Latest news with #WhiteHouseFaithOffice
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's top spiritual advisor visits Miami megachurch. She shares a prophecy
President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor visited a southwest Miami-Dade County megachurch to outline a vision of a Christian-dominated world and urge believers, particularly Evangelicals, to help make it a reality. In a two-hour sermon on Thursday, Florida Pastor Paula White-Cain — a prominent televangelist and senior advisor to Trump in the newly established White House Faith Office — told a packed church at King Jesus Ministry, one of the largest megachurches in South Florida, that she was not merely preaching but prophesying. 'Can one person make a difference? You didn't come to fit in, you came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling,' she said. 'That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours.' Blending Biblical scripture and personal stories, White-Cain spoke about God using ordinary people to spread the Gospel, save lost 'souls,' and achieve Christian 'dominion' by transforming society. 'God wants to use you to reposition society, your community, this nation, the world,' White-Cain said. 'Get ready because you're going to reap the greatest harvest mankind has ever known.' A translator echoed her every word in real time for the mostly Spanish-speaking audience sprinkled with visitors from South and Central America. Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, the church's founder, has a large international following, including many congregants with strongly conservative political and social values. Nationally, evangelical congregations ranked among the Republican president's most enthusiastic supporters — voting clout that has made White-Cain a powerful political influence in the White House. White-Cain appeared at King Jesus for a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where she headlined a string of local and visiting Christian leaders who preached, performed supernatural healings, and instructed crowds of followers and local pastors about how to 'walk in the supernatural' — a term used in some Christian circles referring to direct encounters with God and the Holy Spirit. 'Evangelism is the responsibility of every single christian. As a believer you cannot choose to ignore it. No way you can have an encounter with God and not care about the lost,' said White-Cain during a session that was aired live on the church's Facebook page. White-Cain — who is based in Apopka and married to Jonathan Cain, who played guitar and keyboard for the band Journey and is now part of the Christian music scene — is aligned with a movement of Christianity religious scholars call 'Independent Charismatic Christians,' a part of the New Apostolic Reformation. It blends Pentecostal practices with modern-day Evangelicalism, and its followers believe some leaders — like White-Cain and Maldonado — are apostles or prophets. The idea of achieving 'dominion' over the world and society is not uncommon in charismatic Christian theology, according to religious scholar Matthew Taylor, who studies Christian Nationalism. 'It holds that because God gave human beings 'dominion' over creation (Gen. 1:28), God must intend for human beings today to be active partners in ruling over the earth,' writes Taylor in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' Many charismatics, he writes, 'came to understand this as a present-day mandate to take over human societies so as to govern them according to God's reign.' White-Cain, a longtime supporter of Trump, has been credited for her skill at bringing views long considered extreme into the mainstream of conservative Christianity. Her Miami appearance echoed many familiar themes, preaching about God's dominion and transforming American values and culture. 'We're responsible to create culture. And that culture is a kingdom culture where you bring the heart of God into herding humanity,' White-Cain said during her sermon in Miami. White-Cain's personal story moved some in the church to tears as she shared tales of her tumultuous childhood and unlikely path to ministry. White, who grew up in Mississippi but eventually landed in Florida, emphasized that she didn't attend church until she was 18 years old and that she never imagined that she'd make it out of her abusive situation let alone into the White House. White-Cain has often spoken about her chaotic childhood — her father who had a gambling and drinking problem, died by suicide when she was just five-years-old, she says. In the fallout of her father's death, her mother struggled with alcoholism and before the age of thirteen, she endured years of sexual and physical abuse from babysitters and neighbors, according to a chapter on White-Cain in Taylor's book. In her Miami sermon, White-Cain talked about her journey from the trailer park as an 18-year-old single mother to preaching on television and ultimately, serving as a close spiritual advisor to President Trump. 'My story has nothing but brokenness, has nothing but ashes, but a great God can take what everyone else will give up on and say look what I can do,' she said. White-Cain also spoke at length about 'financial abundance' and preparing for a 'great harvest,' connecting the idea of giving financially to a spiritual revival. A key part of her message: in order to reap the rewards and feel God's glory, believers must first plant the seed and make a covenant with God. It was an appeal echoed in almost every church on Sunday to take out a checkbook or wallet but she urged congregants to dig deep. 'God's giving me revelation right now. Remember, glory only came when there was extravagant giving,' White-Cain said as QR codes flashed on the screens of the worship center, prompting people on how to donate. 