Published September 4, 2024
For the last 15 years, challenges to religious freedom have been unceasing. Too many controversies—and Supreme Court cases—could be spoken of to make this point. In response, advocacy for religious liberty has been an urgent priority for Christians. We must maintain our vigilance for religious liberty with urgency.
Religious freedom is inextricably linked, though, with freedom of speech. In fact, as someone who studies religious freedom academically, I believe religious liberty grounds freedom of speech, since the need to speak freely stems ultimately from an encounter with religious truth. Of course, non-religious speech has freedoms as well. The moral and organizing logic of the First Amendment connects religious freedom with free speech.
Background aside, I write with an urgent plea: Christians, with the energy historically shown in defending religious freedom, must now wage a two-theater battle to protect freedom of speech. Many, of course, have been doing both simultaneously for some time. Challenges to religious freedom and freedom of speech are, after all, catalysts for why the American project began.
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EPPC Fellow Andrew T. Walker, Ph.D., researches and writes about the intersection of Christian ethics, public theology, and the moral principles that support civil society and sound government. A sought-after speaker and cultural commentator, Dr. Walker’s academic research interests and areas of expertise include natural law, human dignity, family stability, social conservatism, and church-state studies. The author or editor of more than ten books, he is passionate about helping Christians understand the moral demands of the gospel and their contributions to human flourishing and the common good. His most recent book, out in May 2021 from Brazos Press, is titled Liberty for All: Defending Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Secular Age.
