Plus in the new Slate iOS app. Download it today at slate.com/app. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com.  Podcast production by Tony Field. Our intern is Camille Mott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newly sworn-in Justice Neil Gorsuch gets his first chance to make his mark on the Court at this week’s oral arguments for Trinity Lutheran v. Comer. The important case asks whether the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause compels the state of Missouri to provide public grant money directly to a church. Holly Hollman, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, joins us to discuss BJC’s amicus brief in the case, which argues that religious institutions are actually freer if they are barred from accepting government funds. We also sit down with Jeffrey Toobin, whose piece in this week’s The New Yorker examines the enormous influence that the Federalist Society – and especially its executive vice president Leonard Leo – have on the American judiciary. Toobin argues that with the ascension of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, Leo can now be credited with the selection of one-third of the nation’s most powerful judges.  Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members, several days after each episode posts. For a limited time, get 90 days of free access to Slate Plus in the new Slate iOS app. Download it today at slate.com/app. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com.  Podcast production by Tony Field. Our intern is Camille Mott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices