By Leland Murphy

The 2024 Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) was a truly enriching experience. As an AU Youth Organizing Fellow, I had the privilege of listening to a variety of speakers including advocacy leaders, academics, and political figures who share a passion for the separation of church and state. It was both enlightening and inspirational.

One of the highlights was hearing from Sanchi Rohira, a fellow youth advocate who won the David Norr Youth Activist Award. Sanchi has been making significant strides at Georgetown University to foster an environment that is inclusive of people from all religious backgrounds and those without religious affiliations.

Diversity at Summit for Religious Freedom encouraging
The diversity of the attendees was perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the summit. I met individuals from a wide range of faiths including Pagans, Hindus, Jews, Christians, atheists, and Muslims, as well as many others from various religious and nonreligious backgrounds. This diversity is crucial as it reflects the broad spectrum of American society, helping to bridge gaps across religious and other differences. It was particularly heartening to see many progressive Christians participating. Their presence is vital for challenging the influence of white Christian Nationalism in our society and politics.

Earlier this semester, I hosted a panel discussion on the harmful effects of a Texas bill that allows public schools to substitute chaplains for school counselors. The panel featured diverse voices such as Zo Qadri, the first Muslim South Asian member of the Austin City Council; Ash Hall, a prominent queer activist who works for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas; and Rick McClatchy, a Baptist and President of AU’s San Antonio Chapter. The event drew a diverse group of students and community members, highlighting the widespread interest in inclusive religious freedom.

As a Resident Assistant at the University of Texas at Austin, I also had a meaningful interaction with one of my former residents, a practicing Jew, who expressed his appreciation for the panel. His interest and gratitude for such discussions emphasize the importance of our work.

Students and young people enthusiastic about church-state separation
At events like my panel at UT Austin and the Summit for Religious Freedom, the enthusiasm among people, especially students and younger Americans, for preserving church-state separation and fostering a more inclusive America is palpable. By continuing to nurture this diverse, multiracial, multi-religious movement, we can effectively counter the rise of white Christian Nationalism and religious extremism.

Leland Murphy (he/him) is a member of AU’s Youth Organizing Fellowship program and a student in the masters of public affairs program at UT Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs.

Last week, we shared that one of the highlights of the Summit for Religious Freedom was hearing from emerging young leaders advocating for separation of church and state. I’m excited to share more about one of those young leaders: Sanchi Rohira, the 2024 David Norr Youth Activist Award winner! Named in honor of the late David Norr, a staunch advocate and supporter of Americans United and church-state separation for over 25 years, this award goes to an individual or group who goes above and beyond to advocate for the separation of church and state.

As a senior at Georgetown University, Sanchi has organized students around issues of equality and justice on her campus and beyond. She is committed to building communities where all people can live as themselves and believe as they choose, where people of all religions and none are able to thrive.

An advocate of freedom for all
Sanchi has been a vocal advocate against racism on campus and has organized for justice for students in the Muslim, Jewish and Dharmic communities who were the targets of hate crimes. She is also a leader within the Dharmic Ministry at Georgetown and helped start a nonprofit to support Dharmic ministries at universities across the country – and has done so much more to advocate for freedom and equality for all. Click here to learn more about Sanchi and watch her acceptance speech from the Summit for Religious Freedom.

We also selected four young people as honorable mentions for the award due to their notable accomplishments and advocacy for church-state separation: Mikah Dyer of Peoria, Ariz.; Luke Fisher of Littleton, Colo.; Maddy Niziolek of Washington, D.C.; and Chloe Serrano of Buena Park, Calif. Click here to read more about the honorable mentions.

If you know a young person who, like these incredible activists, is a passionate advocate for church-state separation and wants to get even more involved as a leader and advocate in their community, please spread the word about another opportunity: AU’s Youth Organizing Fellowship – applications are open until June 30.

If you weren’t able to attend the Summit for Religious (SRF) this year, you can still get a taste of what it was like.

Check out these previous blog posts about our keynote speakers. You’re going to be impressed.

Hit the social media wall
AU’s social media wall has a great collection of posts, images and short videos from SRF.

You can also check out the hashtag #SRF2024 on X (formerly Twitter).

Instagram fans will enjoy this collection of images and memes.

You can find our Facebook posts here and TikTok videos here.

Good Faith Media published this story about SRF. And stay tuned for coverage from the podcast Unreasonable.

For those who prefer old-school media, look for a full report on SRF and plenty of photos in the forthcoming May issue of Americans United’s Church & State magazine.

SRF will be back in 2025! 

The Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) ended Monday night, but many attendees stayed in town to attend a Hill Day yesterday. They met with members of Congress or their staffs to discuss the importance of passing the Do No Harm Act.

Now that SRF2024 is over, I’d like to share a few takeaways:

Christian Nationalism is an existential threat to America.
It isn’t just separation of church and state that Christian Nationalists want to obliterate – they’re after our democracy, period and full stop. Speaker after speaker made this point. Christian Nationalists yearn to replace our democracy with a theocracy. This has been their game plan for years, and it’s time we told the American people that.

