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BumRushDaShow

(173,611 posts)
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 07:15 AM 4 hrs ago

A Trump commission urges 'bridges' between church and state in sweeping draft report

Source: NBC News/AP

June 26, 2026, 7:51 PM EDT


A new report by a Trump administration commission suggests replacing the idea of separating church and state with the idea of building bridges between them. The assertion — challenging a longstanding concept in American law — comes amid a raft of recommendations in a draft report of the Religious Liberty Commission, released Friday afternoon.

The advisory body was created by President Donald Trump last year and filled almost entirely by conservative Christians. The 224-page draft report — part policy document, part philosophical argument — echoes members’ support for a stronger role for religion and religious expression in government, schools and the public square.

The report applauds recent Supreme Court decisions expanding rights to religious expression in public settings, such as creating opt-outs for religious objections to school lessons. The report recommends eliminating the “ Johnson Amendment ” that forbids political activities by tax-exempt religious groups — a longstanding goal of Trump. It calls for compensating military service members who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

It calls in general for allowing more religious expression in the public square, greater access to public money for faith-based agencies and broader exemptions for those claiming conscientious objections to policies ranging from vaccine mandates to pronoun usage to classroom lessons.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/religious-commission-urges-bridges-church-state-sweeping-draft-report-rcna352015



The "bridges" were already there, built into the Constitution, with NO "STATE IMPOSED" MANDATORY RELIGION but allowing of the option to practice any religion one wanted OR NOT do any such thing.
34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A Trump commission urges 'bridges' between church and state in sweeping draft report (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 4 hrs ago OP
Anything labeled a "Trump Commission" is gonna be shit. CTyankee 4 hrs ago #1
That's just a cover TommyT139 4 hrs ago #3
Shoddy news reporting TommyT139 4 hrs ago #2
NBC simply republished an AP story BumRushDaShow 3 hrs ago #6
Thank you very much - above and beyond TommyT139 1 hr ago #27
Religious Liberty Commission wyn borkins 3 hrs ago #4
...as long as that religion is ultraconservative Evangelical "Christianity". tanyev 3 hrs ago #5
...butt-of-course...(n/t) wyn borkins 3 hrs ago #7
Aka Grift-Ian's. jls4561 3 hrs ago #9
Oh, that's good. tanyev 3 hrs ago #10
Many progressive Christians are worried TommyT139 1 hr ago #28
Frightening. sinkingfeeling 3 hrs ago #8
Here's a thought. Icanthinkformyself 3 hrs ago #11
Are those bridges toll or draw bridges? multigraincracker 2 hrs ago #12
Absolutely.... MarcoZandrini 2 hrs ago #14
The words "Religious" and "Liberty"... GiqueCee 2 hrs ago #13
There are more than 4,000 religions in the world... Escape 2 hrs ago #15
The "bridge"... GiqueCee 1 hr ago #29
I love how they try to give unconstitutional rights to these religions mdbl 2 hrs ago #16
As a life long Catholic, you don't want the Vatican having a say. OC375 2 hrs ago #17
Does that mean he wants the Koran read in school? Festivito 2 hrs ago #18
When will we start taxing these so-called "churches?" sarchasm 2 hrs ago #19
It's not about religions Farmer-Rick 2 hrs ago #20
Exactly! Hey Joe 1 hr ago #25
And where does Just Jerome 1 hr ago #21
Every classroom should have readings from the Koran, and prayer mats oriented towards Mecca. Martin Eden 1 hr ago #22
No. travelingthrulife 1 hr ago #23
This is ridiculous. Americanme 1 hr ago #24
Of course, us Jews will be left off the table, unless it's the cudgel that is Israel AZLD4Candidate 1 hr ago #26
Bridges? bromeando 1 hr ago #30
A wall is what is needed. twodogsbarking 1 hr ago #31
The fact that the Church is tax exempt The Wizard 47 min ago #32
DOGE cut funding for church based social service orgs started when Bush II tried t let govt and religious orgs cooperate ChicagoTeamster 10 min ago #33
Fuck religion. I think any bridge connecting church and state should be burnt down. Autumn 4 min ago #34

TommyT139

(2,509 posts)
3. That's just a cover
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 07:32 AM
4 hrs ago

The people behind this have been working for years to end church/state separation.

It's not a real commission -- at least, not in the sense of actually studying a policy issue. They depend on people ignoring their work and goals, or not taking them seriously, so they can enact their portion of the decades-long destruction of the country. They destroy the administrative state, and then in the vacuum, they substitute structures and enforcement towards their ends. Project 2025 is still underway.

Please don't be fooled by the cloak of incompetency. Lives are at stake.

TommyT139

(2,509 posts)
2. Shoddy news reporting
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 07:26 AM
4 hrs ago

Three clicks in to the NBC articles and still no clear link to the actual report. Grrr.

BumRushDaShow

(173,611 posts)
6. NBC simply republished an AP story
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:08 AM
3 hrs ago
https://apnews.com/article/religious-liberty-church-state-separation-trump-administration-a68ec8ab8b3fab27c6ffb6becc5ccb36

and AP rarely links to anything other than their own earlier stories or definitions/descriptions of terms used in their articles.

I usually try to dig around to find and link to reports, court filings/rulings, press releases, correspondence from members of Congress, journal publications, etc , but didn't get chance before posting.

