President Trump quipped about &#8220;forgetting&#8221; the separation of church and state and declared &#8220;we&#8217;re bringing religion back to our country&#8221; during a National Day of Prayer event on Thursday.
&#8220;They said separation of church and state, they told me. I said, let&#8217;s forget about that for one time. We said, really? Separation? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I&#8217;m not sure,&#8221; Trump remarked during the Rose Garden ceremony.
&#8220;But whether there&#8217;s separation or not, you guys are in the White House where you should be, and you&#8217;re representing our country,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-jokes-his-admin-forget-about-separation-church-state-were-bringing-religion-back">told</a> faith leaders at the event, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re bringing religion back to our country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump: &#8220;We&#8217;re bringing back religion in our country. And we&#8217;re bringing it back &#8212; as I say &#8212; bigger and better and stronger than ever before.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/TM0Y0rx9gz">pic.twitter.com/TM0Y0rx9gz</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1917995948401193115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump signed an executive order, first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-to-establish-religious-liberty-commission?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=Exclusive&amp;elementPosition=24&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Donald+Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Executive+Order+Will+Establish+Religious+Liberty+Commission">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, establishing the Religious Liberty Commission to be composed of church clergy, legal experts, and other Trump allies tasked with identifying “threats to domestic religious liberty,” such as attacks on houses of worship and First Amendment violations, and recommending protective actions.
During the Rose Garden ceremony, Trump thanked Paula White, White House senior advisor and leader of the White House Faith Office, for her dedication to religious freedom and emphasized the importance of protecting religious expression in American life.
“Prayer is not a religious act, it’s a national necessity,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/01/trump-religious-commission-church-state-00321814">said</a> Paula White, later adding asking God in a prayer to grant the president “wisdom beyond human understanding and capability, and … divine dreams.”
“We call for a spiritual reset in our nation, a return to what is right, a reverence for what is sacred, a real alignment with your divine purpose,” she said.
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, vice chairman of the committee, along with former Housing Secretary Ben Carson, was also present at the event, praising the president: “There’s never been a president who’s invoked the name of Jesus more than you.”
Trump’s latest order builds on Trump&#8217;s previous executive action in February, establishing a &#8220;Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias,&#8221; which aimed to address what Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-the-religious-liberty-commission/">described</a> as the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.&#8221;
Religious liberty concerns have escalated significantly in recent years, with numerous legal challenges arising across the country involving prayer in schools, religious symbols in public spaces, and faith-based organizations&#8217; hiring practices.
<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/establishment-of-the-religious-liberty-commission/">The Religious Liberty Commission</a> is expected to hold its first formal meeting within the next several weeks, with the commission set to &#8220;terminate on July 4, 2026, which marks the 250th anniversary of American Independence, unless extended by the President.&#8221;

Trump Tells Church Leaders ‘We’re Bringing Religion Back’ As New Commission Forms

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WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing a Religious Liberty Commission, delivering a win for social conservatives that helped put him in office.
The order will be signed during a National Day of Prayer event in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday, The Daily Wire can first report. The commission, composed of clergy, legal experts, and top allies, will be tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in the United States and threats to it.
It will be led by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Dr. Ben Carson will serve as vice chair. Other committee members will include Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan Anderson, Bishop Robert Barron, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Pastor Franklin Graham, Pastor Paula White, Gibson Dunn partner Allyson Ho, and Rabbi Meier Soloveichik.
The commission will focus on six specific areas: parental rights in education, conscience protections, attacks on houses of worship, free speech, school choice, and &#8220;institutional autonomy,&#8221; according to a White House summary of the order shared with the Daily Wire. That commission will advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on executive or legislative actions as well as religious liberty policies.
The move builds on the president&#8217;s promise to protect Americans from threats to religious liberty. Trump has repeatedly pointed to how the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden showed an &#8220;egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.&#8221; In the first weeks of his administration, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eradicating-anti-christian-bias-trump-signs-executive-action-ending-targeting-of-christians">signed an executive order</a> establishing a &#8220;Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.&#8221;
“The Biden Department of Justice sought to squelch faith in the public square by bringing Federal criminal charges and obtaining in numerous cases multi-year prison sentences against nearly two dozen peaceful pro-life Christians for praying and demonstrating outside abortion facilities,” Trump’s February order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/">states</a>.
It continues: “Those convicted included a Catholic priest and 75-year-old grandmother, as well as an 87-year-old woman and a father of 11 children who were arrested 18 months after praying and singing hymns outside an abortion facility in Tennessee as a part of a politically motivated prosecution campaign by the Biden Administration.  I rectified this injustice on January 23, 2025, by issuing pardons in these cases.”
That order notes that “Catholic churches, charities, and pro-life centers sought justice for violence, theft, and arson perpetrated against them, which the Biden Department of Justice largely ignored,&#8221; pointing to the FBI’s 2023 memo targeting traditional Catholics, the Biden Education Department’s attempts at repealing religious-liberty protections for faith-based organizations on college campuses, the Biden administration’s declaration that Easter Sunday was “Transgender Day of Visibility&#8221; and more.
“My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians,” the president&#8217;s order stated. “The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms.  My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.”