Christian faith leaders must spearhead the fight against Christian Nationalism.
This theme came up repeatedly during SRF: Christian clergy and other leaders know that Christian Nationalism is a corruption of the faith they hold dear. They need to be leaders in the fight to stop it, and many are already assuming that role. Just to be clear, everyone has a stake and a role in saving our democracy.

A new generation of pro-separation leaders is emerging.
Gen. Z didn’t start the culture wars – but they’re going to end them. Attendees heard from several of these leaders during the Summit. They are inspiring. The First Amendment is in good hands.

We will win because history is on our side.
This was another constant theme during SRF – you can’t fight the tide of history. Over and over again, Americans have confronted the forces of regression. We have explicitly rejected an America where reproductive freedom is a memory, where LGBTQ+ people are driven back into the closet, where books are banned and where public schools are replaced with fundamentalist academies. We’ve had a taste of all that in the past. We’re not going back.
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Americans United is building a powerful coalition for religious freedom.
SRF is a big tent. AU sponsored SRF along with the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, the Proteus Fund and an impressive array of partners. We reached out to allies from religious and nonreligous communities. Unlike Christian Nationalists, we recognize that diversity is our superpower. Sure, we differ on matters of faith. But we respect one another’s views and remain AMERICANS UNITED.

SRF 2024 may be over, but the work of defending separation of church and state and the true religious freedom it gives us goes on. In fact, we’re already planning our next webinar through SRF365, our year-round, virtual Summit for Religious Freedom programming – learn more here. Stay in touch and stay involved!

Sometimes you just need to return to some bedrock principles. That happened yesterday for attendees of the Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF), who were treated to a powerful address courtesy of U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

The four-term congressman, who after his election quickly became one of the most articulate defenders of constitutional values, hailed SRF attendees as “secularists and constitutional patriots.” He also thanked the crowd for the warm welcome he received, noting that while a book he wrote has been banned in both Russia and Texas, “I’m making it with Americans United!”

Raskin went on to salute “that great American invention – the separation of church and state” and hailed America’s founders who “wanted to rebel against centuries of fusion of church and state.”

A secular constitution
Founders like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and others, Raskin reminded the crowd, created a secular Constitution that does not mention God. That document, he added, contains a guarantee of religious freedom and a provision, found in Article VI, that says no one can be subjected to a religious test as a qualification of holding public office.

Christian Nationalists threaten all of that – and more, Raskin reminded attendees. He blasted the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, reminding people that it was an attempted coup and that its aim was “to overthrow our constitutional democracy.” It’s not a metaphor or hyperbolic, Raskin said – it’s reality.

“They want to turn the Ten Commandments into law, Raskin said. And to those who insist that the Ten Commandments are the basis of U.S. law, Raskin had a simple reply: “Tell that to James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.”

Despite the challenges of the times, Raskin urged attendees to remain firm and keep fighting. “We have heroes on our side,” he said. “And we’ve got the Constitution and the Bill of Rights on our side.”

A word from Thomas Paine
Raskin left the crowd with some words by Tom Paine, the pamphleteer whose words stirred hearts during the American Revolution. In “The American Crisis,” Paine observed, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

Concluded Raskin, “Let’s make that victory ours, Americans United for Separation of Church and State!”

It was the message we needed to hear – at the very time we needed to hear it.

​The Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) started yesterday with a bang. Powerful speakers called out Christian Nationalism and didn’t hesitate to call it what it is: an effort to impose theocracy on America.

“I’m here to tell you that I’m not going to make you happy this morning,” declared Dr. Anthea Butler, a professor in American Social Thought and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, who delivered the first keynote address.

Butler didn’t hold back: Christian Nationalists, she said, are a threat to American democracy. In fact, they want to overturn that core feature of American life and replace it with a theocracy where their narrow interpretation of fundamentalist Christianity becomes the basis for all laws.

‘A moment of crisis’
“I want you to understand that we are at a moment of crisis in this country,” Butler said. Speaking of Christian Nationalists, Butler was blunt: “What they want is a theocracy.”

During a panel discussion after Butler’s speech, AU’s Andrew L. Seidel played a clip from the documentary “God & Country,” during which the filmmakers asked Butler if theocracy is the Christian Nationalists’ end game. She didn’t hesitate: “Yes,” was her succinct answer.

‘Horrifying’ things
The day’s second keynote speaker, journalist Erin Reed, who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the states, was similarly plainspoken. Speaking of Alliance Defending Freedom and other Christian Nationalist organizations, Reed said, “The things they are doing are horrifying.” She later added that Christian Nationalists are demonizing transgender people by simultaneously portraying them as weak and confused and an unstoppable force that’s rolling over society.

“We are both strong and weak at the same time,” Reed said. “This is a hallmark of fascism.”

Advocates of separation of church and state sometimes shy away from using the word “theocracy” for fear that employing the “T-word” will make us sound extreme. We shouldn’t worry. The American people need to know what we’re facing; blunt rhetoric is essential.

The world of Christian Nationalism
Think of a world where your right to legal abortion no longer exists because of legislators’ religious beliefs (a world many Americans live in right now). Imagine a world where people can be arrested for helping a friend get an abortion in another state. Picture a world where birth control has been banned.

