Show notes:
In the first segment, our panelists discuss the Department of Justice’s investigation into Washington State’s new law requiring clergy to report child abuse—even confessions heard in the Catholic sacrament. Critics say the law violates the First Amendment by forcing priests to choose between faith and law, eroding centuries-old protections of the priest-penitent privilege. The roundtable explores the constitutional stakes, historical precedents, and why many see this as a direct attack on religious liberty.
In the second segment of the show, we explore the court case Hensley v. State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Justice Dianne Hensley, a Texas judge, declined to officiate same-sex weddings based on her religious beliefs, referring couples elsewhere. After receiving a public warning, she sued under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Texas Supreme Court recently revived her case, raising questions about religious freedom, judicial impartiality, and the boundaries of public duty versus personal conscience.
About the Show: Faith and 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: Judith Hawkins, Former Judge and Attorney in Tallahassee, Florida; Bettina Krause, Editor of Liberty Magazine,; Melissa Reid, Director of Government Relations for the North American Division of the SDA Church; Jennifer Woods, General Counsel and Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Lake 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
Judith Hawkins
Bettina Krause
Melissa Reid
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