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Donald Trump’s Next Executive Order Will Establish Religious Liberty Commission

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Conservative Supreme Court justices suggested approval for the nation&#8217;s first taxpayer-funded Catholic charter school in a landmark case that could dramatically expand religious freedom in American education.
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, proposed by two Oklahoma Catholic dioceses, would offer K-12 education with an explicitly religious curriculum as a state-funded charter school.
Hundreds of families have already signed up while the school awaits the resolution of legal challenges, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-mulls-legality-milestone-religious-charter-school-2025-04-30/">according</a> to Reuters.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh pushed back against the state&#8217;s exclusion of religion during arguments, stating: &#8220;&#8230; You can&#8217;t treat religious people and religious institutions and religious speech as second class in the United States,&#8221; adding that excluding religious schools &#8220;seems like rank discrimination.&#8221;
Attorney James Campbell, a lawyer for the state&#8217;s charter school board that approved St. Isidore, told Justice Kavanaugh that Oklahoma already permits charter schools with specific themes, noting that only religion seemed to be off limits, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-religious-catholic-charter-school-oklahoma-983ed57aabeae53e4b58367c5021f5e1">reported</a>.
“They’re not asking for special treatment, not asking for favoritism,” Kavanaugh concurred. “They’re just saying, ’Don’t treat us worse because we’re religious.&#8217;”
Chief Justice John Roberts challenged both sides of the argument, and will likely be the swing vote after Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself without an explanation. She is a former Notre Dame Law School professor, a major supporter of publicly funded religious charter schools.
&#8220;This does strike me as a much more comprehensive involvement,&#8221; Roberts said, distinguishing it from earlier cases involving &#8220;limited state benefits, such as playground improvements, tuition and tax credits.&#8221;
The court’s three liberal justices were in uniform opposition to the charter school’s creation, with Justice Sotomayor <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2024/24-394_1b72.pdf">saying</a>, “What would you do with a charter school that doesn’t want to teach evolution? Or doesn’t want to teach history, including the history of slavery?”
In the event of a 4-4 tie, the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s 6-2 ruling blocking the creation of St. Isidore would be left in place, which deemed the charter school a &#8220;governmental entity&#8221; that would violate constitutional limits on government involvement in religion.
The case has divided Oklahoma Republicans, with Governor Kevin Stitt and the Trump administration backing the school, while Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond opposes it, per Reuters.
If approved, St. Isidore would represent a significant shift in American education by becoming the first publicly funded charter school with an explicitly religious curriculum.
The Supreme Court&#8217;s decision is expected by the end of June.

Supreme Court Takes On Religious Charter School Case

Supreme Court Conservatives Signal Support For Public Religious Charter Schools

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Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a> said Wednesday that religious freedom would be a top focus of the Trump administration at home and abroad, saying there was “much more to do” to secure religious liberty.
Vance made the comments during a speech at the International Religious Freedom Summit at the Washington Hilton, where he highlighted actions taken during the first Trump administration to advocate for religious freedom, saying the second administration would expand that focus. 
“We remain the world’s largest majority-Christian country and the right to religious freedom is protected by the people for everybody whether you&#8217;re a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, or no faith at all,” Vance said. “But religious liberty is not simply, as we all know, about legal safeguards, it is also about fostering a culture in which faith can thrive, so that men and women can fully appreciate and respect the God-given rights of their fellow citizens.”
He said that religion helps people better connect to “the particular,” helping them be more committed to their neighbors and communities.
The conference was attended by 1,500 religious liberty advocates and sponsored by several companies and organizations, including Meta, The Washington Times Foundation, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and Samaritan’s Purse.
“In China, across Europe, and throughout Africa, and the Middle East, the first Trump administration took critical steps to protect the rights of the faithful, whether that was by rescuing pastors who were persecuted by foreign regimes or bringing relief to Yazidis, Christians, and other faith communities facing genocidal terror from ISIS,” Vance said. 
He then pointed to actions already taken by Trump during his first few weeks in office, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-should-not-have-been-prosecuted-trump-pardons-23-pro-lifers-targeted-by-biden-doj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issuing pardons</a> to 23 peaceful pro-life protesters who were targeted by the Biden administration. 
“The president has issued orders to end the weaponization of the federal government against religious Americans, pardon pro-life protesters who were unjustly imprisoned under the last administration, and, importantly, stop the federal censorship used to prevent Americans from speaking their conscience and speaking their mind whether it&#8217;s in their communities or online,” Vance said. 
The VP also praised Trump’s choice to nominate his former senate colleague, Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, saying he was a “champion” of religious liberty. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom also <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-welcomes-secretary-rubios-confirmation-calls-religious-freedom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> Rubio’s confirmation, saying he would be stronger than his predecessor.

