Protect the Separation of Church and State

I am writing to express deep concern over the Trump administration’s recent actions privileging Christianity within the United States government, including the establishment of the “Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias” and the creation of a White House Faith Office. These measures mark a troubling departure from the founding principles of our Constitution, which guarantee religious liberty for all and establish a necessary separation between church and state.   While freedom of religion is rightly enshrined in the First Amendment, the administration’s current policies and official directives undermine the principle of government neutrality toward religion. By tasking federal agencies to actively prioritize Christian interests, urging public employees to report on colleagues for “anti-Christian bias,” and publicizing allegations of systemic government hostility against Christians, these efforts ignore both the rich diversity of American religious life and the risks of elevating one faith tradition over all others.   There is no credible evidence of systemic persecution of Christians by our government. Instead, such rhetoric fuels division and disregards the experiences of religious minorities and nonbelievers, who have relied on constitutional protections to practice (or not practice) faith freely. The attempt to rectify supposed “anti-Christian conduct” by granting Christianity a privileged position in federal policy directly contradicts our nation’s commitment to equality and liberty for all.   I urge Congress to: - Reject any legislative proposals and executive directives that privilege one religion—Christianity included—over others. - Affirm and protect the constitutional separation of church and state, safeguarding all Americans’ right to religious freedom, whatever their beliefs or non-beliefs may be. - Exercise meaningful oversight to prevent executive overreach that threatens to politicize religious liberty or promote religious nationalism under the guise of “protection.”   Let us remember our nation’s highest ideals: that government should neither promote nor hinder any faith, and that true freedom is preserved by a clear wall between religion and the state.   Thank you for your attention and action to uphold the Constitution.