Just Liberty

How did Afghanistan became the world's largest prison for women? Interview with Sima Samar. The Taliban has ruled Afghanistan since the US and NATO pulled out in 2021. Within days, they began rolling back the hard-won civil rights of women and girls. Today, to be female in Afghanistan is to be legally vulnerable and physically isolated. Sima Samar, a former Minister of Women's Affairs for Afghanis...

Antisemitism is on the rise in America and around the world. Interview with Mark Schickman. Antisemitism has a long and sordid history and over the centuries, it has taken many different shapes. But what does it look like today in 21st century America? What's driving this spike in antisemitism and how can we better recognize and combat this form of hate? _________________________ Show Notes: News...

We're off this week due to the holiday, but we'll be back with a brand new episode on December 3.  Listen to our library of 30 previous episodes, or check out our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@libertymag

When Ron Hittle was fired by city leaders citing his attendence at a "religious event," Ron faced a choice. Accept the decision and move on or stand up against religious discimination. He chose the more difficult path and has now asked the Supreme Court to hear his case that tests legal protection for people of faith in the workplace.

A matter of survival. Why a legal principle called "church autonomy" is again facing scrutiny in the courtroom. An interview with Steve McFarland. Question: What makes an Adventist school "Adventist" or a Catholic charity "Catholic" or a Islamic humanitarian agency "Islamic"? Answer: In large part, its employees. Without staff members who share the same mission, beliefs, and standards of conduct,...

Suffering a political-party hangover? There's a remedy for that. The creators of "The After Party"--Curtis Chang, Russell Moore, and David French--have some thoughts for Christians trying to navigate America's toxic political landscape. We talk with podcaster, theologian, and evangelical leader Curtis Chang about "The After Party"--an online curriculum, book, and worship album aimed at helping Chr...

A clause for confusion? The much-debated meaning of the First Amendment's establishment clause. What exactly did our colonial forebears have in mind when they forbade laws "respecting an establishment of religion"? And why have we been arguing about it ever since? We take a tour through American history and Supreme Court jurisprudence with First Amendment scholar and author Charles Haynes. _______...

"How and when did evangelical Christians become a predictable voting bloc? And what does this shift mean--not only for American politics, but for the church itself? We talk with Barry Hankins, an author, professor, and renowned historian of the evangelical movement, about the consequences of politicized Christianity and the forces that drive it." _______________ Show Notes: Liberty magazine articl...

College-age students have opinions about the Israel-Gaza war and they're finding ways to share them. But when does political protest morph into something darker? We talk with church-state scholar Michael A. Helfand, professor at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, about rising antisemitism in America and the lines between free speech, discrimination, and harassment. _________________ X: @MAHelfand Li...

Flags and fury: the most important Christian movement you've never heard of. Interview with Matthew D. Taylor.   The so-called "Appeal to Heaven" flag entered the national conversation recently with news it had been flown over a house owned by Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito. But what is the story behind this flag and the powerful, yet relatively unknown, Christian movement that has embraced it...

What's the quickest way to turn any social occasion sour? Just steer the conversation toward either religion or politics. Or both. In today's polarized media environment, civil discourse seems like a long-lost art. But a new television program is daring to explore fresh, kinder ways to tackle topics that divide Americans.   We talk with attorney Orlan Johnson, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty...

Who should we blame for the rise of Christian nationalism? Is it simply the work of white Christian supremacists or far-right evangelical political leaders? Or could it also have been fueled by ordinary American Christians, and their decades-long, unquestioning embrace of something called "civil religion"? We talk with award-winning author and journalist Brian T. Kaylor about his newly published b...

Over the past three decades, the federal government has come to rely on religious organizations to help deliver essential social services--everything from running domestic violence shelters and food pantries, to providing elder care and job training. But new regulations from the Biden administration are again highlighting longstanding concerns. Can faith-based organizations take billions in federa...

Are there practical ways for Christians to innoculate themselves against the toxicity of today's politics? Can Christians be politically active--whether as Republicans or Democracts--without compromising their higher allegience to God? Chris Butler, lead pastor of Chicago Embassy Church Network and cofounder of the AND Campaign, brings his years of experience in community organizing and politics--...

Could historical mis-readings of America's founding be helping fuel today's political polarization? What difference does it make what we believe about Thomas Jefferson's religious views or his attitude toward slavery? We talk with Warren Throckmorton, a psychologist, podcaster, and co-author of the book, Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-checking Claims About Our Third President. An interview with War...

Mixing faith and politics? It's always a dangerous brew--at least, that's what common wisdom says. But is there a more productive way for Christians to engage with politics? And could Christian values actually help heal our country's widening political divisions? A veteran political strategist thinks the answer to these questions is "Yes," but suggests the place for Christians to start is with the...

In America, we have the luxury of debating religious freedom questions that don't have life-or-death consequences attached. In many other countries, though, the price of freedom is extraordinarily high. Every year, from Pakistan to Iran to Saudi Arabia, men and women are imprisoned or sentenced to death for the so-called crime of blasphemy. We talk with a Nigerian lawyer who risks his own safety t...

On paper, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of America's smallest protestant Christian denominations. Yet through the years, it's had a surprisingly outsized influence on the national discourse around religious freedom issues. How and why did this happen? We unpack the fascinating and little-known history of Adventist advocacy with one of the church's foremost historians. Interview with Mich...

This week, podcast host Alan Reinach sits in the interview hot seat. As executive director of one of America's oldest religious freedom advocacy organizations, he's seen decades of evolution and turmoil in both the law and culture when it comes to how America protects religious liberty. We take a look back at the Church State Council's 60 years of advocacy for people of all faiths and none. What's...

An investigative journalist spent years exploring the politicization of American Christianity. Her work resulted in not just two best-selling books, but also a documentary, God & Country, which was produced by Hollywood actor and producer Rob Reiner. What first sparked her interest in this topic, and what lessons has she learned about the dangers of Christian nationalism? Interview with Kather...

It's been a roller-coaster ride over the past few years for those who've been following the current Supreme Court's interpretation of the First Amendment's religion clauses. Decades of jurisprudence has been upended, encouraging states to pass laws that push the constitutional boundaries when it comes to endorsing religious messages. Is there a way to make sense of recent free exercise and establi...

Too much, too little, or just right? Has American law found the "Goldilocks point" when it comes to protecting the autonomy of religious institutions, while also protecting other important community interests? The so-called ministerial exception is seen by some Americans as a tool that allows religious organizations to discriminate with impunity. However, others claim it's essential for protecting...

No--"In God We Trust" wasn't inscribed on our currency during the founding era. And the motto "One Nation Under God" has a more recent origin than many might suspect. We take a fascinating journey into a little-known era of American history; a time when the government was in the business of creating an "American religion." Interview with Andrew R. Polk, Associate Professor and Director of History...

Many Americans believe that religious folk want to have their cake and eat it, too. People of faith want to be protected from discrimination, but they claim the right to discriminate. They want the state to provide robust legal protection and accommodations, but they also want the state to take a hands-off approach when it comes to how religious institutions operate in society. What's really going...

Religious freedom in America may be headed toward the edge of a cliff. Why? Because survey after survey shows that younger generations of Americans neither understand nor value the crucial role religious freedom plays in our democracy. What's behind this worrying trend? And can anything be done to rehabilitate the reputation of religious freedom in the eyes of Gen-Zs and Millennials? Interview wit...