Faith Under Fire: The Controversy of Religious Liberty in America
From 2020 to 2024, the Biden Administration was the authoritative force in our country. It took a new president, Donald Trump, to realize that the Biden era was targeting the Christian faith. This type of controversy has been an issue for many years, but most recently, it’s become a problem for the most powerful government in the world.
Origins of the Controversy
At the beginning of 2025, President Trump launched a task force through the Department of Justice to address concerns of anti-Christian bias. The mission of this task force is to investigate claims that the Biden government mishandled religious exemptions, imposed financial penalties against Christian universities, and failed to respond to attacks against Christian communities.
From their investigation, the task force claimed there were numerous instances of bias, including:
Mishandled religious exemptions
Financial penalties against Christian universities
Lack of government response to church vandalism and attacks
Specific Allegations:
Department of Education allegedly imposed hefty fines on Christian universities, including Liberty University and Grand Canyon University.
The Department of Defense, the EEOC, and the Department of Labor deprioritized or denied exemption requests, especially regarding COVID-19 mandates.
Critics accused the Department of Justice of failing to prosecute attacks against Christian churches while pursuing new prosecutions against pro-life activists and others demonstrating based on Christian beliefs.
Symbolic issues were highlighted, such as threatening hospital funding over lit sanctuary candles and dropping lawsuits regarding forced participation in abortions.
Accusations claim the State Department provided less humanitarian relief to Christians abroad and offered muted responses to global Christian persecution compared to other groups.
Political and Social Response:
Critics of the task force claim its findings are politically motivated.
The Biden administration argued that it supported religious equality and pointed to programs such as the Office of Religious Freedom.
Media coverage was divided, with conservative outlets highlighting the controversy as a significant issue of religious liberty and government overreach.
How Should Christians Respond?
In response to this issue, we as Christians need to:
Pray for our government and its leaders. Scripture commands us to pray for those in authority, even when we may disagree with their policies.
Remember the First Amendment. It ensures the free exercise of all religions and the separation of church and government.
Respect authority while honoring God. Romans 13:1-7 teaches us that “everyone is to be subject to governing authorities except those that God has established.” This means we respect government leaders but remember that God is the ultimate ruler.
Stand firm in biblical truth. We must pray for our country and our leaders to remain faithful and resist cultural norms that contradict God’s design, such as redefining gender and marriage.
Final Reflection:
The current controversy reveals both the fragility and importance of religious liberty in America. As Christians, our response must remain faithful to God, rooted in prayer, and steadfast in truth. Governments may rise and fall, but Christ’s kingdom endures forever.