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Vance Says Securing Religious Freedom Will Be Top Priority Of Trump Admin

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The vast majority of Americans believe that parents should be able to opt their children out of gender and sexuality-related curricula that violate their religious beliefs, according to a new survey shared with The Daily Wire. 
Data from the <a href="https://becketfund.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Becket Fund</a>’s annual Religious Freedom Index found that 77% of Americans believe parents should be able to opt their children out of curriculum violating their religious beliefs, up from 74% the previous year. Just 23% said they didn’t think parents should be able to opt their kids out for religious reasons. 
“Parents don’t take a back seat to anyone when it comes to raising their children,&#8221; Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at Becket told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This year’s Index shows that a vast majority of Americans believe in this commonsense principle and in every parent’s right to excuse their children from classroom lessons that violate their faith.&#8221;
“Our nation is best when we empower parents, not the government, to decide what’s best for their children,&#8221; she added. 
Becket has <a href="https://becketfund.org/case/mahmoud-v-taylor/?_sm_nck=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> the Supreme Court to hear a case featuring a coalition of Maryland parents, including both Christians and Muslims, who want to be able to opt their elementary school-aged students out of instruction on gender and sexuality. The parents argue that the Montgomery County School Board is violating their religious beliefs by forcing children as young as three to read books about transgenderism, pride parades, and preferred pronouns. 
The case is expected to be reviewed at one of the Supreme Court’s upcoming conferences. 
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The responses were gathered after Becket asked survey respondents if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “Parents should be able to opt their children out of public school curriculum on gender and sexuality that violates their religious beliefs or that they believe is not age appropriate.”
The data were shared with The Daily Wire ahead of the publication of Becket&#8217;s Religious Freedom Index, which measures American attitudes toward the First Amendment. This year’s survey featured answers from a representative sample taken from an online poll of 1,000 adults.
In <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20240116160431/RFI-One-Pager-2023_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous years</a>, the index has asked Americans about their attitudes toward religion in the workplace and whether they think religion can help solve America’s problems. 
Across the country, there is broad support for parents to have increasing control over their children’s education. A recent poll from Parents Defending Education found that 75% of parents do not support teachers providing instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to elementary school students.

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EXCLUSIVE: Most Americans Say Parents Should Be Able To Opt Kids Out Of Gender Curriculum

