Respecting Religion

• S6, Ep. 13: Active citizenship: A conversation with Melissa Rogers about promoting religious freedom and the common good

  Melissa Rogers joins the podcast for a conversation about how each of us can take steps to promote religious freedom and the common good in the United States today. After leading the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Obama and Biden administrations, she shares her inside perspective on government, where we are right now, and how people can truly make an impact. Our religious freedom protects everyone’s right to bring their faith to the public square, and you won’t want to miss this conversation about opportunities we have as Americans to engage government at all levels and express ourselves in the face of injustice.    SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The genius of our constitutional protections for religious freedom Melissa Rogers served as the executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Obama and Biden administrations. You can click here to read her extensive biography. She is the author of Faith in American Public Life, published in 2019. She has been on two earlier BJC podcasts: Respecting Religion, S2, Ep. 06: What’s next? The Biden administration and religious liberty (2020) The Dangers of Christian Nationalism series, episode 9: Religious freedom, church-state law and Christian nationalism (2019), alongside Rabbi David Saperstein. You also can watch a video of that podcast.  NOTE: On April 21, we released a special podcast episode recorded at the same time as this conversation, focusing on the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and the rule of law. Click here to hear that portion of the conversation.    Segment 2 (starting at 10:09): Our current moment as a country Here are links with more information from this portion of the conversation:  Melissa discussed the work of the federal government to protect places of worship. Protecting Houses of Worship is a helpful resource on this topic from the CISA (the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland Security).  She also mentioned the Biden-Harris administration’s work on countering hate. One example is the United We Stand Summit in 2022: Taking Action to Prevent and Address Hate-Fueled Violence and Foster Unity. Click here to read more about the summit, or click here to watch the full summit proceedings. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration released the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism in 2023, and the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate in 2024. Learn more about BJC’s Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org.   Segment 3 (starting 16:52): Practical ways to take action  Here are a few resources and organizations to connect with if you are interested in responding to governmental actions, including by sharing information about their impact on you or your community:  DOGE cuts: Have you been impacted by DOGE cuts? Share your story with the Center for American Progress Article published by The Century Foundation: We Led Federal Agencies. Here Are 10 Ways That President Trump and Elon Musk’s Attacks on Federal Workers Will Hurt You by Mark Zuckerman, Julie Su, Lauren McFerran, Gayle Goldin, Rachel West, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Ruth Friedman, Carole Johnson, Viviann Anguiano, Kayla Patrick and Loredana Valtierra Information on various lawsuits challenging governmental actions: Melissa mentioned the lawsuit challenging the recission of the “sensitive locations” guidance as a violation of religious freedom protections under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Read more about the lawsuit on our website, which is being led by Democracy Forward. Another lawsuit on sensitive locations is also being pursued by a group led by the Institute for Congressional Advocacy and Protection.  You can find more information about this and other pending lawsuits here: Updates from Democracy Forward  Just Security’s litigation tracker  Legal actions of CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) Resource on how to protect democracy: Protecting Democracy’s Faithful Fight Toolkit Interested in calling your congressional representatives about issues you care about? Here’s how you can find their contact information:  Click here to find your representative in the U.S. House Click here to find your U.S. Senators 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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• Special Episode: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and the rule of law

  On this special bonus episode of the Respecting Religion podcast, we are featuring a conversation that could not wait until our normal release date. In this still-developing story, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was mistakenly removed by the U.S. government from Maryland to El Salvador. His case and series of injustices are not just things that move all of us as people of faith, but there are also profound ramifications of this situation on due process, the rule of law and freedom for everyone living in our country. Our next full episode of Respecting Religion will feature a conversation with Melissa Rogers, a lawyer who served in two different presidential administrations leading the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. While recording that episode, the conversation turned to this ongoing injustice, and we decided that part of our conversation couldn’t wait until our normal release date.   SHOW NOTES Articles with additional information:  Timeline: Wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador (ABC News) Video: Jennifer Vasquez making her statement supporting her husband (ABC News) Article: Democrats Land in El Salvador, Seeking Release of Maryland Resident (New York Times)   Interested in calling your congressional representatives about this issue? Here’s how you can find their contact information:  Click here to find your representative in the U.S. House Click here to find your U.S. Senators

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• S6, Ep. 12: Back to SCOTUS: Regular business in disturbing times

  There has been no shortage of news from all three branches of government in Washington, D.C., but one thing hasn’t changed: the U.S. Supreme Court continues to be interested in religious liberty cases. On today’s show, Amanda and Holly review the recent oral arguments in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin, which focuses on a religious exemption in the state’s unemployment compensation laws. There are big questions being asked in this case, such as where one draws the lines, how can “religion” be defined, and what is meant – exactly – by the term “proselytization.” Plus, Holly and Amanda take a moment to step back and talk about the current attacks we are seeing on the rule of law in our country.    SHOW NOTESSegment 1 (starting at 00:38): Current state of the courts and various attacks on the rule of law There are three church-state cases that the Supreme Court will hear this term: Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission (Oral arguments were March 31) Mahmoud v. Taylor (oral arguments will be April 22) Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond (oral arguments will be April 30)   Segment 2 (starting at 08:00): Oral arguments in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Visit the website of the U.S. Supreme Court for a transcript and an audio recording of the oral arguments in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin.  We played a clip from the oral arguments between Justice Neil Gorsuch and Colin Roth, who argued the case as the assistant attorney general for the state of Wisconsin. You can read the exchange beginning on page 81 of the oral argument transcript. Holly and Amanda mentioned the 2021 case of Fulton v. Philadelphia. Read more about that case on BJC’s website.  Read Amy Howe’s coverage of the Catholic Charities case for SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court likely to embrace expanded tax exemption for religious charities Read Adam Liptak’s coverage for the New York Times: Supreme Court Leans Toward Catholic Charity in Tax Case   Segment 3 (starting 26:48): Decision thoughts and what’s ahead Amanda mentioned the upcoming Oklahoma v. Drummond case. BJC filed a brief in that case, and you can read it on our website. 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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• S6, Ep. 11: African Americans and Religious Freedom

