Religious freedom protects far more than the right to practice one's faith. It also shields people from being compelled by the government to participate in activities that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs.

Given the fierce battles over culture and politics today, it's not surprising that religious freedom has been significantly challenged. Perhaps what is surprising is the state of religious freedom, given the current environment.

Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Mark Rienzi, one of the country's leading defenders of religious freedom. He shares his thoughts on why religious liberty is one of our most important rights, how it's faring amidst significant legal challenges, and more.

Topics discussed by Mark Rienzi and Rick Graber, President and CEO, The Bradley Foundation, include:

· How Becket decides which cases to take

· Whether Americans' value of religious freedom has diminished over time

· The state of religious freedom in America

· The administrative state's impact on religious liberty

· How geopolitical events affect religious freedom at home

· How religious freedom fared during the U.S. Supreme Court's last term and how they may rule on religious liberty cases in the current term

Mark Rienzi is the President and CEO of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit public interest law firm with a mission to protect the free expression of all faiths. He is also a Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where he is co-director of the Center for Religious Liberty and has served as a Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.