Show notes:
In the first segment, our panelists discuss the new study that has ranked Mississippi as the best state in terms of enabling religious free exercise, while New York was ranked last. The ranking did not have a list of criteria but examined the laws each state had relevant to religious liberty. States like Illinois and Maryland scored higher than GOP stronghold Texas, while Virginia was ranked 30th. The index provides states with opportunities to improve their protection of religious liberty by adapting examples from other states.
In the second segment of the show, our focus turns to the case McAllen Grace Brethren Church v. Jewell. Pastor Robert Soto, a Lipan Apache religious leader who was threatened with criminal fines and imprisonment for using eagle feathers in his religious worship, fought in court for over a decade to defend his rights to practice his Native American faith. In 2016, the federal government entered a settlement agreement with Pastor Soto and over 400 members of his congregation, recognizing their right to use eagle feathers in observance of their Native American faith. In 2019, the Department of the Interior published a petition for rulemaking from Becket to end the criminalization of eagle feather possession and expand protections for state-recognized tribes.
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 PARL (Public Affairs & Religious Liberty) Director Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Bettina Krause Editor of Liberty Magazine; André Wang, General Counsel and Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the North Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; Jennifer Woods, General Counsel and Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Lake Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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
André Wang
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