There's been a rash of state-level laws recently that mandate the posting of "The Ten Commandments" on the walls of public school classrooms. What's behind this? And whose version of these biblical commands are we talking about, anyway?

Interview with Marc Zvi Brettler, Professor of Jewish Studies, Duke University.

Show Notes

The Torah website for academic biblical scholarship - https://www.thetorah.com

Article by Dr. Brettler for Liberty magazine "Thou Shalt Not Lie: The Myth of the Ten Commandments" - https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/thou-shalt-not-lie

It's often been said that those who forget the past are destined to repeat it. If this is true, then we should be taking note of rising rates of antisemitism--not just in America but around the world.

Our conversation in this episode weaves together an intensely personal family history with a discussion of cultural and political warning signs that we would be wise to heed.

Interview with Richard T. Foltin, Fellow for Religious Freedom, Freedom Forum

Show Notes

Article by Dr. Foltin for Liberty magazine: "Yesterday and Today: Ruminations of a Second Generation Holocaust Survivor" https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/yesterday-and-today

For a country that claims religious freedom as a fundamental value, America has sometimes had an odd way of showing it--especially when it comes to workplace accommodations for people of faith. Whether it's time off for Sabbaths, or permission to wear religious garb on the job, American workers have had weak legal protection. That is, until now.

What changed with the recent Supreme Court decision in Groff v. Dejoy? And how should people of faith now understand their rights in the workplace?

Interview with Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel, First Liberty Institute

Show Notes

First Liberty Institute | Website - https://firstliberty.org

News coverage of Supreme Court win for religious freedom in Groff v. Dejoy - https://firstliberty.org/news/in-the-news-faithful-carrier-victory/

Best practices for employers updating their religious non-discrimination policies - https://firstliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BusinessCaseOnePager.pdf

It's a decision that gave many Supreme Court watchers a bad case of whiplash. For decades, the Court said that direct state funding for faith-based schools was constitutionally forbidden. But in Carson v Makin, the Court said that those same religion clauses require the state to fund religious schools in some circumstances.

What's behind the Court's 180-degree turn on this issue? And how could it potentially transform our educational landscape?

Show Notes

"A Matter of Interpretation" by Alan Brownstein | Article for Liberty Magazine current trajectory of First Amendment jurisprudence

"A Step Too Far"? by Nicholas Miller, Alan Reinach | Article for Liberty Magazine on the landmark Supreme Course case, Carson v. Makin

Twenty-five years ago, the United States became the first and only nation to link religious freedom advocacy with its foreign policy goals. Why? And what has this achieved?

A former State Department official provides an insider's take on how the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 changed the face of U.S. foreign policy, and what's ahead.

Show Notes

Knox Thames | Website

"Saving International Religious Freedom" by Knox Thames | Article for Liberty Magazine 

"Neither Liberal nor Conservative but American" by Knox Thames | Article for Liberty Magazine

Fact-sheet on the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 | Article 

Christian nationalism has been in the media spotlight ever since the tumultuous events of January 6, 2021. But finding an agreed-upon definition for this phenomenon has proved elusive.

What are we really talking about when we call someone a Christian nationalist? And how accurate, really, is that "Christian" label?

Interview with Amanda Tyler, Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

Show Notes

Baptist Joint Committee | Website

Christians Against Christian Nationalism | Website

Respecting Religion | Podcast

Coming Spring 2024 - a fresh, balanced take on religious liberty and church-state issues in a world of polarization. 

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