I have discussed at length the problem of Christians not allowing their faith to permeate every aspect of their lives. We are terrified to let our Christianity show for fear it may offend or push someone away. This problem is compounded at work, especially if you work for the government, whether federal, state, or local.
Christians are constantly told to keep their faith out of the workplace because of “separation of church and state,” a made-up concept not found anywhere in law. Erroneous though it was, this concept was given teeth through a decision by the United States Supreme Court called Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971). In this case, the court issued a test for determining whether an action violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution – in other words, if the government is endorsing a religion. Under the Lemon test, an action, statute, or rule must 1) have a secular purpose, 2) not have the primary effect of promoting nor inhibiting religion, and 3) not foster “excessive government entanglement with religion.”
You can see how this test would be a thorn in the flesh of the judiciary, employers, and employees. It’s too arbitrary.
A lot can promote or inhibit religion. What is considered excessive? Who has the right to sue? Any random offended observer could technically sue because they heard a teacher praying in her classroom alone.
This rule fostered a lot of lawsuits. The Freedom From Religion Foundation was created just for the purpose of finding offended observers and sending threatening but bogus letters on their behalf to scare Christians into quiet submission. Just recently they sent a letter to the Birmingham Police Department for praying at their Roll Call meetings.
Well, no more! Lemon is dead!
In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District to put a wooden stake in the haunting ghoul of the Lemon test. It removed the three-prong test and replaced it with the “historical practices and understanding” test, which is much simpler, has better lines, and gives Christians a reason to rejoice.
Now, cities all over the U.S. can put up nativity displays around City Hall. Courts can proudly display the 10 Commandments, the moral basis for our laws. Prayer can be held in school. An employee may put up a Bible verse at their desk. An employee may evangelize or say “God bless you” at work.
In other words, Christians, it’s time to stop hiding and start rejoicing. It is time we use our God-given right to Freedom of Speech to praise God and spread the Gospel message. Fear no more!
Laura Clark is a wife, mother, and community activist. She currently serves as the interim president of Alabama Center for Law and Liberty, a conservative nonprofit law firm that fights for limited government, free markets, and strong families in the courts. Anything written by Laura for this publication does not constitute legal advice.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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