In this world, books are banned because religious fundamentalists find them offensive, marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights are a memory. This is a world where you can be discriminated against in health care and in other settings because a stranger’s religion teaches him to have a poor view of how you live your life. It’s a world where public education is under the control of fundamentalist Christians. The teaching of evolution is banned, as is comprehensive sex education. (But this is just a prelude to getting rid of public education entirely; the endgame is a network of taxpayer-funded Christian schools and home schools.)

What does this world sound like to you? Does it have any relationship to our democracy? It doesn’t – and that’s because it’s a theocracy.

This is the world Christian Nationalists are working to force on us. It is the world Americans United is determined to stop. Let’s call it by its name.

P.S. We have a full house of 300 in-person attendees for SRF in Washington, D.C. (And more than 500 folks are watching online.) You can feel the energy in the room, and, yes, it is incredibly inspiring.

​The Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF) is fast approaching. Hundreds of activists will gather in Washington, D.C., April 13-16, but if you can’t make it to the nation’s capital, you can still participate in an impressive virtual program of live, curated sessions from the comfort of your home, local coffee shop or anywhere with an internet connection. The live virtual program occurs April 14 & 15.
 
Furthermore, in the weeks following SRF, anyone who registers for both the virtual and in-person SRF will also receive links to recordings of almost all the keynotes and seminars listed in the program regardless of whether they were live streamed.
 
SRF programming that’s available virtually includes: 

• U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, will join AU President and CEO Rachel Laser and Wajahat Ali of the Western States Center for a powerful keynote panel on how Christian Nationalism intersected with the Jan. 6 insurrection. They will also discuss the role that church-state separation plays in protecting religious freedom and our democracy.

 

• Journalist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Erin Reed will be joined by AU Director of Digital Communications Amy Couch and Clarke Wheeler from the National Women’s Law Center to shed light on how the growing number of coordinated attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, especially on those who are transgender, connects to other church-state issues like abortion access and birth control.
  
  
• Author, historian and professor Dr. Anthea Butler, AU’s VP of Strategic Communications Andrew L. Seidel and Alison Gill from American Atheists will shine a spotlight on how Christian Nationalism connects to numerous other issues, why racism underpins this harmful ideology, and what we can do to fight back against opponents of true religious freedom.
  
  
• A panel titled “Will it be Preaching or Teaching Religion in the Post-Kennedy Era?” will feature Tim Hall from Religion Matters, Sinthia Shabnam from the Islamic Association of Raleigh and author Linda K. Wertheimer. Together, they will explore how the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on a praying football coach upended the landscape of school prayer and religion in public schools.
  
  
• “The State of U.S. Democracy and Emerging Threats: Project 2025” seminar by Meg Uzzell, strategic initiatives and external affairs director at Democracy Forward, will explore the election-year machinations of a Shadow Network of Christian Nationalist organizations and their political allies who are attempting to cement power and subvert our democracy. 

 

• The panel “How the Courts Have Undermined Public Education and Religious Freedom” will feature litigation and policy experts, including Samantha Sokol and Alex Luchenitser from Americans United and Linh Dang from the National Education Association. They will cover how recent education-related court decisions have impacted public schools and students across the nation and harmed the religious freedom of students and families.

 

• The panel “Past, Present and Upcoming Battles Over Health Mandates and Religious Accommodations” will include Zach Pekelis and Erica Coray of the Pacifica Law Group. They will examine the law governing religious exemptions from public health requirements and the impact these cases have on the future of religious exceptionalism in law and society.

 
There’s never been a more important time for us to come together and learn, share, and advocate with one voice for religious freedom, church-state separation, and the issues that depend on them. Register now to join us virtually at SRF!
 
P.S. If you decide you’re up for a last-minute trip to Washington, D.C., there are a handful of in-person slots left at the Summit for Religious Freedom – register here.

At the Summit for Religious Freedom (SRF), you’re going to have the opportunity to hear from some amazing keynote speakers.

But that’s not all! SRF, which takes places April 13-16 in Washington, D.C., and virtually, will also feature a stellar line-up of seminars and workshops. The seminars will be topical presentations that are 60 minutes in length. Workshops will offer a deeper dive with intensive skill-building sessions that are two hours long. A full list of all seminars and workshops is available here.
 
Do you want to learn more about how to counter Christian Nationalism at the local level? Perhaps you’re interested in mobilizing youth voices in favor of church-state separation? Maybe you’d like to hear an update on the current threats to reproductive freedom? Are you interested in learning about our courts are undermining public education? Are you a member of the clergy or the nonreligious community who wants to get active?
 
All these issues and plenty more will be discussed during the SRF seminars and workshops. And there will be lots of time for you to ask questions and share thoughts. We think you’ll be impressed by the diversity of topics that cover a range of church-state issues – and we’re confident that there’s something for everyone!
 
If you haven’t registered for SRF yet, please do it today! You can attend in-person in Washington, D.C., or virtually. Either way, it’s an event you don’t want to miss!
 
Note: for those attending virtually, all plenary speakers & panels, as well as a curated selection of seminars will be available in the livestream.