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Peter Vlaming lost his job teaching high school French because he could not refer to a transgender student according to the student’s preferred pronouns without violating his sincerely-held religious beliefs. Now, his lawsuit against the <a href="https://vacourts.gov/static/opinions/opnscvwp/1211061.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Point school board</a> is a prime example of why Americans must pay closer attention to religious freedom protections at the local and state level.
Thankfully, Napa Legal Institute’s 2nd inaugural <a href="https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/map" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Faith and Freedom Index</a>” shows which states are lacking in religious freedom protections. It also provides a roadmap as to how state governments can strengthen these protections and best allow their citizens to flourish.
Vlaming represents countless Americans who have been unlawfully punished for exercising their First Amendment rights, and who remain fearful about the future of the nation – especially in an uncertain election year. From preferred pronouns, abortion, and transgenderism to burdensome tax regimes and regulations, there are countless ways that people of faith are essentially being told to renounce their beliefs or step away from the public sphere altogether.
Properly addressing these attacks goes far beyond federal elections and policies, however. Local and state governments often make the decisions that have the most direct consequences on American’s daily lives, from zoning and land use regulations to tax laws. And local institutions – churches, schools, charities – often make a greater impact on the lives of ordinary Americans than the White House and Congress.
This means that those seeking to protect religious Americans from discrimination must focus more of their time and attention on the laws that help local institutions thrive, particularly the faith-based nonprofit organizations that do so much to benefit society.
This is why this week, the <a href="https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Napa Legal Institute</a> released the second annual <a href="https://www.napalegalinstitute.org/map">Faith and Freedom Index,</a> an unprecedented state law analysis. The Index looks at 14 types of state laws – from religious freedom restoration acts and employment laws to charitable registration laws and tax exemptions – and ranks all 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.) on their friendliness (or lack of friendliness) towards faith-based nonprofits.
There are some results that are not surprising: Alabama and Indiana receive the highest overall scores in the country; Kansas, Texas, and Mississippi round out the top 5. But there are other results that do not quite fit the political narrative. Red states like South Dakota and West Virginia score in the bottom 10 for overall scores, while Oregon and California are both in the top 10 for regulatory freedom for faith-based nonprofits. The results do not fall on purely partisan lines.
Some laws have changed for the better since Napa Legal first released the Index in June 2023. For example, several states (including Nebraska, Iowa, and Utah) have passed religious freedom restoration acts. These crucial laws, which are now in place in 28 states, protect the free exercise of religion against intrusions by “neutral” laws that may not directly target religion but that can seriously affect religious exercise in practice.
Additionally, a major development took place in Virginia in December 2023, when the Virginia Supreme Court decided the <a href="https://vacourts.gov/static/opinions/opnscvwp/1211061.pdf">Vlaming</a> case. Vlaming’s case ultimately clarified that, under the Virginia Constitution, the free exercise of religion receives much stronger protection than the minimum required by the First Amendment.
The Vlaming decision is an encouraging reminder that states have the ability to strengthen religious freedom protections and better support the work of faith-based nonprofits. Yet while it is encouraging to be able to highlight positive changes in state law, the fact that no state in the nation scores above a 72% on the Napa Legal Faith and Freedom Index means there is much more work to be done, even in states friendly to religion and to faith-based nonprofits.
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State legislatures can do much to allow faith-based nonprofits to flourish within their states. They can create just employment and public accommodation laws that respect the beliefs and work of faith-based nonprofits. They can ensure that state of emergency laws do not violate the freedom of worship and religious exercise. They can enact corporate governance laws that respect the internal autonomy of religious organizations.
And they can pass charitable registration laws and tax laws with proper exemptions for religious organizations, so that these nonprofits that do so much good for society can be free from unnecessary taxes, fees, paperwork, and administrative burdens that prevent them from accomplishing their missions.
Local institutions in general and faith-based nonprofits in particular are a foundational part of a healthy society. While these institutions are formed privately by citizens of good will, the government plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the laws help rather than hinder the work of faith-based nonprofits.
By reviewing the Faith and Freedom Index, passing laws that respect religious freedom, and eliminating burdensome regulations, state governments can do their part to achieve the common good and help our society to flourish.
No American should be forced to lose his job because of his religious beliefs like Peter Vlaming did. Through a better understanding of where state religious freedom protections are lacking and the ways to address them, the Napa Legal Institute hopes to create an America where no one is prevented from or punished for living his faith.
* * *
Frank DeVito serves as Counsel at Napa Legal. Prior to his position at Napa Legal, he served as the full-time solicitor for the Carbon County, PA Children &amp; Youth Services Agency and as an associate at the law firm of Lesavoy Butz &amp; Seitz LLC. His written work has been published in the Penn State Online Law Review, The American Conservative, The Federalist, First Things Online, The Public Discourse, and several other publications.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Why Americans Must Fight For Religious Freedom At The Local Level

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A 16-year-old male gunman was stopped by parishioners and arrested by police officers after he entered a Louisiana Catholic church during Mass on Saturday. The incident occurred during a Mass celebrating a group of children’s first holy communion at St. Mary Magdalen church in Abbeville in southern Louisiana.
No one was injured during the incident.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
USA
An anti Catholic terrorist was arrested after entering a Catholic Church with a rifle, intending to massacre children and families during a First Holy Communion ceremony in Abbeville, Louisiana <a href="https://t.co/5MI36mq20t">pic.twitter.com/5MI36mq20t</a>
&mdash; Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatholicArena/status/1789773607897305169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This morning, our First Communion ceremony was interrupted when a suspicious person opened the back door,&#8221; St. Mary Magdalen church said in a statement, KGET <a href="https://www.kget.com/national-news/video-parishioners-stop-teen-with-gun-from-entering-louisiana-church/">reported</a>. &#8220;The individual was immediately confronted by parishioners, escorted outside and the police were called.&#8221;
Officers with the Abbeville Police Department apprehended and arrested the teen and then checked inside the church to make sure there was no additional danger.
&#8220;This understandably caused panic. While we realize this was a frightening experience for those in attendance, we are incredibly grateful to both parishioners and police officers for acting quickly to ensure the safety of all,&#8221; the church said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are involved in the investigation.
The suspect was questioned at a police station with a parent present and then taken to a hospital behavioral unit to be medically evaluated, the Abbeville Police Department said.
The teen has been charged with “terrorizing” as well as with two counts of possession of a firearm by a juvenile, police said.
The terrifying incident was captured on a church camera that was streaming the Mass online. A man ascends the altar and whispers to the priest, who then asks the parishioners to sit down and join him in prayer and begins reciting Hail Marys. Several men walk around near the front pews, frequently looking towards the back of the church.
Moments later, parishioners can be seen panicking, screaming, and grabbing their small children as police enter the church. The priest continued to pray but was drowned out by the crowd. He and several priests duck behind the altar during the chaos, and altar boys can be seen running across the altar.
&#8220;So guys, just get ahold of your child. Go slowly. We did apprehend a young man. He is in custody. He is in the police&#8217;s custody. Calm down and just get next to your child and go slowly,&#8221; a man can be heard telling the crowd on a microphone.
The church said it will have law enforcement at all upcoming Masses as a precaution.
St. Mary Magdelen church is part of Vermilion Parish and is located about 21 miles southwest of Lafayette.

