The State of Religious Liberty in America was the subject of a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee February 16 on Capitol Hill. Committee chair Bob Goodlatte opened the hearing with these remarks:
“Since the birth of our nation, debates about religious liberty have been centered on the relationship between religion and government. Indeed, the founding fathers feared the effect of government on religion. …In a letter dated June 12, 1812, to Benjamin Rush, John Adams stated that ’[n]othing is more dreaded than the National Government meddling with Religion.’”
“Many Americans today know all too well this dread,” said Congressman Goodlatte.
Testifying before the Committee were Kim Colby, Director of the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom; Hannah Smith, Senior Counsel, Becket; Michael Casey Mattox, Senior Counsel and Director, Center For Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom; and Rabbi David Saperstein, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom 2015-17.
For a report of the hearing, see “Constitutionality of leaked executive order on religious freedom called into question” by Adelle M. Banks of Religion News Service.
For analysis of the testimony, read Elizabeth Reiner Platt’s “What Muslim Ban? A Religious Liberty Hearing in the Trump Era” for USC Annenberg School’s Religion Dispatches.
For additional commentary, read “Congressional Panel Wanted to Ignore Real Threats to Religious Freedom” by Liz Hayes for Americans United.
