Whose Faith Matters? Protecting Religious Liberty for Everyone

In recent years, religious liberty has primarily been framed as a concern of conservative Christians in the United States, particularly in their opposition to reproductive and LGBTQ rights. But faith-based values are not the sole province of social conservatives, and Americans from diverse religious and political backgrounds are fighting for religious freedom in a wide variety of contexts.

In this episode, host AJ DeBonis explores the changing meanings of "religious liberty" with Liz Reiner Platt, director of The Law, Rights and Religion Project - a think tank at Columbia Law School promoting social justice, freedom of religion, and religious plurality. AJ and Liz examine ways religious liberty is threatened when it is equated with a movement advocating for a narrow band of religious views. Liz argues that elected officials, media, and the public must broaden our understanding of religious liberty, so that it is neutral, noncoercive, nondiscriminatory, not absolute, democratic, and pluralistic.

 

Podcast Questions? Comments?

Have a question for our guests or comment on our podcast series? Would you like to suggest a guest or topic for a future podcast episode? Please feel free to contact us at podcast@interfaithcenter.org. 

This episode of “Interfaith Matters” is hosted by co-producer AJ DeBonis, edited by co-producer Michelle Polton-Simon, and executive produced by Kevin Childress.

Learn more about the podcast team on our website.