Catholic eucharistic liturgy.

Teen Gunman Stopped After Entering Louisiana Catholic Church During Mass

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Finland’s Supreme Court will hear the case of a politician facing “hate crime” charges over her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality. 
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Finland <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/bible-tweet-case-to-be-heard-at-finnish-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it would hear the case of Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who is facing state charges related to her sharing a 2019 tweet that included pictures of Bible verses and a pamphlet on marriage she wrote back in 2004. The charges were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finnish-court-dismisses-hate-crime-charges-against-politician-on-trial-over-christian-beliefs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously dismissed</a> by the district court and the Helsinki Court of Appeal.
The case will now be heard by the Supreme Court, Finland&#8217;s top court for private law cases. The state prosecutors want the court to fine Räsänen tens of thousands of Euros and want her to be censored. Bishop Juhana Pohjola will be tried at the same time on similar charges for publishing Räsänen&#8217;s writings on marriage.
Charges <a href="https://adfinternational.org/campaign/free-speech-on-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were brought</a> against them after Räsänen publicly questioned why the church denomination she was part of was sponsoring an LGBT &#8220;Pride&#8221; celebration. She was accused of “agitation against a minority group,” under the section of “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in Finnish law. 
Räsänen said Friday that she has a “peaceful mind” and is “ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.” 
The member of parliament, who is being backed by the Alliance Defending Freedom International, added that the investigation into her had been going on for nearly five and that the outcome would have major implications for free expression. 
“This was not just about my opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression,” she said. “I hope that with the ruling of the Supreme Court, others would not have to undergo the same ordeal. I have considered it a privilege and an honor to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.” 
The case has garnered international attention, with Republican lawmakers in the United States urging the State Department Officials to step in and support Räsänen.
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“This is a watershed case in the story of Europe’s creeping censorship,” said Paul Coleman of the Alliance Defending Freedom International. “In a democratic Western nation in 2024, nobody should be on trial for their faith – yet throughout the prosecution of  Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day.”

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Top Finnish Court To Hear Case On Politician Charged Over Sharing Bible Verse

