Members of the White House Commission on Religious Liberty have presented their final report to President Donald Trump following an extensive investigation into threats to religious faith and freedom in the United States.
The report, which exceeds 200 pages and is based on the findings of seven commission hearings held since its establishment by Trump last year, draws on testimony from more than 100 witnesses and documents a growing number of infringements on religious liberty.
This is reported in an article published by the Christian Post.
Some of the testimony came from mothers who said school administrators had deceived them about matters involving their children, from children who were bullied because of their religious beliefs, from healthcare professionals who faced retaliation for opposing transgender medical procedures, and from workers and service members whose careers were damaged because they objected to mandatory vaccination.
The report warns that such treatment has contributed to deepening conflicts throughout American society and poses a threat to religious liberty at multiple levels.
The commission proposed 12 specific recommendations to strengthen religious freedom, beginning with a directive for the U.S. Department of Justice to issue guidance clarifying the proper interpretation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and the principle of the separation of church and state.
Another recommendation calls on the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to distribute “Know Your Rights” informational posters to students, parents, teachers and public school administrators, religious leaders, representatives of religious organizations, healthcare professionals, and members of the military.
The commission also recommended that the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission establish hotlines and online portals where students, parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals could receive assistance if they encounter potential violations of religious liberty.
Other recommendations include nominating federal judges who respect religious freedom, combating antisemitism through the enforcement of civil rights laws, directing the Department of Justice to establish a Religious Liberty Task Force to monitor litigation and prioritize the protection of this right, and working to restore pension eligibility or reinstate military personnel who declined COVID-19 vaccination.
Earlier, we reported that four U.S. states enacted laws this year introducing criminal penalties for disrupting religious services. Lawmakers adopted the measures in response to a high-profile protest at a church in the state of Minnesota that provoked widespread outrage among religious leaders.
As LF previously reported, a new Gallup study found that Americans have become more conservative in their assessment of a number of moral issues. According to the annual “Values and Beliefs” survey, the proportion of Americans who consider certain forms of behavior to be morally acceptable has declined significantly over the past year.
It was also reported earlier that a major survey of more than 24,000 Christian churchgoers in the United States found that church attendance has increased five years after the pandemic.
