Religious freedom is alive and well in America. Our nation shelters a vast and vibrant marketplace of theological ideas and spiritual practices. If there is a problem, it is not the lack of religious freedom, but our failure to exercise it sufficiently. Why, then, are Donald Trump and the Republicans trying to sell us what we already have?

Because they are trying to take religious freedom away, in the name of religious freedom. They want fundamentalist Christians to be able to impose their dogma on everybody else, and that is the opposite of spiritual liberty.

Trump’s attempted ban on Muslims coming into the US was just the beginning. Shortly, the Trump administration will roll out a basket of deplorable policies that will reduce religious freedom. Many if not most won’t survive constitutional review. Trump’s announcement will make fundamentalist culture-warriors feel vindicated, but won’t give them any more religious freedom than they already enjoy. And the policies that survive the courts will take religious freedom from others.

The extremists’ argument for this agenda: people should not have to do things that violate their religious scruples. But the examples they offer in complaint are ones in which religious people already have freedom of choice. And their proposed policies would violate the religious and moral scruples of others.

If your religion is against gay marriage, that should not exempt you as a government employee from processing paperwork for government benefits for same-sex couples. Doing that paperwork implies nothing about your own personal views, nor does it conflict with your beliefs. If your company offers birth control coverage that you would not use, that in no way suggests that giving access to that coverage to your workers, due to a government policy, somehow contradicts your beliefs. It’s the opposite of religious freedom to deny other people access to birth control. After all, it can be argued on religious grounds that contraception is a sacred responsibility in a time when over-population threatens God’s creation.

Extremists are demanding that churches be able to endorse candidates for office – as if that is hard for them to do now. Preachers endorse the political positions of candidates without naming them, making it obvious which candidates they support. Donald Trump has declared his opposition to the Johnson amendment that bans tax-exempt organizations from endorsing candidates openly. But today, faith communities can give up their tax-exempt status and do as they please.

The ongoing difficulty of faith-based conscientious objection can’t be construed as an erosion of religious freedom. Progressive Christian workers in the businesses owned by the Koch brothers are free to quit and find other employment, even if that is a painful choice. We have the liberty to engage in costly discipleship. Making discipleship cheaper does not equal an increase in religious liberty. Right-wing “culture warriors” make their reactionary political agenda obvious by not pressing for the ability of religious pacifists to refuse to pay income tax on the portion that funds the military.

The only “war on religion” in America is a war by one religion against others. Fundamentalist Republicans want to legalize discrimination against people outside of their fold: Muslims, progressive Christians and Jews, atheists, agnostics, irreligious people, gays, lesbians, and the transgendered.

Giving one religious group power to impose its will on others does service neither to religion nor society. Consider Iran, where theocracy has undermined the respect of young people for Islam. Consider Britain, where the state Church of England has extra privileges, but few adherents.

So let’s tell Donald Trump and the Republicans to keep their groping hands and their twisted rhetorical tongues off our precious religious liberties. Let’s fill the inboxes of the White House and members of Congress with vigorous objections to their planned policies. Let us separate real religious freedom from political oppression wearing religious clothing – for religion’s sake!

(March 15 is a good day to do it! Millions of Americans will be sending postcards to the White House and Congress that day. To stay informed and activated on church/state issues, stay tuned to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.)

About the Author

Website: MINDFULCHRISTIANITY.ORG Weblog: MUSINGS Follow me on twitter: @jtburklo
See the GUIDE to my articles and books
Associate Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California