'Stop holding yourselves back … Let God touch your heart for the harvest … Watch God extravagantly bless you … What you sow you grow. Obedience opens overflow. This is not historic. This is prophetic. God is getting ready to increase you.' White-Cain said she was moved to plant her own seed at King Jesus Ministries, pledging $12,000. She fetched her checkbook and wrote the donation live in front of thousands watching in person and at home. White-Cain didn't discuss specific issues like the administration's controversial crackdown on immigrants, many of them Hispanic. But she mentioned Trump a few times in her sermon on Thursday, telling the audience that her work was bigger than politics. 'This is not about Democrat or Republican or Independent. This is a moment that God opened up to be harvested,' she said. White-Cain said she has been close friends with the president for over 24 years. The relationship started when Trump called her one day out of the blue, she said, after he saw her preaching on TV and told her she had the 'it' factor. But, even before Trump called her, she said she had been praying for the president, and that she had added him to a list of ten people that she wanted the Lord to 'save.' 'When President Trump got back in, I knew that it was for America, but the Lord spoke to me and said it was for the nations,' White-Cain told the crowd. 'And the Lord has divinely aligned his people. That's you.' In 2020, she first gained broad national fame when one of her sermons at her church in Tampa went viral online. In it, she prayed forcefully, imploring God to give victory to Trump just one day after the presidential election was called for Joe Biden. During the prayers in the now-viral video, White was speaking in tongues, a practice that is commonly used by charismatic Christians who evoke ecstatic sounds that believers find to be a heavenly language. 'For every enemy that is aligned against you, let there be that we would strike the ground, for you will give us victory, God…. I hear a sound of victory. The Lord says, 'It is done,'' she said in that sermon.'We break and divide every demonic confederacy against the election, against America, against who you [God] have declared to be in the White House.' Her stance also drew criticism. As clips of White's intonations spread across the internet, people mocked the Florida pastor — arguing that Trump's Christian base was appearing more extreme, more unhinged by the day. 'Religious extremists like this is why we need to strengthen the separation between church and state!' wrote one online critic. Following Trump's latest victory, White-Cain became the first female clergy member to pray at a presidential inauguration and now serves as the first female primary spiritual adviser to a U.S. president. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump's top spiritual advisor visits Miami megachurch. She shares a prophecy
President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor visited a southwest Miami-Dade County megachurch to outline a vision of a Christian-dominated world and urge believers, particularly Evangelicals, to help make it a reality. In a two-hour sermon on Thursday, Florida Pastor Paula White-Cain — a prominent televangelist and senior advisor to Trump in the newly established White House Faith Office — told a packed church at King Jesus Ministry, one of the largest megachurches in South Florida, that she was not merely preaching but prophesying. 'Can one person make a difference? You didn't come to fit in, you came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling,' she said. 'That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours.' Blending Biblical scripture and personal stories, White-Cain spoke about God using ordinary people to spread the Gospel, save lost 'souls,' and achieve Christian 'dominion' by transforming society. 'God wants to use you to reposition society, your community, this nation, the world,' White-Cain said. 'Get ready because you're going to reap the greatest harvest mankind has ever known.' A translator echoed her every word in real time for the mostly Spanish-speaking audience sprinkled with visitors from South and Central America. Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, the church's founder, has a large international following, including many congregants with strongly conservative political and social values. Nationally, evangelical congregations ranked among the Republican president's most enthusiastic supporters — voting clout that has made White-Cain a powerful political influence in the White House. White-Cain appeared at King Jesus for a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where she headlined a string of local and visiting Christian leaders who preached, performed supernatural healings, and instructed crowds of followers and local pastors about how to 'walk in the supernatural' — a term used in some Christian circles referring to direct encounters with God and the Holy Spirit. 'Evangelism is the responsibility of every single christian. As a believer you cannot choose to ignore it. No way you can have an encounter with God and not care about the lost,' said White-Cain during a session that was aired live on the church's Facebook page. White-Cain — who is based in Apopka and married to Jonathan Cain, who played guitar and keyboard for the band Journey and is now part of the Christian music scene — is aligned with a movement of Christianity religious scholars call 'Independent Charismatic Christians,' a part of the New Apostolic Reformation. It blends Pentecostal practices with modern-day Evangelicalism, and its followers believe some leaders — like White-Cain and Maldonado — are apostles or prophets. The idea of achieving 'dominion' over the world and society is not uncommon in charismatic Christian theology, according to religious scholar Matthew Taylor, who studies Christian Nationalism. 'It holds that because God gave human beings 'dominion' over creation (Gen. 1:28), God must intend for human beings today to be active partners in ruling over the earth,' writes Taylor in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' Many charismatics, he writes, 'came to understand this as a present-day mandate to take over human societies so as to govern them according to God's reign.' White-Cain, a longtime supporter of Trump, has been credited for her skill at bringing views long considered extreme into the mainstream of conservative Christianity. Her Miami appearance echoed many familiar themes, preaching about God's dominion and transforming American values and culture. 