Religious Liberty Commission Report Addresses Violence Against Houses of Worship
Americans should view religion as an “essential support” and always remember “the Creator who made us and bestows our rights….The Constitution protects religious liberty not by exiling religion from public life, but by preventing government from controlling it.”
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So says the 224-page Presidential Religious Liberty Commission Report: Americans’ First Freedom published June 26, 2026 that identifies emerging threats to religious liberty, and makes recommendations for upholding “Federal laws that protect all citizens’ full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion.”
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From the report’s Executive Summary: “The Commission’s findings point toward a common challenge. People often use the metaphor ‘wall of separation of church and state’ to justify excluding religious Americans from equal participation in the public square. But the ‘wall of separation’ phrase does not appear in the First Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution. What the First Amendment does say about the relationship between religion and the government is that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ In practical terms, that means that the government may not officially prefer one religion over another, take over the functions of a church, or coerce religious observance.”
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“Nothing in the First Amendment allows the government to create a ‘wall’ between an individual’s personal faith and our nation’s public life. The idea that it does allow—or even require—a ‘wall of separation’ only took off in the mid-twentieth century, when the Supreme Court began citing Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, written 10 years after the First Amendment was ratified.”
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“One belabored metaphor—often used out of context—cannot support the view that the aim of the First Amendment was to exile the practice of religion from public life. And no Founding document supports that conclusion either.”
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The study says, “Because religion has profound implications for individuals and their relationships with the world, religion is a foundational pillar of society and holds important implications for government.” It goes on, “The Declaration of Independence cites God as the source of unalienable rights and equality. At times in our history when our country has not lived up to those self-evident truths, religion called the country back.”
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The report is based on findings from seven hearings that the Religious Liberty Commission held over the last year, receiving input from more than 100 witnesses of diverse ages, religions, expertise, and backgrounds. Many experienced religious persecutions in the United States.
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The first of “12 Recommendations to Strengthen Religious Liberty for All Americans” is “Instruct the Department of Justice to issue guidance clarifying the proper understanding of the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state.” It also recommends honoring “the courage of religious liberty heroes through creating a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards to recognize Americans who stand up for religious freedom and play an indispensable role in protecting citizens’ Constitutional rights.”
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The 14 chapters and 129 recommendations of the report address the relationship between religion and students, parents, and teachers in public elementary and high schools and college campuses, the military, healthcare, vaccine policy, antisemitism, religious liberty and faith-based non-profit organizations, and violence against houses of worship.
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It says, “At the most fundamental level, the free exercise of religion encompasses the freedom to worship without fear of violence. Yet, across the country, houses of worship, from mosques to synagogues to temples to parish churches, are increasingly targeted, with heartbreaking results.
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Among its recommendations for the federal government “to ensure that houses of worship remain sacred places where Americans of faith can gather freely and without fear,” are:
- Prioritize investigating and prosecuting attacks on houses of worship.
- Ensure accessibility of Non-Profit Security Grants.
- Classify religious institutions as essential.
- Offer First Amendment training for law enforcement officers.
- Support litigation upholding church autonomy.
The final report will equip all Americans with the knowledge and support needed to defend their Constitutional rights.
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Read the Religious Liberty Commission’s draft report HERE.
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