by Ana Elise Lowe and Jayla Ward • 3 minutes
For the first time ever, America has a Religious Liberty Commission.
We’ll soon celebrate 250 years of American independence. Yet, we’ve never had a federal body whose sole focus is to advance religious liberty—the freedom that started it all.
Just pause and ponder this for a moment. As a nation whose history, foundations and traditions are built on religious freedom, this commission represents more than just a bureaucratic move. This is a bold, defining moment for our country. It marks an unprecedented step toward reaffirming one of our nation’s most sacred and foundational rights: the freedom to live out our faith.
What the Commission will do over the next year could define religious freedom in America for the next 50 years—and possibly beyond.
Without Religious Freedom, No One is Truly Free
Around the world, religious freedom is under brutal attack. With religious persecution rising, this is a moment when America has to be committed to religious freedom—the First Freedom listed in the Constitution—like never before.
America’s international religious liberty commission makes it clear why we cannot waver in protecting that freedom here at home. Established in 1998, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom tracks which countries are the best and worst. According to one of its recent reports, over half the world’s population lives under some form of religious persecution.
In Nigeria, violence against Christians and Muslims is not just frequent, it’s horrifying. Just last month, more than 100 men, women and children were killed in a single weekend. These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re the norm. Boko Haram and ISIS-affiliated insurgents continue to target people of faith, while the Nigerian government fails to stop it.
In China, Uyghur Muslims have been placed in camps and subjected to forced labor. Christians face surveillance, imprisonment and censorship. The free exercise of religion is in danger in many parts of the world.
But here in the United States, we’re taking a stand.
We’ve long been a sanctuary for the persecuted. People fleeing violence, oppression and tyranny have looked to the U.S. as a haven. The Presdient’s Religious Liberty Commission will help ensure that America continues to be a beacon of hope—a country where people of all faiths can peacefully live out their beliefs.
The commission has the power to influence the highest levels of government. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Commission will present its findings directly to the President. This moment offers us a rare opportunity to reaffirm, rebuild and restore religious liberty for the future.
Religious liberty is not something we can take for granted. Around the world, believers are being jailed, churches are being destroyed, and worship is being treated like a crime. While we enjoy the freedom to worship, speak and live according to our beliefs here in the U.S., we must be proactive in protecting those rights.
This commission is focused on ensuring the freedoms that generations of Americans have fought and died for don’t slip away. It’s about sending a message to the world that the United States still believes in liberty, still protects the oppressed, and still values every voice of faith.
We’ve been given something that billions of people can only dream of: the freedom to worship without fear. And now, we’ve taken a giant step forward to make sure that freedom is rightly protected.
This is who we are. This is what we stand for. And with the Religious Liberty Commission leading the way, we’re making sure the light of freedom continues to shine brighter than ever before.
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