The founders of the United States of America had a really good idea, and a pretty revolutionary one at that. Where almost every previous regime in history was about controlling the people, the Constitution was written to restrict the government. The first amendment,

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

lays out five ways in which the government cannot control your life. The first is that they cannot establish or prohibit religious expression. Some would say that means it was probably the first on their minds.

In 2021, after almost every state government told churches that they could not gather, it would be difficult on any level to defend the idea that government has not overreached this restriction.

Today, Wayne and Averi dive into the recent encroachments of government upon our religious liberties, how various tolerant* political groups are using government overreach to get their way against the religious convictions of others, and what it really means to practice freedom of religion.

In the end, the separation of church and state exists to protect churches from the government... not the other way around.

*self-described