Faith and Law

For much of American history, our country had no formally established church but it did have a soft religious establishment -- Protestant at first and then Judeo-Christian -- that shaped and grounded our national debates. In the 1960s and 1970s, the collapse of the Protestant Mainline dissolved that center, and our culture wars should be understood as the attempts by different forces to fill that void: Evangelicals and Catholics in the George W. Bush era, "awokened" progressivism today. Even in a supposedly secularized society, our conflicts remain religious, reflecting a quest for a moral and metaphysical consensus that, for now, eludes our grasp.

We were joined by Ross Douthat, New York Times opinion columnist.

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Religious liberty is having another significant year at the Supreme Court.

Luke Goodrich is VP & senior counsel at Becket, where he represents religious organizations and individuals in religious liberty disputes in courts across the country, including in the Supreme Court.  Mr Goodrich broke down the religious liberty cases at SCOTUS this term--from school choice (Carson v. Makin), to public prayer (Kennedy v. Bremerton School District) to religious symbols on government property (Shurtleff v. Boston), to free speech and LGBTQ rights (303 Creative v. Elenis). He also discussed religious liberty cases from the Court’s rocket docket and emergency docket, such as chaplain prayer in the execution chamber (Ramirez v. Collier) and religious exemptions to COVID vaccine mandates. 

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In celebration of Second Chance Month, we partnered with Prison Fellowship to gather a panel of experts, law enforcement leaders, and directly impacted voices for a discussion around improving outcomes among the one in three American adults with a criminal record. We are excited for this opportunity to dive into ways to advance second chances, thoughtful alternatives to incarceration, and success in reentry.

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The central question of this cultural moment, the one behind the most difficult issues we face as a society, is what does it mean to be human. Who are we? What is our value? What is our responsibility to one another? The vision of humanity at the heart of the Christian story is true and good, the most compelling account of who we are, and the best opportunity for Christians to offer life and hope to individuals, communities, and cultures. 

John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center. He’s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint,the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics, and cultural issues. Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John has co-authored five books: A Practical Guide to Culture, A Student’s Guide to Culture, Restoring All Things, Same-Sex Marriage, and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO. Connect with John at BreakPoint.org, or follow him on Twitter (@jbstonestreet).

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In 1973 in Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court found an implied right to abortion in the Constitution. By the end of this term in June, it will rule on a case - Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Women's Health Organization - that challenges the continuing validity of that holding. 

Professors Helen Alvaré of George Mason Scalia School of Law and William Saunders of The Catholic University of America will discuss the prospects for overturning Roe.

Below are three readings that will provide background to the discussion.

• "Roberts's roadmap to reversing Roe v. Wade", Helen Alvaré, The Hill, March 4, 2022.
• Amicus Brief of 141 International Legal Scholars
• Brief of 240 Women Scholars et al In Support of Petitioners Dobbs

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Abandoning the view of human nature that guided the country’s Founders, Americans for two centuries have justified democracy on false and romantic grounds. We think too highly of ourselves, and this comforting misperception magnifies our partisan polarization, intensifies our frustration with democratic institutions, and heightens our susceptibility to authoritarianism. A necessary first step to a healthier democracy will be to redefine ourselves as “We the Fallen People.”

During this Friday Forum, Dr. McKenzie argued that we must take an unflinching look at the very nature of democracy—its strengths and weaknesses, what it can promise, and where it overreaches. 

For further reading, feel free to read Thomas J. Wilson's review of Dr McKenzie's book, "Reappraising American Goodness: A Review of McKenzie’s We the Fallen People" January 26, 2022 in Providence Magazine.

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Faith & Law hosted a panel of senior Capitol Hill Veterans, moderated by John Palafoutas, founder of Faith & Law, to explore the "Trials and Tribulations of Living an Ethical Life on Capitol Hill." 

Panelists included:

• Arne Christenson, former Chief of Staff to then Speaker Newt Gingrich.
• Nicole Gustafson, former senior policy advisor and chief counsel to former Majority Leader/Minority Whip Eric Cantor.
• Luke Murry, former National Security Advisor for Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

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Federal law protects the civil rights of medical conscience and religious freedom in health care. These defend the rights of medical professionals, clinics, hospitals, and other health care entities who refuse to participate in specific medical procedures or health care activities, based on moral objections or religious beliefs. In recent years, advocates and politicians have been trying to pressure health-care providers to compromise their convictions and compel them to perform procedures or activities they believe are immoral or unethical.

In this talk, Louis Brown demonstrates that medical conscience and religious freedom, defended by a culture of life, is necessary for just healthcare, particularly for those who have been historically marginalized – the unborn, racial minorities, and the disabled.

Introduction and discussion with William Saunders, Director of the Program in Human Rights at the Institute of Human Ecology.

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How should Christians arrive at political positions? How does Biblical political judgement differ from secular judgement? Is there a place to exercise Biblical judgment at all in our modern politics? 

Dr. Micah J. Watson of Calvin University and Dr. David Corey of Baylor University discuss Scripture, faith, and reasoning by natural law.

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The United States is facing a moral crisis prompted by rapid increases in cross-border migration and global displacement. For too long, the debate around immigration policy has been framed with false choices that have resulted in political stalemates at a great human cost. Crisis after crisis, Americans are asked to choose between security and unbridled compassion. Is there a better way to safeguard our immigration system while welcoming the stranger? 

Daniel Garza is the president of the LIBRE Initiative. Born in the Central Valley of California, he would migrate with his family annually from their ancestral hometown of Garza Gonzalez in Nuevo Leon, Mexico- throughout California, Nebraska and Washington State following the crop season as farm workers until he was 19 years of age.

Mr. Garza began his in public service career as congressional staff assistant for U.S. congressman Richard "Doc" Hastings and was later elected as councilman for the city of Toppenish, Washington in 1996. In 2001, he was tapped by the George W. Bush Administration to serve as Deputy Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the Secretary at The Department of Interior, and was appointed in 2004 to Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison in the White House. In 2007, Daniel joined Univision to host and co-produce "Agenda Washington", a weekly Spanish-language news talk show covering the issues impacting the U.S. Hispanic community. Mr. Garza was appointed to serve on the Board of The Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy in 2016, was designated as one of Washington, D.C.’s “Influentials” by Congressional Quarterly Magazine in 2018, and in 2019, Daniel was named 1 of the 50 most influential voices in Washington DC by The National Journal.

Elizabeth Neumann served during the George W. Bush administration managing President Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which involved working with the Departments of Education and Housing Development. From 2003 to 2005, Neumann worked at the White House as part of the inaugural staff of the Homeland Security Council post 9/11. The job included working with the different government security agencies to counter terrorism. Neumann served as an executive assistant to Homeland Security Advisor, John A Gordon, shifting eventually to serve as a Homeland Security policy advisor for a year and as Associate Director of the Domestic Counterterrorism Directorate. As a director, she advised the presidential appointee on Homeland Security policy initiatives. Neumann left the Bush Administration and worked with the Senior Advisor to the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Neumann joined DHS Secretary John Kelly as his Deputy Chief of Staff in 2017; and she served in the same capacity under Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke. In 2018, Neumann transitioned into her role as DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy, where she served until her resignation in April 2020.

John Cusey is the Vice President of Communications at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He has a long record of government service including working for multiple presidential administrations and members of Congress. In 2019, John served in the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services. In his time on Capitol Hill, he served as the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-life Caucus for five years with Congressman Chris Smith and as the Legislative Director and Press Secretary for Congressman Gary Miller for two years. Prior to working in DC, John worked for three different Members of the California State Legislature where he focused on budget issues.

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