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Two prominent Christian groups sent a letter to Politico on Wednesday demanding an apology for a reporter&#8217;s viral comments about Christians that the groups called &#8220;deeply disturbing.&#8221;
The Family Research Council and Catholic Vote criticized Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla for &#8220;trying to demonize the Christian community&#8221; with her comment that only extremist &#8220;Christian nationalists&#8221; believe human rights &#8220;come from God.&#8221;
The groups said Przybyla&#8217;s comments &#8220;demonstrated a disqualifying lack of knowledge of the United States of America’s founding documents and a profoundly prejudicial view toward American religious groups.&#8221;
Przybyla, Politico&#8217;s national investigative correspondent, made the controversial remarks during an appearance on MSNBC last week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amazing.
Politico National Investigative Correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/HeidiReports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeidiReports</a> says Christian Nationalists – but not Christians – are united by a belief &quot;that our rights as Americans, as all human beings, don&#39;t come from any earthly authority&#8230; They come from God” <a href="https://t.co/vSMWe1nedR">pic.twitter.com/vSMWe1nedR</a>
&mdash; Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWolking/status/1761103622648053996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Przybyla said that the &#8220;base of the Republican Party has shifted&#8221; after former President Donald Trump attracted a &#8220;more extremist element,&#8221; including &#8220;Christian nationalists.&#8221;
&#8220;The thing that unites them as Christian nationalists — not Christians, by the way, because Christian nationalist is very different — is that they believe that our rights as Americans, as all human beings, don&#8217;t come from any earthly authority. They don&#8217;t come from Congress, they don&#8217;t come from the Supreme Court. They come from God,&#8221; said Przybyla.
This is a problem, Przybyla said, because it means &#8220;men are determining what God is telling them.&#8221;
She went on to say that &#8220;natural law&#8221; is a pillar of Catholicism and has been used for good in social justice campaigns such as Martin Luther King Jr.&#8217;s civil rights movement.
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&#8220;But now you have an extremist element of conservative Christians who say that this applies specifically to issues including abortion, gay marriage, and it&#8217;s going much further than that,&#8221; Przybyla said.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Brian Burch of Catholic Vote wrote in their letter to Politico that it is &#8220;deeply disturbing&#8221; that Przybyla seems &#8220;unaware of the opening of the Declaration of Independence or to its references of &#8216;the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.'&#8221;
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&#8220;Her statements constituted an attempt to spread misinformation about Christians by creating the perception that they hold unique beliefs that pose a distinct and, in her words &#8216;extremist,&#8217; threat to our country,&#8221; the Christian groups wrote. &#8220;Setting aside the inaccuracy of her commentary, she was manifestly trying to demonize the Christian community and sow fear through propaganda.&#8221;
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The letter added that Przybyla&#8217;s public platform where she can reach millions of people makes the situation even more disturbing.
Additionally, the groups said Przybyla has a &#8220;pattern&#8221; of singling out Christian organizations, as evidence by her recent articles.
&#8220;Rhetoric like Ms. Przybyla’s, which demonizes religious groups, is profoundly dangerous. It can motivate disturbed individuals who may be predisposed to commit violence against faith communities,&#8221; the groups wrote.
The groups said they believe Przybyla’s comments reflect a &#8220;pervasive bias&#8221; that prevents her from covering religious issues.
&#8220;Ms. Przybyla owes people of faith an apology, as does her employer. Politico must confirm that such offensive comments have no place within its organization,&#8221; the groups wrote.
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Meet the Press – Season 73

Christian Groups Demand Apology For Politico Reporter’s ‘Christian Nationalists’ Comments

Christian Groups Demand Apology For Politico Reporter's 'Christian Nationalists' Comments

Mainstream Media

Media

Politico

NASHVILLE — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> lawmakers heard on Tuesday the accounts of religious groups that had lost access to their bank accounts for what they suspect to be ideological reasons.
One group, the National Committee for Religious Freedom, had only had a bank account open with JPMorgan Chase for several weeks before the organization’s head and former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback attempted to make a deposit only to be told the account no longer existed. The group, which was created to promote religious liberty in the United States, was informed that they had not returned paperwork before a 60 day deadline even though the account was terminated after around three weeks, according to senior advisor Matt Goddard.
Goddard said that they attempted multiple times to understand why their account had been discontinued only to be given multiple confusing explanations. They soon became suspicious that they had been victims of de-banking, a term used to describe people losing access to financial services for ideological reasons.
The National Committee for Religious Freedom was one of the groups warning about de-banking during testimony on Tuesday in support of a proposed Tennessee bill that would prevent banks from discriminating against people based on their political or religious views. The group testified in front of the Tennessee House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Banking and Consumer Affairs at the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville.
“We were founded in 2022 by Sam Brownback, a former governor, U.S. senator, and U.S. ambassador,” Goddard said at a press conference after the hearing. “The reason I share that with you is that if he can be de-banked by Chase Bank, anybody can be de-banked by Chase Bank.”
The proposed bill, <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB2100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB2100</a>, would block financial institutions and insurance companies from denying or canceling services to people based on a person&#8217;s speech, opinions, and affiliations, as well as a person’s religious beliefs, exercises, and affiliations. The bill would create an amendment to Tennessee’s consumer protection laws and would not impact quantitative factors banks already take into account.
Concerns over de-banking have emerged in recent years after the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau froze the bank accounts of truckers protesting his strident vaccine mandate and revelations that banks were asked to flag transactions of Trump supporters and people shopping at outdoor stores, such as Bass Pro Shop.
Also highlighted in the hearing was the case of the Memphis-based Indigenous Advance Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that helps the impoverished in Uganda. The organization filed a consumer complaint after its account was closed by Bank of America. Emails from Bank of America revealed that it closed the account because it “no longer aligns with the bank’s risk tolerance,” <a href="https://adfmedia.org/press-release/bank-america-boots-charity-serving-impoverished-ugandans-under-vague-risk-tolerance">according</a> to the Alliance Defending Freedom. The sudden closure of Indigenous Advance&#8217;s account came after it had been a customer for roughly eight years with Bank of America and the move greatly impacted its mission, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom.
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The Tennessee bill, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) in the House and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), would also prohibit banks from keeping a social credit score that factors in things like owning a gun, working in the firearm industry, working in the oil or timber industry, or a person&#8217;s support for immigration laws being enforced.
“The legislation that we presented today is about protecting Tennesseans,” Zachary said. “It’s a consumer protection act to ensure that Tennesseans are not de-banked for non-financial reasons.”
Zachary told The Daily Wire that the insurance component of the legislation was “proactive” and intended to prevent discrimination based on political speech or religious belief.
The bill was opposed by the Tennessee Bankers Association, which said that it is addressing a problem that doesn’t exist. Representatives from the association also said that federal discrimination law would protect consumers already.
The House committee ran out of time to vote on advancing the bill and is expected to vote next week about moving it past committee.
Similar measures to protect consumers from financial discrimination have been proposed this year in Florida and Iowa.

