We have never had such a huge part of the American economy shut down immediately, without warning, and without an end in sight. What do we do now? How do we get ready to re-open? How do we limit the damage to the economy without risking excessive coronavirus carnage? Has Congress’s relief package provided much relief? Rob Henneke of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and I dive into these questions and more.
The first freedom mentioned in the Bill of Rights is the freedom of religion. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” First Liberty is a public interest law firm based in Texas that helps people live out that freedom. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jeremy Dys (@JeremyDys) to talk about a recent landmark decision that First Liberty won at the United States Supreme Court.
The case is often referred to as the Bladensburg Cross case, but its formal style is American Legion v. American Humanist Association. You can read the official opinion here.
The basic facts are that there is a large cross in Maryland, in the county adjacent to Washington, DC. The cross is a memorial to soldiers who fought and died in World War I. It is now part of a larger set of memorials that is maintained by the government. The American Humanist Association decided that the government maintaining a war memorial with a cross means that the government has established a religion.
First Liberty stepped in and took on the fight. It went all the way to the Supreme Court. Listen as Jeremy Dys tells the story behind the case, discusses some of the legal doctrines, and tells how First Liberty fights for religious freedom for all religions–not just Christianity.
In a rare departure from law and public policy discussions, I tackle what I think it means–or should mean–when a Christian declares “I’m not going to live in fear.” Jesus rebuked his disciples for being afraid and not having faith. He did not rebuke them because they were wrong about being in a dangerous situation. What does this story and some related Bible passages tell us about how we should live?
The novel coronavirus may be bad. It could overwhelm our healthcare system can cause tens of thousands of deaths and untold suffering.
The Corona Virus may be no big deal in the grand scheme. That’s the funny thing about the future: we don’t know what it is.
Listen to the podcast for my views on how we should respond:
Some other resources I found interesting: 1918 Spanish Flu. Michael Brendan Dougherty is where I got the phrase “too early is not too late.”