'We're responsible to create culture. And that culture is a kingdom culture where you bring the heart of God into herding humanity,' White-Cain said during her sermon in Miami. Humble beginnings to the White House White-Cain's personal story moved some in the church to tears as she shared tales of her tumultuous childhood and unlikely path to ministry. White, who grew up in Mississippi but eventually landed in Florida, emphasized that she didn't attend church until she was 18 years old and that she never imagined that she'd make it out of her abusive situation let alone into the White House. White-Cain has often spoken about her chaotic childhood — her father who had a gambling and drinking problem, died by suicide when she was just five-years-old, she says. In the fallout of her father's death, her mother struggled with alcoholism and before the age of thirteen, she endured years of sexual and physical abuse from babysitters and neighbors, according to a chapter on White-Cain in Taylor's book. In her Miami sermon, White-Cain talked about her journey from the trailer park as an 18-year-old single mother to preaching on television and ultimately, serving as a close spiritual advisor to President Trump. 'My story has nothing but brokenness, has nothing but ashes, but a great God can take what everyone else will give up on and say look what I can do,' she said. White-Cain also spoke at length about 'financial abundance' and preparing for a 'great harvest,' connecting the idea of giving financially to a spiritual revival. A key part of her message: in order to reap the rewards and feel God's glory, believers must first plant the seed and make a covenant with God. It was an appeal echoed in almost every church on Sunday to take out a checkbook or wallet but she urged congregants to dig deep. 'God's giving me revelation right now. Remember, glory only came when there was extravagant giving,' White-Cain said as QR codes flashed on the screens of the worship center, prompting people on how to donate. 'Stop holding yourselves back … Let God touch your heart for the harvest … Watch God extravagantly bless you … What you sow you grow. Obedience opens overflow. This is not historic. This is prophetic. God is getting ready to increase you.' White-Cain said she was moved to plant her own seed at King Jesus Ministries, pledging $12,000. She fetched her checkbook and wrote the donation live in front of thousands watching in person and at home. A viral prayer for Trump White-Cain didn't discuss specific issues like the administration's controversial crackdown on immigrants, many of them Hispanic. But she mentioned Trump a few times in her sermon on Thursday, telling the audience that her work was bigger than politics. 'This is not about Democrat or Republican or Independent. This is a moment that God opened up to be harvested,' she said. White-Cain said she has been close friends with the president for over 24 years. The relationship started when Trump called her one day out of the blue, she said, after he saw her preaching on TV and told her she had the 'it' factor. But, even before Trump called her, she said she had been praying for the president, and that she had added him to a list of ten people that she wanted the Lord to 'save.' 'When President Trump got back in, I knew that it was for America, but the Lord spoke to me and said it was for the nations,' White-Cain told the crowd. 'And the Lord has divinely aligned his people. That's you.' In 2020, she first gained broad national fame when one of her sermons at her church in Tampa went viral online. In it, she prayed forcefully, imploring God to give victory to Trump just one day after the presidential election was called for Joe Biden. During the prayers in the now-viral video, White was speaking in tongues, a practice that is commonly used by charismatic Christians who evoke ecstatic sounds that believers find to be a heavenly language. 'For every enemy that is aligned against you, let there be that we would strike the ground, for you will give us victory, God…. I hear a sound of victory. The Lord says, 'It is done,'' she said in that sermon.'We break and divide every demonic confederacy against the election, against America, against who you [God] have declared to be in the White House.' Her stance also drew criticism. As clips of White's intonations spread across the internet, people mocked the Florida pastor — arguing that Trump's Christian base was appearing more extreme, more unhinged by the day. 'Religious extremists like this is why we need to strengthen the separation between church and state!' wrote one online critic. Following Trump's latest victory, White-Cain became the first female clergy member to pray at a presidential inauguration and now serves as the first female primary spiritual adviser to a U.S. president. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Critics say Trump's religion agenda will benefit conservative Christians the most
But others, including some Christians, are alarmed by these acts — saying Trump isn't protecting religion in general but granting a privileged status to politically conservative expressions of Christianity that happen to include his supporters. Critics are even more aghast that he's questioning a core understanding of the First Amendment. 'They say 'separation between church and state,'' Trump said at the prayer day gathering, when he talked about establishing the White House Faith Office. 'I said, all right, let's forget about that for one time.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Trump's creation of these various bodies is 'definitely not normal, and it's very important to not look at them as individual entities,' said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, a progressive Christian advocacy organization. Advertisement 'They are indicative of an entire system that is being constructed at the national level,' she said. 