JP Morgan Chase Profits Jump 47 Percent

Religious Liberty Advocates Warn Tennessee Lawmakers About Dangers Of Politically Motivated ‘De-Banking’

Religious Liberty Advocates Warn Tennessee Lawmakers About Dangers Of Politically Motivated 'De-Banking'

Banking

Discrimination

Economy

Nashville

Tennessee

U.S.

A new survey found that nearly three out of every four Americans believe that parents should be able to opt their kids out of public school subjects they believe are immoral or objectionable.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty surveyed 1,000 American adults between September 28 and October 5 as part of its annual <a href="https://www.becketlaw.org/index/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Religious Freedom Index</a>, and the results suggest that transgender advocacy in schools is a losing proposition for Democrat politicians — at least if voters are paying attention.
In a consensus that is rare for any political issue, a whopping 74% of respondents agreed that “parents should be able to opt their children out of public school curriculum on gender and sexuality that violates their religious beliefs or that they believe is not age appropriate.”
That’s four percent higher than when the question was posed in 2021, at the height of the education culture war, suggesting that the Left has lost ground as more Americans have seen examples of public schools concealing radical ideas under the banner of social-emotional learning, sex-ed, and the like.
Only a third of respondents agreed with a position mirroring that backed by teachers unions and many Democrats, that “public schools are responsible for shaping the next generation of citizens and should have final say on what children are taught in school.”
The percentage who strongly (rather than somewhat) agree with the parental rights position has also solidified, jumping nine points from 2021.
Eighty percent disagreed that schools should “be allowed to hide information from parents about their child’s decision to adopt a new name, new pronouns, or begin a gender transition,” and 76% disagreed that “schools should be allowed to encourage children to transition their genders.”
The survey results were shared first with The Daily Wire. Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said that “Americans are making clear that no one can replace parents when it comes to raising children. That’s a heartening sign for the direction of our nation and for every parent who wishes to pass on values and virtues to their children.&#8221;
&#8220;Our nation is better when we allow parents to parent their children, not the government,” Windham said.
The findings come as school districts across the country act to the contrary.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, the school board prohibited parents from removing their children from lessons on sexuality, specifically arguing that it was because so many parents wanted to do so that it would cause a disruption. District materials tell teachers that if a parent asks, “Can I keep my child home when students are learning about LGBTQ+ topics?,” they should discuss “equity” and then say, “Parents always have the choice to keep their student(s) home while using these texts; however, it will not be an excused absence.” (The same district recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/principal-was-proud-of-students-for-protesting-against-israel-on-kristallnacht-emails-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave excused absences</a> for students who wanted to protest Israel on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.)
The state of California, meanwhile, paid a nonprofit that encourages kids to identify as genders such as “foxgender,” and teaches schools <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-awards-grant-to-nonprofit-encouraging-kids-to-identify-as-foxgender-teaching-schools-to-hide-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how to hide it</a>. That includes a six-page for on which pronouns to use around kids and whether school staff needs to hide their use of those pronouns from their parents. “It’s not always the case that caregivers are supportive of their child’s gender, their gender journey, in that case, if parents are not supportive or if the child is not out, that’s not necessarily someone who will be part of the gender support team,” said Director of Training Carla Pena at the group’s annual Gender Spectrum Family Conference last year.
And in Virginia, a mother sued her school district after it relentlessly asked her child about transitioning. The child did transition, the district concealed it from the mother, and she was then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maryland-refused-to-give-back-a-virginia-runaway-because-her-parents-misgendered-her-then-she-was-sex-trafficked-mother-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trafficked to Baltimore and held by a registered sex offender</a>. A school counselor then allegedly testified in Baltimore court that the girl should remain in Baltimore — in a group home with at-risk boys — instead of being returned to her mother, speculating that the mother might be transphobic.
The survey results explain why issue of parental rights has become a flashpoint in the ongoing presidential election. Republican candidates this year have fashioned themselves as fierce defenders of parental rights in the classroom, with top contenders <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2023-03-14/trump-pushes-parental-rights-in-first-2024-campaign-visit-to-iowa">Donald Trump</a>, <a href="https://www.flgov.com/2022/03/28/governor-ron-desantis-signs-historic-bill-to-protect-parental-rights-in-education/#:~:text=Governor%20Ron%20DeSantis%20Signs%20Historic%20Bill%20to%20Protect%20Parental%20Rights%20in%20Education,-On%20March%2028&amp;text=SPRING%20HILL%2C%20Fla.,the%20upbringing%20of%20their%20children.">Ron DeSantis</a>, and <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/09/07/nikki-haley-spells-out-education-agenda--promises-to-give-parents-greater-voice">Nikki Haley</a> all promising to give parents more power if they win the presidency.

