Show notes:
In the first segment, panelists explore the often misunderstood principle of the separation of church and state in America. Contrary to modern rhetoric, the Founders were overwhelmingly religious and intended the First Amendment to protect religious liberty—not suppress faith in public life. The conversation unpacks Jefferson’s original intent, the Constitution’s silence on the phrase “separation of church and state,” and the importance of religious freedom in a pluralistic republic.
In the second segment, the show turns to a recent legal controversy: Huntsman v. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The case tests the limits of the church autonomy doctrine under the First Amendment. A former member sued the Church over alleged misuse of tithes, but a deep judicial divide emerged over whether civil courts can—or should—adjudicate internal religious definitions like “tithing.” The panel explores whether this decision represents a “threshold structural bar” in church/state legal boundaries.
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About the Show: Faith & Politics is a show dedicated to discussing issues surrounding the intersection of Church, State and politics and the examination of whether you are allowing your faith to shape your politics or your politics starting to shape your faith. What do you do when God and government come face to face?
Panelists: Rushern Baker, President and CEO of the Baker Strategy Group and UMD Professor Public Policy; Bettina Krause, Editor of Liberty Magazine; Tim Schultz, President of 1st Amendment Partnership; and Andre Wang, General Counsel of the North Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
About Us: North American Division Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) is a ministry dedicated to proclaiming and defending the God-given gift of religious freedom which is integral to our identity as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. Learn more about PARL at www.religiousliberty.info.
Panelists
Rushern Baker
Bettina Krause
Tim Shultz
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