Freedom To Religion

Freedom to religion, not freedom of religion, describes a growing movement that’s quietly transforming America. In this article, I use the word “religion” as a verb, something people do to others. It’s not about worshiping an all-loving God. It’s about “religioning” the rest of us by forcing a narrow set of beliefs into our laws, our schools, our healthcare decisions, and even our bedrooms.

Few have noticed how Donald Trump is “religioning” America through his newly proposed Religious Liberty Commission (RLC). Its stated purpose is to advise the White House on matters of religious freedom. It sounds good, even virtuous, until you realize what it actually means: forcing religion into public schools, stripping away reproductive rights, banning books, legitimizing hate crimes, criminalizing LGBTQ+, and denying equal rights to minorities.

The RLC isn’t about protecting the freedom to believe; it’s about giving government the power to impose a cherry-picked version of Christianity on all Americans. Like so many political tactics today, it’s cloaked in the language of “freedom” to disguise its true intent.

How did we get to this point? For decades, mega-churches have laid the foundation for this warped faith. From multimillion-dollar campuses decorated with light shows and surround-sound systems to private jets and celebrity pastors, these institutions have become temples of wealth, influence, and corruption. Despite frequent scandals, often sexual, these leaders keep a loyal flock that continues to pour money into their coffers, all tax-free. Mega-churches have become command centers built on money, driven by power, and cloaked in sanctimony. To expand their influence, these religious leaders aligned themselves with the American political machine, where they normalized vice not only among themselves but also among our political leaders.

Our Founding Fathers understood this danger all too well. That’s why they built a wall between church and state. Not to suppress religion, but to protect the people from the tyranny of religious rule.

But that wall is crumbling. And the Religious Liberty Commission is the battering ram knocking it down.

Indeed, “freedom to religion” sounds awkward. It should. Because what it represents is unnatural. It’s a distortion of both faith and freedom. And if we don’t call it out for what it is, we will quickly find ourselves living in a country where belief is no longer a personal choice — it’s a mandate.