Montgomery County parents

Vast Majority Believe Parents Should Be Able To Opt Out Of Objectionable Curriculum, Rejecting Left’s View

Maryland

Parental Rights in Education

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> school district is walking back an order to school bus drivers to take down Christmas decorations in the name of &#8220;inclusivity.&#8221;
On Friday, the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District near Philadelphia <a href="https://wset.com/news/nation-world/pa-school-district-asks-bus-drivers-to-remove-christmas-decor-for-inclusivity-sparking-outrage-pennsylvania-philadelphia-holiday-decorations-crisis-in-the-classroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> a memo to bus drivers telling them to &#8220;immediately&#8221; remove Christmas decorations and stop wearing Christmas clothing because some parents had complained.
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“Disappointing” “Bah humbug” We heard from school bus drivers in the Wallingford Swarthmore School District who got this warning about putting up Christmas decorations or wearing holiday themed clothing on busses. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX29philly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX29philly</a> <a href="https://t.co/GHbMF7igIu">pic.twitter.com/GHbMF7igIu</a>
&mdash; Chris O&#39;Connell (@CoconnellFox29) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoconnellFox29/status/1735714112259101085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The school &#8220;has been receiving complaints from parents concerning District employees displaying &#8216;Christmas&#8217; themed decorations and/or wearing clothing of the same nature,&#8221; the memo to bus drivers said.
&#8220;If you have decorated your bus with anything specific to the Christmas Holiday or any other decorations relating to a specific religion, please remove them immediately. In addition, employees are instructed not to wear clothing related to Christmas or any other religious holiday,&#8221; the memo said.
The memo added that the guidance applies to all district employees, not just the transportation department.
Some drivers reacted to the decision saying “Bah humbug” and some called it “disappointing,” according to Fox 29 Philadelphia reporter Chris O&#8217;Connell, who <a href="https://twitter.com/CoconnellFox29/status/1735714112259101085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1735714112259101085%7Ctwgr%5Ef3a100c4393632b2b1ac57398e6ce0c163da815b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fpa-school-district-apologizes-telling-bus-drivers-remove-christmas-decor-inclusivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> the memo on social media.
The district&#8217;s decision quickly went viral online and sparked outrage.
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Later on Friday, Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseilles responded to the controversy, saying the memo was the result of a misunderstanding between him and the Supervisor of Transportation.
The memo was simply meant to remind bus drivers to &#8220;find a balance of the District’s attempts to be inclusive of a diverse range of holiday traditions&#8221; in response to &#8220;community concerns I have received about religious neutrality,&#8221; Marseilles said.
&#8220;To the extent that this reminder led to the communication that decorations and songs typically associated with the Christmas holiday were not permitted, this was not the intent, and efforts have been made internally to clarify this point to avoid any confusion moving forward,&#8221; Marseilles continued. &#8220;We understand the importance of recognizing and celebrating the diversity within our community. We are committed to continuously improving our communication and fostering an inclusive environment for all.&#8221;
The superintendent added in a message to parents that he had not intended for drivers to feel they needed to remove any reference to Christmas.
&#8220;I did not intend — in any way — for drivers to feel they needed to turn off the holiday music, take down all the decorations or not wear any holiday clothing,&#8221; Marseilles <a href="https://wset.com/news/nation-world/pa-school-district-asks-bus-drivers-to-remove-christmas-decor-for-inclusivity-sparking-outrage-pennsylvania-philadelphia-holiday-decorations-crisis-in-the-classroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I want to be abundantly clear that we are not in any way trying to remove all signs of Christmas from our school buses or our schools.&#8221;

School Bus

Pennsylvania School District Walks Back Telling Bus Drivers To Remove Christmas Decor For ‘Inclusivity’

Pennsylvania School District Walks Back Telling Bus Drivers To Remove Christmas Decor For 'Inclusivity'

Christmas

Pennsylvania

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