by Jorge Gomez • 2 minutes
On Monday, the President’s Religious Liberty Commission held its first meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford is a member. He represents the only nonprofit religious liberty legal organization of its kind on the Commission.
This week on First Liberty Live!, Kelly breaks down the first meeting in more detail, including what was discussed and how Americans can be involved in future meetings. Watch below:
The Commission’s inaugural meeting focused on the foundations of religious liberty from our nation’s founding to the present day, including the Founders’ intent behind the First Amendment’s religious liberty protections, and a discussion of related key U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
The Commission heard testimony from experts around the country. Dr. Mark David Hall—Senior Research Fellow at First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, & Democracy—was among those who testified.
Commissioners and experts discussed the state of religious liberty, including ongoing legal attacks and discrimination against religious Americans.
“During the previous presidential administration, our First Freedom came under attack in ways we had not seen,” Kelly explains.
“Twenty-three Americans were put in prison for praying outside an abortion clinic,” he added. “The Catholic Church was investigated by the FBI as a radical group, and FBI officers actually asked hundreds of priests to join the federal government in their effort against the Church. Easter Sunday was even declared Transgender Visibility Day for the country.”
Kelly notes that the Religious Liberty Commission is evidence of a massive shift in favor of religious freedom in America. He says this is an opportunity fully reclaim our First Amendment rights and to fully reestablish religious freedom as our First Freedom.
Watch Kelly’s opening remarks below:
“Administrations come and go, but opportunities like this come around once in a generation,” Kelly continued.
“My goal on the Commission is not just to recommend changes that will last for one President, but changes that will be permanent or long lasting in protecting and advancing religious freedom for all Americans,” he added.
The Commission will hold several more hearings over the next year to gather information and hear testimony from people of faith who have been impacted by attacks on their constitutional rights. This is an opportunity to document the legal battles and stories of First Liberty clients, as well as many more Americans whose religious freedom is under attack.
Future meetings will also be an opportunity to educate national leaders and the American public about newly restored protections for religious liberty and the seismic change happening in this area of the law.
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued multiple landmark religious freedom rulings in recent years, overturning decades of bad precedents. Those include four major victories by First Liberty at the Supreme Court in our Coach Kennedy, Bladensburg Peace Cross, Treat Children Fairly and Faithful Carrier cases. Each of those wins is strengthening and transforming the law to be more favorable to the free exercise of religion.
Americans have an opportunity to submit public comments to Commission members prior to each meeting.
Written comments may be emailed to RLC@usdoj.gov.
Or they can be sent by mail to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of the Associate Attorney General
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 5706
Washington, DC 20530
The full recording of the first session is available on the U.S. Department of Justice website. Click here and here to watch.
First Liberty will keep you informed on upcoming meetings and deadlines for submitting public comments.
READ MORE:
Daily Signal: Museum of Bible Hosts First Meeting of New Religious Liberty Commission
Daily Citizen: Religious Liberty Commission Launches, Aims to Root Out Anti-Christian Bias
WORLD: Justice Department Hosts First Hearing 0f Commission on Religious Liberty
C-SPAN: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Others Discuss Faith & Religious Liberty
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