S7, Ep. 05: A religious freedom case flying under the radar: SCOTUS hears Landor v. Louisiana Dept. of Corrections
Respecting Religion
One religious freedom case at the Supreme Court isn’t getting the sort of attention as others, despite how it’s uniting groups that often disagree. So, why did the justices sound so skeptical in the courtroom? Amanda and Holly review this week’s oral arguments in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, which involves the remedy available to a man whose religious freedom rights were violated when he was in prison. The violation isn’t in question, so why is the remedy? Amanda and Holly review the details in this case, play audio from key moments in the courtroom, and...
info_outline
S7, Ep. 04: Criminalizing Mercy: Sanctuary and Government Repression of Migrant Justice
Respecting Religion
Today, we are bringing you a special presentation on the contested issue of “sanctuary,” which continues to cut into the immigration debates in our country. Dr. Sergio M. González traces the sanctuary movement to its roots in the 1980s and examines how we arrived at a moment where mercy is met with repression. This presentation was given on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2025, as part of BJC’s annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State. SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting...
info_outline
S7, Ep. 03: Why is the Johnson Amendment under attack again?
Respecting Religion
We hear a lot of misinformation about a long-standing part of the tax code that protects the nonprofit sector, and it’s newly under attack in a questionable manner. On this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss the Johnson Amendment, what it does and doesn’t do, and the concerning way the Trump administration is trying to undo it without going through a normal process. They also provide reminders of what all nonprofits – including houses of worship – can do without jeopardizing their 501(c)(3) status under that current law. It’s a curious case – politicians say no one wants this part...
info_outline
S7, Ep. 02: Amanda and Holly LIVE on peaceful protests, the impact of the government shutdown, and more
Respecting Religion
In this LIVE conversation, Amanda and Holly take a moment to catch up and review some of the recent news since last week’s program. They discuss how religious leaders have been engaging in peaceful protests of immigration raids, how the ongoing government shutdown is impacting court cases, a change in Oklahoma regarding Bible teaching in public schools, and more. This show first aired live on Thursday, October 23, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on BJC’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels. SHOW NOTES: Do you want special emails about the show, including notifications...
info_outline
S7, Ep. 01: The Supreme Court in a new era
Respecting Religion
As the Supreme Court begins a new term, we can’t ignore what else is going on in our country – attacks on the rule of law, weaponization of the Department of Justice, the militarization of American cities, disruptive and chaotic immigration enforcement, and a government shutdown. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman are back for a new season of Respecting Religion to bring thoughtful conversations to these issues and more at the intersection of religion and the law. In the season 7 premiere, they focus on the current Supreme Court term, including a case with an egregious violation of a...
info_outline
Join us for season 7 of Respecting Religion
Respecting Religion
With attacks on the rule of law, the militarization of troops in American cities, and a new Supreme Court term starting up, there is no better time to tune in to Respecting Religion. Join Holly and Amanda as they return for a new season to share analysis, opportunities for action, and ways to make sense of issues at the intersection of religion and the law. Respecting Religion is available on your favorite podcasting platform, and now, for the first time, with video on YouTube! We'll see you on October 16 for the season 7 premiere of Respecting Religion! Subscribe today, and...
info_outline
S6, Ep. 18: End of term roundup
Respecting Religion
On our season 6 finale, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman explore some of the consequential decisions from the final days of the Supreme Court term, including Mahmoud v. Taylor – which involves parents who want to opt their children out of curriculum they find in conflict with their religious beliefs – and U.S. v. Skrmetti, which focuses on access to medical care for transgender youth. They discuss the real world implications of these and other recent rulings. Amanda and Holly also celebrate a decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down Louisiana’s law...
info_outline
S6, Ep. 17: Christian nationalism and the Texas public sphere
Respecting Religion
What’s the difference between religious privilege and religious freedom? How does Christian nationalism spread? Why do so many ideas that start in Texas expand to other parts of the country? On this podcast, we bring you a special panel discussion on Christian nationalism in the Texas public sphere, recorded live on April 8. It features BJC Executive Director (and Respecting Religion co-host) Amanda Tyler, scholar David Brockman, professor Mark Chancey, and journalist Robert Downen. Moderated by Jack Jenkins, it was part of an all-day event focused on telling the story of religion in Texas...
info_outline
S6, Ep. 16: What’s going on with the Supreme Court, a new travel ban, and the military in L.A.?
Respecting Religion
With decisions from the Supreme Court, a new travel ban, and a federally militarized presence in Los Angeles, there are many activities in our world that deserve attention. Amanda and Holly discuss several current events in this episode, including the revival of one of the ugliest policies of the first Trump administration. Plus, they review the unanimous decision in a Supreme Court case about religious exemptions to employment law and discuss the Court’s decision not to hear a case involving the protection of sacred land. SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:37): Recent and...
info_outline
S6, Ep. 15: Religious objections and curriculum opt-outs: Oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor
Respecting Religion
A case with a thin record is raising plenty of questions at the Supreme Court. In this episode, Amanda and Holly examine the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, which involves parents who want to opt their children out of public school curriculum they say conflicts with their religious beliefs. But, what’s the difference between expected exposure and unconstitutional coercion? Does age matter? What happens when opt-out options become too burdensome and overwhelming to accommodate? Amanda and Holly examine the issues in this case as well as the challenges for the school district and for the...
info_outlineIn this week’s show, Amanda and Holly discuss the problems with government mandates to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms, focusing on a case out of Louisiana. BJC and other Christian groups filed a brief in that case to explain why, as Christians, we oppose the Louisiana law and how the government’s decision to choose a religious text to display in a public school setting not only cheapens our faith but also puts the government in a role it is not called to play. Plus, Amanda and Holly talk through President Donald Trump’s first week back in the White House, sharing where they saw concerning signs for religion and religious liberty.
SHOW NOTES
Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): President Trump’s first week back and backlash to a sermon
Amanda and Holly talked about ways to handle a constant influx of news and the dangers of “God saved me” rhetoric when others died in the episode after the 2024 election: S6, Ep. 04: Election Day: What happened and where do we go from here
Amanda wrote a piece for Bloomberg Opinion about the backlash to Bishop Mariann Budde’s sermon at the service of unity and what it teaches us about religious freedom: Trump’s Response to Bishop’s Sermon on Unity Is Un-American
Learn more about the two new religious liberty cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in this piece on our website: U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear cases involving religious school funding, parent rights to opt out of grade school curriculum
Amanda and Holly discussed the issues with religious charter schools in 2024: S5, Ep. 16: The trouble with *religious* charter schools
Read more about the lawsuit filed by a group of Quaker congregations opposing raids in churches on religious freedom grounds in this article by Bernie Pazanowski for Bloomberg Law: Quakers Sue to Block Trump’s Immigration Raids in Churches
Segment 2 (starting at 14:21): Louisiana’s mandate to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms
Read the brief from BJC and other Chrisitan groups in Roake v. Brumley at this link.
Learn more about the case in this post on our website: BJC urges federal appeals court to reject Louisiana law requiring public school classrooms to post the Ten Commandments
Holly and Amanda discussed the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision and its abandonment of the Lemon test in this episode in 2022: S3, Ep. 21: Not solving a problem, but creating one: Dissecting the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision
Holly and Amanda discussed the Ten Commandments on two episodes in 2023 when a bill was being discussed in Texas:
S4, Ep. 20: The Ten Commandments
S4, Ep. 21: 613 Commandments: James Talarico on his defense of church-state separation as a Christian
Segment 3 (starting 29:53): Oral arguments and what’s next
Hear last week’s oral arguments in this case at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at this link.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.