What are the Biggest Threats to Religious Liberty in the US?

Supporters of Colorado baker Jack Phillips hold signs in front of the US
  Supreme Court as arguments in Masterpiece Cakeshop v.Colorado Civil
  Rights Commission on December 5, 2017. | (Photo: The Christian Post)

What is the status of religious liberty in America? What are the biggest threats to the freedom of religion? How should Christians, especially those who hold conservative theological views, approach the debate?

Luke Goodrich, an attorney with the religious liberty law firm Becket, attempts to answer these and other questions in his new book, Free to Believe: The Battle over Religious Liberty in America.

“We've long lived in a country where religious freedom was secure, and we didn't need to give it much thought,” he wrote. “Now we're realizing the country is changing and we might not enjoy the same degree of religious freedom forever. If we don't start thinking about it now, we'll be unprepared.”

The Christian Post interviewed Goodrich about his book on religious liberty and related topics, including how Americans might misunderstand freedom of religion and how he believes the U.S. Supreme Court is handling the matter.

Pilgrims, Martyrs, and Beginners

The 2019 book "Free to Believe: The Battle over Religious Liberty in America," by Becket attorney Luke Goodrich. | Courtesy A. Larry Ross Communications

Goodrich wrote about three categories he believes many American Christians fit into regarding how they approach religious liberty.

The first group, which he labels “Pilgrims,” see Christianity as having an essential place in society and often favor the state promoting religion.

The second, labeled “Martyrs,” believe Christians should not expect a special place in society and feel that churches should be counter-cultural and expect persecution.

The third, labeled “Beginners,” are individuals who support religious freedom, but do not feel it is an important debate and likely know little about the topic.

Goodrich explained to CP that these categories each have their own pluses and minuses when assessing the nature of religious liberty and how it should be handled.

"In my experience, Christians fall more into the Pilgrim camp than into the Martyrs camp, but there are also a large number of Beginners who are just waking up to the issue and aren't sure what to think yet,” said Goodrich.

"And as far as who is the most and least correct, I think they all have some truth in them but they are all mistaken in different ways.”

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