'It's a system specifically designed to guide and shape culture in the U.S.' Fleck worries about the combined effect of Trump administration actions and a spate of decisions by the US Supreme Court in recent years. The court, now with three Trump appointees, has lowered barriers between church and state in its interpretations of the First Amendment's ban on any congressionally recognized establishment of religion. Advertisement 'My freedom of religion runs right up to the point when yours begins, and if I am then trying to establish something that's going to affect your right to practice your faith, that is against the First Amendment,' Fleck said. But religious supporters of Trump are happy with his expansion of religion-related offices. 'We were a nation birthed by prayer, founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic to ensure that people could worship as they wished,' said Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, at the Rose Garden ceremony where he was announced as chair of the Religious Liberty Commission. Many members are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; some have supported Trump politically. The event featured Christian praise music along with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian prayers. White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers, via email, said the commission is ensuring 'that all Americans' God-given right is protected, no matter their religion.' Rogers said the criticism is coming from anti-Trump advocacy groups that are trying to undermine his agenda. The three entities created under Trump overlap in their marching orders and, in some cases, their membership. In February, Trump established the White House Faith Office, led by evangelist Paula White-Cain as a 'special government employee,' according to the announcement. She's resuming a similar role she held in the first Trump administration. White-Cain — who also serves on the new Religious Liberty Commission — was one of the earliest high-profile Christian leaders to support Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and is considered Trump's spiritual adviser. Her office is designed to consult 'experts within the faith community' on 'practices to better align with the American values.' It also is tasked with religious-liberty training and promoting grant opportunities for faith-based entities; and working to 'identify failures' in federal protection for religious liberty. Advertisement Also in February, Trump created a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi with representatives from several federal departments. Its mandate is to expose and reverse what Trump claims were 'egregious' violations of Christians' rights under former president Joe Biden. Many of those claims have been disputed, as has the need for singling out for protection the nation's largest and most culturally and politically dominant religious group. A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. Both Trump administrations have issued executive orders on combating antisemitism. An April hearing of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias featured witnesses from across federal departments, alleging that Christians during the Biden administration faced discrimination for such things as opposing vaccine mandates or 'DEI/LGBT ideology' on religious grounds. The State and Veterans Affairs departments have asked people to report alleged instances of anti-Christian bias. The White House said the Justice Department formed specific task forces to respond to what it called a 'concentration of bias' against Christians and Jews, but that it's committed to combating discrimination against Americans of any faith. The latest entity to be created, the Religious Liberty Commission, has a mandate to recommend policies to protect and 'celebrate America's peaceful religious pluralism.' Patrick, the chair, has supported legislation requiring Texas school districts to allow prayer time for students and says he wants his state to emulate Louisiana in requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms. Advertisement Among the commission's mandates: to look into 'conscience protections in the health care field and concerning vaccine mandates' and government 'displays with religious imagery.' Among the commissioners are Catholic bishops, Protestant evangelists, a rabbi, and attorneys focused on religious liberty cases. Its advisory boards include several Christian and some Jewish and Muslim members. Charles Haynes, senior fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation focused on First Amendment rights, said the various entities reflect Trump's attempt to fulfill an agenda priority of his conservative Christian supporters. He said the entities' work reflects their long-standing contention that the First Amendment has 'been misapplied to keep Christians out of the public square, to discriminate against Christianity, by which they mean their understandings of Christianity.' Trump's moves and recent Supreme Court cases are reversing a consensus dating at least to the 1940s that the First Amendment strictly prohibits government-sponsored religion at the federal and state levels, Haynes said. He said the First Amendment actually provides broad protections for religious expressions in settings such as public schools. He helped write a Freedom Forum guide on religion in public schools, endorsed by groups across the ideological spectrum. It notes that within some limits, students can pray on their own time in schools, express their faith in class assignments, distribute religious literature, form school religious clubs and receive some accommodations based on religious belief. But Haynes noted that the Supreme Court is now considering allowing Oklahoma to pay for a Catholic charter school, which he said could erase a long-standing standard that public-funded schools don't teach a particular religion. Advertisement 'It's a very different day in the United States when both the Supreme Court and the president of the United States appear to be intent on changing the arrangement on religious freedom that we thought was in place,' Haynes said. 'It's a radical departure from how we've understood ourselves.'