  African Americans’ knowledge traditions, religious practices, political cultures and ideas are rich resources that facilitate new concepts of religious freedom. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Dr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Corey D. B. Walker join Amanda and Holly to discuss the book they co-edited, African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. It’s  a collection of essays that provide novel interpretations of religious freedom informed by African American experiences, which are essential for a full public discourse about the topic. First released in the days before the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the second edition includes a new preface addressing the need for religious freedom to undergo a deep interrogation in our perilous times.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Introducing the book and the conversations it inspires Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is the director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation. Learn more about her on BJC’s website. Dr. Corey D. B. Walker is the dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities, and director of the Program in African American Studies. Learn more about him on the Wake Forest University School of Divinity website. The second edition of African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities is now available, free to all.  Dr. Dent mentioned the religious freedom course with students from religious graduate schools at historically Black colleges and universities that began many of these conversations. Read about that in this 2019 article by Adelle Banks for Religion News Service: Black seminarians take first-time religious freedom course Learn more and read the text of David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World on the website of the National Constitution Center. The Columbia Law School Law, Rights & Religion Project released the Black Religious Liberty Curriculum in 2024. You can see the 12-part video series and access the curriculum on their website.    Segment 2 (starting at 18:51): Pushback and barriers to expanding the narrative You can access a PDF or read a flip-through edition of the book African Americans and Religious Freedom. Visit our website for more details.   Segment 3 (starting 31:01): The launch event on February 28 You can watch a recording of the Feb. 28 event celebrating the re-release of the book on YouTube. The Rev. William Lamar IV talked with NPR about the ruling that gave his church the copyright of the Proud Boys. You can listen to his conversation here. Learn more about the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation on our website at BJConline.org/center 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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• S6, Ep. 10: March Madness: Department of Education, school vouchers, and a Supreme Court preview

  Actions and rumors of actions in Washington, D.C., are continuing to dominate the news cycle and keep people on edge. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly discuss the devastation of dismantling the Department of Education and the problematic push for a nationwide school voucher program. They also look at the latest in the battle between faith communities and the Trump administration to protect sensitive locations from immigration raids, and they preview the three religious liberty cases on the Supreme Court’s docket this term.   SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Federal school vouchers, shutting down the Department of Education, and a potential new travel ban Holly mentioned this story on the school voucher proposals by Laura Meckler for The Washington Post: GOP voucher plan would divert billions in taxes to private schools If you want to contact your representatives in Washington about the trouble with school voucher programs, click here to use our convenient form to email them directly. Amanda mentioned this story from Inside Higher Education about potential plans to shut down the Department of Education: Draft Order Offers Hints to How Trump Wants to Shut Down the Department After we recorded this episode, the administration began gutting the Department of Education through layoffs instead of an executive order. Amanda released a statement calling it a “reckless move,” which you can read on our website.  We also sent out an alert about the issue to the members of BJC’s email list, and it included a form they can use to contact their members of Congress about the problems with shutting down the Department of Education. Click here to use our convenient form to email your members directly about this issue. Sign up for BJC’s email updates for immediate alerts when there are ways to take action: BJConline.org/subscribe The New York Times previews the possible new travel ban in this article: Trump Administration Prepares to Revive and Expand Travel Bans. BJC consistently called out the dangers of the travel ban during the first Trump administration, including the very first one on Jan. 27, 2017.    Segment 2 (starting at 16:26): Sensitive locations and calling on Congress to do their job  There are two current lawsuits challenging the administration’s guidance on sensitive locations. In the lawsuit from Quaker congregations, a Sikh temple and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the judge issued an injunction on February 24 that blocks immigration officials from entering their houses of worship to conduct immigration enforcement operations. Read about that order on Democracy Forward’s website. Holly mentioned a new bill in Congress called Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. You are invited to join Faithful Witness Wednesdays throughout the month of March, as people of faith gather on the Capitol grounds to call on Congress to take action. Sign up for the March 19 or the Mach 26 events, which are organized by Sojourners and the Washington Interfaith Staff Community.  Amanda spoke at the March 5 Faithful Witness Wednesday – you can watch a recording on the SojoAction YouTube channel and see photos on BJC’s Facebook page.     Segment 3 (starting 25:35): Three religious liberty cases headed to SCOTUS  Amanda and Holly mentioned the emergency order from the Supreme Court to re-start payments for aid work that had been completed. Read more in this story by Justin Jouvenal, Annie Gowen and Ann E. Marimow for The Washington Post: Supreme Court says judge can force Trump administration to pay foreign aid Amanda and Holly mentioned three religious liberty cases that the Supreme Court will hear this term:  Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission (March 31) The consolidated cases of Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond (April 30) Mahmoud v. Taylor (April 22) 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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