Respecting Religion

• S7, Ep. 07: Religion in the military and the latest from Trump's Religious Liberty Commission

  The Trump administration created a "Religious Liberty Commission" in May, and it seems to be a mix of performative posturing and grievance airing, with some policy substance thrown in. Amanda and Holly discuss what this commission has – and hasn't – done so far, and they look more closely at this week's hearing on religion in the military. Littered with celebrities, many of the hearings are privileging certain religious views over others, often furthering "Christian nation" mythology and sharing general misinformation.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:33): What is this commission about? Read Amanda's statement after President Donald Trump's comments at the Sept. 9, 2025, meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission at this link.   Segment 2 (starting at 12:48): The hearing on religion in the military Amanda was quoted in this article by Karen Brooks Harper for the Dallas Morning News: Dan Patrick-led religious liberty commission is solidly rooted in Texas Amanda and Holly discussed this article by Jack Jenkins for Religion News Service: Defense Secretary Hegseth tests Constitution in Pentagon worship services Do you want special emails about our show? Click here to sign up for our email list!  Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

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• S7, Ep. 06: Updates on Oak Flat, the Johnson Amendment, and efforts to post the Ten Commandments

  Hear Amanda and Holly react live to some breaking developments in today's Respecting Religion podcast. One day after new legislation was introduced in Congress to save sacred Indigenous land, they discuss the history of and need for the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act. Plus, they talk about a brand-new class action lawsuit in Texas trying to halt the unconstitutional posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and they share an update on the latest court activity regarding efforts to protect the Johnson Amendment.  This conversation aired live on social media on BJC's Facebook and YouTube channels on Thursday, December 4, at 12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT.   SHOW NOTES You can watch this podcast on BJC's YouTube channel. Oak Flat: Rep. Adelita Grijalva introduced the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act on Dec. 3, 2025. You can read more details in a release from her office, which includes a quote from Amanda. For more on this issue, visit BJC's resource page at BJConline.org/SaveOakFlat   Johnson Amendment: Read this piece by Amanda published in the Dallas Morning News about the latest hearing on the Johnson Amendment: The court case that could accelerate mixing religion and politics Read BJC's statement about the members of Congress who reaffirmed their support for the Johnson Amendment in November at this link on our website.  For more resources on the efforts to protect the Johnson Amendment, visit BJConline.org/JohnsonAmendment   Ten Commandments in Texas: Here's a roundup of news items relating to the ongoing battled over the forced posting of the Ten Commandments, from Jaden Edison, Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro Serrano for the Texas Tribune: As appeals court is poised to consider Texas' Ten Commandments law, other legal challenges mount Read more about the latest class action lawsuit in this story from Baptist News Global: New class-action suit filed to stop Commandments in Texas Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. Clicking that link to make your gift lets us know you are a supporter of the podcast.

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• S7, Ep. 05: A religious freedom case flying under the radar: SCOTUS hears Landor v. Louisiana Dept. of Corrections

