The FFRF Action Fund today applauded a new House resolution from Congressional Freethought Caucus co-chairs Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and numerous members of Congress, which reaffirms the constitutional principle of separation between state and church as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
The resolution directly rebuts efforts by the Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission to recast the United States as a “Christian nation.” Instead, it reaffirms that the nation’s founders deliberately created a secular government to protect freedom of conscience for believers and nonbelievers alike. Together, the two developments present sharply different visions of America’s constitutional heritage.
The Huffman-Raskin resolution reaffirms that the Constitution’s prohibition on establishing religion and its ban on religious tests for public office have enabled religious freedom and religious pluralism to thrive for 250 years. It rejects efforts to use government power to advance religion or impose religious beliefs on others, reaffirming that freedom of conscience belongs to every American.
“This resolution gets the history right. The Founders deliberately separated state and church. That choice made religious freedom possible. Reps. Huffman and Raskin continue to be stalwart champions of the separation of state and church. The caucus has established a National Day of Reason, moved to repeal the Comstock Act before it can be weaponized into a national abortion ban and advocated for the global repeal of blasphemy laws that imprison people simply for their beliefs. My thanks to the Freethought Caucus co-chairs for insisting that we celebrate the country we are: a free people with a secular government because no government gets to pick our beliefs for us,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund.
“Last week Trump’s so called Religious Liberty Commission released an absurd report launching a direct attack on one of America’s greatest constitutional achievements: the separation of church and state. The Constitution doesn’t belong to Christian nationalists, and it doesn’t belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to all of us, and its promise of religious freedom protects every American, regardless of what they believe. No president, no matter how determined to erode our constitutional freedoms, can change what has always been at the heart of this country: a belief in liberty and freedom for all. That includes the freedom to worship as you choose, or not at all, without government interference or religious coercion. That’s the America worth celebrating after 250 years, and it’s the America we must continue to defend,” said Representative Jared Huffman.
“Our Founders rebelled against centuries of state-controlled churches, religious warfare, Crusades, inquisitions, witchcraft trials, and other expressions of religious authoritarianism to create a secular Constitution. As we mark America’s 250th anniversary, our resolution is a necessary reminder to guard religious freedom, one of our nation’s founding principles, from those seeking to destroy it by using the government to impose white Christian nationalism. Mr. President, read the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of our Constitution,” said Representative Jamie Raskin.
The draft Religious Liberty Commission report is open for public comment through July 12. Comments can be submitted by email to RLC@usdoj.gov. FFRF Action Fund is encouraging its members to comment on the report.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.