Just Liberty
Just Liberty: Where Justice and Liberty Meet The whole idea of religious freedom in America has taken a PR hit. For some, it’s a cover for bigotry or tool for Christian nationalists; for others it’s the last line of defense in a society that’s becoming hostile to traditional faith. Is there a better way to think and talk about religious freedom in America that doesn’t buy into political extremes? Join hosts Alan Reinach, executive director of the Church-State Council, who has been litigating religious liberty cases for nearly 40 years, and Bettina Krause, editor of Liberty Magazine, which has been at the forefront of religious liberty conversations since 1906. Together, they interview experts in law, politics, and faith, and tackle tough religious freedom questions, not just from the courts but also from culture. Listen to Just Liberty for a fresh, balanced take on religious liberty and church-state issues. Coming Spring 2024. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.
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Episodes
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
It sounds plausible. There must be some net positives from exposing school children to biblical values, right? But is this true? What are the issues that Christians should consider in the face of the growing push for so-called "10 Commandment laws"?
Guest: Amireh Al-Haddad, religious liberty advocate
Show notes:
Liberty magazine articles:
"Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods." https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/thou-shalt-have-no-other-gods
"Thou Shalt Not Lie" - https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/thou-shalt-not-lie
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Southern Union of Seventh-day Adventists https://www.southernunion.com/ministries-services/religious-liberty/
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
The avalanche of COVID-era vaccine exemption requests represented a "stress test" for the American legal system. What did we learn about how religious liberty is protected in America today?
Show Notes:
Church State Council wesbite: https://www.churchstate.org
Cherne Law P.C. website: https://www.chernelaw.com
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
A little-known political philosophy seeks to fuse religious mandates with a new understanding of political power. What is Catholic integralism? And how would it revolutionize church-state relations in America?
Guest:
Dr. Kevin Vallier, author and professor, University of Toledo.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/kevinvallier1X: https://x.com/kvallier
Shownotes:
Kevin Vallier author website: https://www.kevinvallier.comBook: All The Kingdoms of The World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism. https://bit.ly/41gwP26 Liberty magazine book review of Adrian Vermeule's Common Good Constitutionalism. https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/adventures-in-christian-authoritarianism
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Since 1950s, the so-called Johnson Amendment has been a lightning rod for controversy. Is it an unconstitutional restriction on the speech rights of pastors, as a new lawsuit argues? Or a last line of defense against the politicization of America's houses of worship?
Guest:
Dr. Stephen Cook, Senior Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
FB: https://www.facebook.com/2ndBaptistMemphis Insta: https://www.instagram.com/2ndmemphis/
Show Notes:
Liberty magazine article about the Johnson Amendment: Unleashing the Churches, by Michael Peabody. https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/unleashing-the-churches Background on National Broadcasters Association's lawsuit: https://bjconline.org/religious-nonprofit-targets-johnson-amendment-092724/
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
When deeply held religious beliefs clash with public school lesson plans, finding workable solutions can be a challenge. What happens, though, when a solution is obvious, but compromise has been taken off the table?
Guest:
William Haun, Senior Counsel, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
X: https://x.com/BecketLaw
FB: https://www.facebook.com/becketlaw/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/becketlaw/
Show Notes:
Case details on the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty website: https://www.becketlaw.org/case/mahmoud-v-mcknight/Liberty magazine article exploring the current law around parental rights: https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/are-children-mere-creatures-of-the-state
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Next Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025 we launch Season 3—take a peek at some of our upcoming guests!
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Conversation between hosts Alan Reinach and Bettina Krause.
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Oklahoma's school superintendent has told teachers they must integrate the Christian Bible into all their classes. For Christians, is this a welcome development or a reason for concern? And what legal issues are raised by this growing movement in the US to return the Bible to public school classrooms?
Show Notes:
AP news story about lawsuit in response to Oklahoma's mandate for Bibles in classrooms: https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-bible-mandate-schools-lawsuit-c5c09efa5332db1ab16f7ff2da7be0b8
Liberty magazine article about how our understanding of history shapes our beliefs about whether America is a "Christian nation."
https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/history-lies-we-tell
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
How did Afghanistan became the world's largest prison for women? Interview with Sima Samar.
The Taliban has ruled Afghanistan since the US and NATO pulled out in 2021. Within days, they began rolling back the hard-won civil rights of women and girls. Today, to be female in Afghanistan is to be legally vulnerable and physically isolated. Sima Samar, a former Minister of Women's Affairs for Afghanistan, now in exile in the US, provides an inside perspective on this human rights tragedy fueled by religious extremism.
Guest:
X: https://x.com/drsimasamar?lang=en
Show Notes:
Liberty article on the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban: "Hidden and Alone" by Matias Perttula. https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/hidden-and-aloneDr Samar's recently published book about her experiences in Afghanistan, Outspoken. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721723/outspoken-by-sima-samar-with-sally-armstrong/
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Antisemitism is on the rise in America and around the world. Interview with Mark Schickman.
Antisemitism has a long and sordid history and over the centuries, it has taken many different shapes. But what does it look like today in 21st century America? What's driving this spike in antisemitism and how can we better recognize and combat this form of hate?
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Show Notes:
News report: "One year later: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate incidents spike since Oct. 7 attacks," USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/10/07/hate-crimes-grow-in-us-since-oct-7-attacks/75501456007/
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
We're off this week due to the holiday, but we'll be back with a brand new episode on December 3.
Listen to our library of 30 previous episodes, or check out our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@libertymag