  One religious freedom case at the Supreme Court isn't getting the sort of attention as others, despite how it's uniting groups that often disagree. So, why did the justices sound so skeptical in the courtroom? Amanda and Holly review this week's oral arguments in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, which involves the remedy available to a man whose religious freedom rights were violated when he was in prison. The violation isn't in question, so why is the remedy? Amanda and Holly review the details in this case, play audio from key moments in the courtroom, and discuss the statute that protects prisoners' religious freedom rights: The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.     SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): RLUIPA, RFRA, and this case Amanda and Holly previewed the Landor case earlier this season – watch their conversation on BJC's YouTube channel.    BJC joined a diverse group of organizations on a friend-of-the-court brief in this case on the side of Mr. Landor – click this link to read the brief and see the groups who found common ground.   RLUIPA is the acronym for the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, passed by Congress in the year 2000. The acronym is often pronounced "Re-loop-ah." RFRA is the acronym for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, pronounced "Riff-rah." For more on the 2020 decision in Tanzin v. Tanvir, read this article on our website: Supreme Court rules RFRA allows monetary damages against federal officials    Segment 2 (starting at 11:05): What happened in the courtroom? Arguments on behalf of Mr. Landor The Supreme Court heard Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections on Monday, November 10. Visit the Supreme Court's website to read a transcript or hear the audio from the courtroom.  We played four clips from oral arguments in this segment.  Zack Tripp's opening statement, representing Mr. Landor (from 00:15-2:02 in the audio of the arguments) Exchange between Justice Samuel Alito and Zack Tripp (from 20:00-21:25 in the oral arguments) Exchange between Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Zack Tripp (from 23:35-25:56 in the oral arguments) Exchange between Justice Elena Kagan and Libby A. Baird, assistant to the solicitor general (from 1:06:38-1:07:38 in the oral argument)   Segment 3 (starting at 31:31): What did the state of Louisiana argue? We played one clip from the oral argument during this segment: Exchange between Justice Elena Kagan and Ben Aguiñaga, the solicitor general of Louisiana (from 1:38:33-1:40:26) Read more about the arguments in this article by Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Court appears skeptical of prison inmate's religious liberty claim Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.  Do you want special emails about the show? Click here to sign up for our email list!  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

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• S7, Ep. 04: Criminalizing Mercy: Sanctuary and Government Repression of Migrant Justice

  Today, we are bringing you a special presentation on the contested issue of "sanctuary," which continues to cut into the immigration debates in our country. Dr. Sergio M. González traces the sanctuary movement to its roots in the 1980s and examines how we arrived at a moment where mercy is met with repression. This presentation was given on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2025, as part of BJC's annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): Introduction Dr. Sergio M. González is a historian of U.S. immigration, labor and religion. A professor at Marquette University, he is a co-founder and former organizer for the Dane Sanctuary Coalition.  He also is the co-creator of a podcast titled "Sanctuary: On the Border Between Church and State."    Segment 2 (starting at 04:45):  Presentation from Dr. Sergio M. González This is a recording of a lecture from Dr. Sergio González that took place Oct. 22, 2025, at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Watch the full presentation, including the audience Q&A, on BJC's YouTube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnDp8hPNIo Dr. Gonzalez mentions a document called "Religious Liberty and Immigration: Legal Analysis of Past and Future Claims." You can access it on the website of the Law, Rights & Religion Project. This program was part of BJC's annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State. Learn more at BJConline.org/ShudenLectures. Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.  Do you want special emails about the show? Click here to sign up for our email list!    Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

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• S7, Ep. 03: Why is the Johnson Amendment under attack again?

  We hear a lot of misinformation about a long-standing part of the tax code that protects the nonprofit sector, and it's newly under attack in a questionable manner. On this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss the Johnson Amendment, what it does and doesn't do, and the concerning way the Trump administration is trying to undo it without going through a normal process. They also provide reminders of what all nonprofits – including houses of worship – can do without jeopardizing their 501(c)(3) status under that current law. It's a curious case – politicians say no one wants this part of the tax code, but it's proven popular over and over again. Join them for this conversation.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): The protections of – and support for – the Johnson Amendment  Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.  Do you want special emails about the show? Click here to sign up for our email list!    Segment 2 (starting at 15:41): Various attempts to undermine and to protect this part of the tax code Read more about the work of faith leaders to protect the Johnson Amendment throughout 2017 and into 2018 by visiting BJConline.org/faith-voices   Segment 3 (starting at 30:54): What's next? For resources on the Johnson Amendment from BJC, visit our website at BJConline.org/JohnsonAmendment The litigation mentioned in this program is continuing. There will be a hearing on this case November 25 in Dallas. The hearing was originally for November 7 in Washington, D.C., but it was rescheduled due to the ongoing government shutdown – Amanda and Holly discussed that briefly in last week's live episode. Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

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