1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Please sponsor legislation that codifies freedom of religion — including freedom from religion — for every American, regardless of gender, family structure, or church affiliation. Pastor Douglas Wilson and his CREC network are organized, politically connected, and embedded in federal power right now. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a CREC member who invited Wilson to speak at a Pentagon Prayer Service. Russell Vought, a key Project 2025 architect, is advancing what Georgetown's Matthew D. Taylor calls "Christian supremacist influence in government at maybe the highest point in American history." What the CNN documentary "The Rise of Christian Nationalism" shows is not fear mongering — it is documentation. Wilson's network openly advocates that voting rights belong to households, not individuals, which means stripping women of the vote entirely. Women who left CREC-affiliated churches describe domestic abuse enabled by submission theology, children receiving over 100 lashes, and members so isolated they lacked driver's licenses or Social Security cards. The belts and wooden boards filmed hanging in the CREC-affiliated school in Taylor, Texas are not decorative. Headmaster Jeremy Sifford and the headmistress stated on camera that they personally administer discipline — or require parents to do it — even for actions the parent never witnessed. They "do not stop until fellowship is restored." That means beatings extracted from children until apologies, bible verses, and prayers are given. Sifford calls this "a beautiful thing." It is an ugly, ugly thing. Anyone formerly participating in or paying attention to this movement understands what is at stake. Wilson estimates a 250-year timeline to remake the U.S. into a Christian nation. That patience is strategy, not weakness. Do not underestimate them. Act now to ensure freedoms of (or from) religion and voting rights for ALL people are protected.