Toronto Star
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Critics say Trump's religion agenda will benefit conservative Christians the most
White House Faith Office. A Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. A Religious Liberty Commission. President Donald Trump has won plaudits from his base of conservative Christian supporters for establishing multiple faith-related entities. 'We're bringing back religion in our country,' Trump said at a recent Rose Garden event, on the National Day of Prayer, when he announced the creation of the Religious Liberty Commission. 'We must always be one nation under God, a phrase that they would like to get rid of, the radical left.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW But others, including some Christians, are alarmed by these acts — saying Trump isn't protecting religion in general but granting a privileged status to politically conservative expressions of Christianity that happen to include his supporters. What's up with the 'separation of church and state' debate? Critics are even more aghast that he's questioning a core understanding of the First Amendment. 'They say 'separation between church and state,'' Trump said at the prayer day gathering, when he talked about establishing the White House Faith Office. 'I said, all right, let's forget about that for one time.' Trump's creation of these various bodies is 'definitely not normal, and it's very important to not look at them as individual entities,' said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, a progressive Christian advocacy organization. 'They are indicative of an entire system that is being constructed at the national level,' she said. 'It's a system specifically designed to guide and shape culture in the U.S.' Fleck worries about the combined effect of Trump administration actions and a spate of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. The court, now with three Trump appointees, has lowered barriers between church and state in its interpretations of the First Amendment's ban on any congressionally recognized establishment of religion. 'My freedom of religion runs right up to the point when yours begins, and if I am then trying to establish something that's going to affect your right to practice your faith, that is against the First Amendment,' Fleck said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW But religious supporters of Trump are happy with his expansion of religion-related offices. 'We were a nation birthed by prayer, founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic to ensure that people could worship as they wished,' said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, at the Rose Garden ceremony where he was announced as chair of the Religious Liberty Commission. Many members are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; some have supported Trump politically. The event featured Christian praise music along with Jewish, Muslim and Christian prayers. White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers, via email, said the commission is ensuring 'that all Americans' God-given right is protected, no matter their religion.' Rogers said the criticism is coming from anti-Trump advocacy groups that are trying to undermine his agenda. A closer look at the new religious entities The three entities created under Trump overlap in their marching orders and, in some cases, their membership. In February, Trump established the White House Faith Office, led by evangelist Paula White-Cain as a 'special government employee,' according to the announcement. She's resuming a similar role she held in the first Trump administration. White-Cain — who also serves on the new Religious Liberty Commission — was one of the earliest high-profile Christian leaders to support Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and is considered Trump's spiritual adviser. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Her office is designed to consult 'experts within the faith community' on 'practices to better align with the American values.' It also is tasked with religious-liberty training and promoting grant opportunities for faith-based entities; and working to 'identify failures' in federal protection for religious liberty. Also in February, Trump created a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi with representatives from several federal departments. Its mandate is to expose and reverse what Trump claims were 'egregious' violations of Christians' rights under former President Joe Biden. Many of those claims have been disputed, as has the need for singling out for protection the nation's largest and most culturally and politically dominant religious group. A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. Both Trump administrations have issued executive orders on combating antisemitism. An April hearing of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias featured witnesses from across federal departments, alleging that Christians during the Biden administration faced discrimination for such things as opposing vaccine mandates or 'DEI/LGBT ideology' on religious grounds. Some claimed that schools' legal or tax enforcement actions were actually targeted because of their Christian religion. The State and Veterans Affairs departments have asked people to report alleged instances of anti-Christian bias. