Show notes:
In the first segment, our panelists discuss the International Religious Freedom Report which is released by the U. S. State Department. The report covers government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. The U.S. Department of State submits the reports in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) defines Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) as countries where the government engages in or tolerates “particularly severe” violations of religious freedom.
In the second segment of the show, our focus turns to the case Young Israel of Tampa v. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. In October 2020, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue submitted an ad to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) seeking to advertise its annual celebration of Chanukah. HART rejected the ad because it was religious. HART lumps in “religious affiliation advertising” with others forms of advertising forbidding ads for “tobacco, alcohol, or related products” and ads containing “profane language, obscene materials,” “images of nudity,” or “depiction[s] of graphic violence,” among others. By treating them alike, the attorneys general argue, HART sends the perverse message that religious speech is too controversial, too taboo, and too dangerous for public discussion – a notion that flies in the face of our nation’s history and tradition celebrating religious discourse and the First Amendment’s dual guarantee of the freedoms of speech and religious exercise.
In the final segment, Tell Me Something I Don’t Know, each panelist quickly shares interesting pieces of information related to religious freedom.
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About the Show: Faith & Politics is a show dedicated to discussing issues surrounding the intersection of Church, State and politics and the examination of whether you are allowing your faith to shape your politics or your politics starting to shape your faith. What do you do when God and government come face to face?
Panelists: Dr. Lawrence Brown Associate Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Bettina Krause, editor of Liberty Magazine; Todd McFarland, Deputy General Counsel, General Conference of SDA; and Tim Schultz, President of 1st Amendment Partnership— an organization dedicated to protecting religious freedom for Americans of all faiths.
About Us: North American Division Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) is a ministry dedicated to proclaiming and defending the God-given gift of religious freedom which is integral to our identity as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. Learn more about PARL at www.religiousliberty.info.
Panelists
Dr. Lawrence Brown
Bettina Krause
Todd McFarland
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