Dear Friend, Call me an optimist, but I still believe a democracy — one with robust civic engagement and a strong civil society — can withstand even extreme disagreements. Call me a cynic, but when a government starts deciding which voices are protected and which are punished, that is a democracy in decline — or…
Hi everyone, As state legislatures get underway around the country, we wanted to share a few updates and opportunities that may be helpful to you and your groups in the weeks ahead. We’re also holding space for the tragic events in Minnesota and the harm caused to individuals and communities there. Moments like this can…
Dear Friend, The Department of Labor, the Department of Defense, and the White House all recently shared an image of George Washington praying in the snow. The 1975 painting, “The Prayer at Valley Forge,” is a favorite of white Christian Nationalists. But it didn’t happen. Even the Museum of the Bible, where the artwork hangs,…
Dear Friend, This year marks a convergence of anniversaries that both celebrate our nation’s long tradition of religious liberty and warn of the threats to that freedom today. In July, we’ll celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which articulated revolutionary ideas about liberty, equality, and inherent human rights. Last week, we observed the…
Hi everyone, As we begin a new year, we want to start by saying thank you. The work you do, often quietly, is what keeps our movement grounded and connected in communities across the country. Your leadership, care, and commitment truly matter. We also want to acknowledge the moment we are in. Things are hard…
America 250 and Beyond: Religious Freedom in America Thursday, January 15, 8:00 PM ET Join us for the first of our America: Beyond 250 speaker series for a conversation about the history of religious freedom in America. The event features renowned historian Professor Steven K. Green in conversation with our own Legal Director Geoffrey Blackwell and President…
Dear Friend, A 47-page pamphlet appeared on the streets of Philadelphia 250 years ago today. It was an instant best-seller, America’s first (though the author never earned a cent). By the end of the year, copies of Common Sense were circulating through the colonies and across the Atlantic. Thomas Paine’s words were read aloud in taverns and by…
Dear Friend, This year will mark 250 years of the “American Experiment,” a radical attempt to forge a constitutional republic of, by, and for the people. Our nation’s founders boldly rejected the traditional models of monarchic and theocratic rule in favor of an unprecedented one guided by the secular Enlightenment principles of human rights and…