Happy 4th of July Weekend! As we pause to commemorate the birthday of our nation, there’s nothing more appropriate here on State of Belief, the weekly radio program and podcast from Interfaith Alliance, than to remember some of our favorite interviews addressing our First Freedom – that of religion and belief. And now more than ever, it’s essential to recognize that this means freedom from an overbearing use of religious freedom by some to deny the legitimacy, rights and freedom of others. As Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, has so often said: religious freedom must always remain a shield, and not a sword!
This collection of conversations dates back to Independence Day Weekend 2008. Welton spoke with Newsweek’s Jon Meacham, Beliefnet’s Steve Waldman, Rev. Forrest Church, and Pulitzer-prize winner Anthony Lewis. Also, you’ll hear Welton’s own wish for the holiday, fourteen years ago, when the landscape for both American democracy and religious freedom looked quite different from how it looks today.
In addition to all that, you’ll hear a briefing from the tireless Katy Joseph, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Interfaith Alliance, regarding the radical changes the Supreme Court’s recent decisions will impose on the way many Americans are able to live their lives.
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