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The White House said the Justice Department formed specific task forces to respond to what it called a 'concentration of bias' against Christians and Jews, but that it's committed to combating discrimination against Americans of any faith. The latest entity to be created, the Religious Liberty Commission, has a mandate to recommend policies to protect and 'celebrate America's peaceful religious pluralism.' Patrick, the chair, has supported legislation requiring Texas school districts to allow prayer time for students and says he wants his state to emulate Louisiana in requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms. Among the commission's mandates: to look into 'conscience protections in the health care field and concerning vaccine mandates' and government 'displays with religious imagery.' Among the commissioners are Catholic bishops, Protestant evangelists, a rabbi and attorneys focused on religious liberty cases. Its advisory boards include several Christian and some Jewish and Muslim members. A commission member, author and broadcaster, Eric Metaxas, supported its work in a column Friday for the conservative site Blaze Media. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'This commission's goal is to strengthen the liberty of every single American — regardless of that person's faith and even of whether that person has any faith,' he wrote. 'It also aims to restore those liberties attacked by hostile and misguided secularists.' Fulfilling a priority for Trump's conservative Christian backers Charles Haynes, senior fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation focused on First Amendment rights, said the various entities reflect Trump's attempt to fulfill an agenda priority of his conservative Christian supporters. He said the entities' work reflects their long-standing contention that the First Amendment has 'been misapplied to keep Christians out of the public square, to discriminate against Christianity, by which they mean their understandings of Christianity.' Trump's moves and recent Supreme Court cases are reversing a consensus dating at least to the 1940s that the First Amendment strictly prohibits government-sponsored religion at the federal and state levels, Haynes said. He said the First Amendment actually provides broad protections for religious expressions in settings such as public schools. He helped write a Freedom Forum guide on religion in public schools, endorsed by groups across the ideological spectrum. It notes that within some limits, students can pray on their own time in schools, express their faith in class assignments, distribute religious literature, form school religious clubs and receive some accommodations based on religious belief. But Haynes noted that the Supreme Court is now considering allowing Oklahoma to pay for a Catholic charter school, which he said could erase a long-standing standard that public-funded schools don't teach a particular religion. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It's a very different day in the United States when both the Supreme Court and the president of the United States appear to be intent on changing the arrangement on religious freedom that we thought was in place,' Haynes said. 'It's a radical departure from how we've understood ourselves.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Critics say Trump's religion agenda will benefit conservative Christians the most
White House Faith Office. A Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. A Religious Liberty Commission. President Donald Trump has won plaudits from his base of conservative Christian supporters for establishing multiple faith-related entities. 'We're bringing back religion in our country,' Trump said at a recent Rose Garden event, on the National Day of Prayer, when he announced the creation of the Religious Liberty Commission. 'We must always be one nation under God, a phrase that they would like to get rid of, the radical left.' But others, including some Christians, are alarmed by these acts — saying Trump isn't protecting religion in general but granting a privileged status to politically conservative expressions of Christianity that happen to include his supporters. What's up with the 'separation of church and state' debate? Critics are even more aghast that he's questioning a core understanding of the First Amendment. 'They say 'separation between church and state,'' Trump said at the prayer day gathering, when he talked about establishing the White House Faith Office. 'I said, all right, let's forget about that for one time.' Trump's creation of these various bodies is 'definitely not normal, and it's very important to not look at them as individual entities,' said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, a progressive Christian advocacy organization. 'They are indicative of an entire system that is being constructed at the national level,' she said. 'It's a system specifically designed to guide and shape culture in the U.S.' Fleck worries about the combined effect of Trump administration actions and a spate of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. The court, now with three Trump appointees, has lowered barriers between church and state in its interpretations of the First Amendment's ban on any congressionally recognized establishment of religion. 'My freedom of religion runs right up to the point when yours begins, and if I am then trying to establish something that's going to affect your right to practice your faith, that is against the First Amendment,' Fleck said. But religious supporters of Trump are happy with his expansion of religion-related offices. 