A quick search revealed that DOJ has a whole page on it with a link to the draft.

DOJ page - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/president-trumps-religious-liberty-commission-delivers-historic-report-draft

REPORT (PDF) - https://www.justice.gov/religious-liberty-commission/media/1449896/dl?inline

wyn borkins

(1,612 posts)
4. Religious Liberty Commission
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 07:50 AM
3 hrs ago
"The Department of Justice on June 26 released the Religious Liberty Commission’s draft report following a series of hearings in which commissioners and witnesses raised concerns about topics including antisemitism, religious freedom in public education and a perceived weaponization of the law against Christians under former administrations."

Religious Liberty Commission Report

TommyT139

(2,509 posts)
28. Many progressive Christians are worried
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:20 AM
1 hr ago

...that we will receive harsher treatment, based on opinions voiced by conservative evangelical Christians.

After all, a nonbeliever can be proselytized. A Christian who thinks for the self is a heretic.

Icanthinkformyself

(443 posts)
11. Here's a thought.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:42 AM
3 hrs ago

Stop praying in my commons and I will stop thinking if I ever enter your house of worship. Christians complain about Islamic Sharia Law being imposed when it is not. Yet they would impose their Christian version of it on the rest of us.

GiqueCee

(5,070 posts)
13. The words "Religious" and "Liberty"...
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:59 AM
2 hrs ago

... should never appear in the same sentence. Religious dogma is antithetical to the very concept of "Liberty". This whole sick circus is intended to expand restrictions on personal liberty. The only liberty afforded to anyone is the liberty for religious fanatics to deny the liberty of those who choose not to follow their perverted edicts.

America's forefathers were adamant and vociferous in their denial of any religious test for office (Article VI, Clause 3 of the Constitution)

H.L. Mencken is reputed to have said, "Religion is the greatest fomenter of hatred and intolerance in the history of humanity", or words to that effect. Regardless of debates about attribution, the basic fact of the statement is historically irrefutable.

Escape

(548 posts)
15. There are more than 4,000 religions in the world...
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:02 AM
2 hrs ago

That's gonna be one hell of a "bridge" from our little government to all of them.

GiqueCee

(5,070 posts)
29. The "bridge"...
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:24 AM
1 hr ago

... is gonna be one-way to one religion: Christian Nationalism. Such fanatics will not tolerate anything but their twisted interpretation of Scripture, and their "interpretation" will make The Handmaid's Tale look like My Little Pony in comparison. Bloodthirsty intolerance will be their method of governance.

mdbl

(8,982 posts)
16. I love how they try to give unconstitutional rights to these religions
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:05 AM
2 hrs ago

but continue to try and suppress the right to free speech on everyone else.

OC375

(1,215 posts)
17. As a life long Catholic, you don't want the Vatican having a say.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:19 AM
2 hrs ago

Great for novels. Not so great for governance, no offense intended.

KGB had a whole Bureau dedicated to religion. Had actual churches.Jesuits had/have an intel Branch. There’s a lot more to modern religion than meets the eye.

Festivito

(13,954 posts)
18. Does that mean he wants the Koran read in school?
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:34 AM
2 hrs ago

The hindus and the buddhists might want to be included.

sarchasm

(1,318 posts)
19. When will we start taxing these so-called "churches?"
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:43 AM
2 hrs ago

This is not the preferred solution by any means, but if they want agency in governance then taxes should be levied.

Someone please explain to me why this isn’t happening.

Farmer-Rick

(12,859 posts)
20. It's not about religions
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:44 AM
2 hrs ago

It's about White Christian nationalism.

See, even racists Nazis can believe in imaginary creatures in the sky.

Hey Joe

(895 posts)
25. Exactly!
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:15 AM
1 hr ago

This is just a continuation of The Heritage Foundation dominance of this sick-assed
regime.
Not about religion at all.
It’s about domination of the 99% .

Martin Eden

(16,058 posts)
22. Every classroom should have readings from the Koran, and prayer mats oriented towards Mecca.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:50 AM
1 hr ago

That's just one bridge to build. We must not forget Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and every major religion.

I ask nothing for my own religion. We Pastafarians carry the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in our hearts, with no need for public displays.

Ramen.

Americanme

(602 posts)
24. This is ridiculous.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:01 AM
1 hr ago

The hedonist president wants to use religion to get support for his agenda. We don't need a bridge. The government will not stop you from following your religion. Nothing more is needed. I am getting so sick of religion being pushed at non-believers. Nothing will ever convince me that eternal, invisible, all-knowing beings, with magical powers of creation exist. They want their religion in public schools so they can get the kids hooked before they are old enough to question it. When nobody questions it, they are free to abuse it and profit from it.

AZLD4Candidate

(7,089 posts)
26. Of course, us Jews will be left off the table, unless it's the cudgel that is Israel
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:17 AM
1 hr ago

But Christian don't care about Jews or Israel. . .they see Israel as the first sign that the Rapture is coming.

The Wizard

(13,942 posts)
32. The fact that the Church is tax exempt
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 10:57 AM
47 min ago

indicates the wall between Church and State is a thinly veiled bullshit story.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,475 posts)
33. DOGE cut funding for church based social service orgs started when Bush II tried t let govt and religious orgs cooperate
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 11:34 AM
10 min ago
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