On Monday, October 29th, 2018, SALDEF organized a panel discussion on Religion in the National Discourse at the�Newseum. Days before the midterm election and after one of the deadliest attacks on a religious center, the diverse panel explored some of the hardest issues related to Religion in the National Discourse. One theme throughout the talk focused on the idea that, �government has to have a very good reason to interfere with religion�.
This theme was discussed through topics such as the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the Travel Ban and the allowance of religious symbols in public space. The panelists also talked about the installation of a new justice to the Supreme Court would potentially change the country, and explore the role of community building through religious networks to make a change.
SALDEF Board Chair Kavneet Singh moderated the panel and noted that a 2007 First Amendment Center poll revealed that 65 percent of Americans believe the founders intended the United States �to be a Judeo-Christian nation�; over half of us think that this intention is actually spelled out somewhere in the Constitution.�
After the great success of this forum, SALDEF is pleased to announce a regular forum series that will debate the topics of the day. The purpose of the series will be to bring together diverse opinions on topics and allow for constructive discourse between opposing narratives to hopefully create new perspectives find cooperative ways forward.