'We were a nation birthed by prayer, founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic to ensure that people could worship as they wished,' said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, at the Rose Garden ceremony where he was announced as chair of the Religious Liberty Commission. Many members are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; some have supported Trump politically. The event featured Christian praise music along with Jewish, Muslim and Christian prayers. White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers, via email, said the commission is ensuring 'that all Americans' God-given right is protected, no matter their religion.' Rogers said the criticism is coming from anti-Trump advocacy groups that are trying to undermine his agenda. A closer look at the new religious entities The three entities created under Trump overlap in their marching orders and, in some cases, their membership. In February, Trump established the White House Faith Office, led by evangelist Paula White-Cain as a 'special government employee,' according to the announcement. She's resuming a similar role she held in the first Trump administration. White-Cain — who also serves on the new Religious Liberty Commission — was one of the earliest high-profile Christian leaders to support Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and is considered Trump's spiritual adviser. Her office is designed to consult 'experts within the faith community' on 'practices to better align with the American values.' It also is tasked with religious-liberty training and promoting grant opportunities for faith-based entities; and working to 'identify failures' in federal protection for religious liberty. Also in February, Trump created a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias , led by Attorney General Pam Bondi with representatives from several federal departments. Its mandate is to expose and reverse what Trump claims were 'egregious' violations of Christians' rights under former President Joe Biden. Many of those claims have been disputed, as has the need for singling out for protection the nation's largest and most culturally and politically dominant religious group. A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. Both Trump administrations have issued executive orders on combating antisemitism. An April hearing of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias featured witnesses from across federal departments, alleging that Christians during the Biden administration faced discrimination for such things as opposing vaccine mandates or 'DEI/LGBT ideology' on religious grounds. Some claimed that schools' legal or tax enforcement actions were actually targeted because of their Christian religion. The State and Veterans Affairs departments have asked people to report alleged instances of anti-Christian bias. The White House said the Justice Department formed specific task forces to respond to what it called a 'concentration of bias' against Christians and Jews, but that it's committed to combating discrimination against Americans of any faith. The latest entity to be created, the Religious Liberty Commission, has a mandate to recommend policies to protect and 'celebrate America's peaceful religious pluralism.' Patrick, the chair, has supported legislation requiring Texas school districts to allow prayer time for students and says he wants his state to emulate Louisiana in requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms. Among the commission's mandates: to look into 'conscience protections in the health care field and concerning vaccine mandates' and government 'displays with religious imagery.' Among the commissioners are Catholic bishops, Protestant evangelists, a rabbi and attorneys focused on religious liberty cases. Its advisory boards include several Christian and some Jewish and Muslim members. A commission member, author and broadcaster, Eric Metaxas, supported its work in a column Friday for the conservative site Blaze Media. 'This commission's goal is to strengthen the liberty of every single American — regardless of that person's faith and even of whether that person has any faith,' he wrote. 'It also aims to restore those liberties attacked by hostile and misguided secularists.' Fulfilling a priority for Trump's conservative Christian backers Charles Haynes, senior fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation focused on First Amendment rights, said the various entities reflect Trump's attempt to fulfill an agenda priority of his conservative Christian supporters. He said the entities' work reflects their long-standing contention that the First Amendment has 'been misapplied to keep Christians out of the public square, to discriminate against Christianity, by which they mean their understandings of Christianity.' Trump's moves and recent Supreme Court cases are reversing a consensus dating at least to the 1940s that the First Amendment strictly prohibits government-sponsored religion at the federal and state levels, Haynes said. He said the First Amendment actually provides broad protections for religious expressions in settings such as public schools. He helped write a Freedom Forum guide on religion in public schools, endorsed by groups across the ideological spectrum. It notes that within some limits, students can pray on their own time in schools, express their faith in class assignments, distribute religious literature, form school religious clubs and receive some accommodations based on religious belief. But Haynes noted that the Supreme Court is now considering allowing Oklahoma to pay for a Catholic charter school , which he said could erase a long-standing standard that public-funded schools don't teach a particular religion. 'It's a very different day in the United States when both the Supreme Court and the president of the United States appear to be intent on changing the arrangement on religious freedom that we thought was in place,' Haynes said. 'It's a radical departure from how we've understood ourselves.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
