A New Presidential Commission On Religious Liberty

In July 2024, Donald Trump, while campaigning for president in Butler, Pennsylvania, escaped serious injury from an assassin’s bullet. Only weeks later, another attempt was made on the former president’s life; the experience would prove to be life-changing. Since then, some attribute the outcome to fate or luck, but Mr. Trump has on more than one occasion expressed his belief that he survived these attempts on his life only through divine intervention, and that the Lord had other plans for him.

Since taking office, President Trump has manifested an intense and unwavering motivation, and has been a driving influence in a rebirth of religion through political activism. His first 100 days in office have produced executive orders that deal specifically with religious liberty, both domestically and internationally. Those close to the president, including family members, have spoken of a renewal of faith in the president’s life.

This transformation in Mr. Trump, perhaps brought on by his close brush with death, has only become more intense. On Thursday, May 1, before religious and political leaders, and in commemoration of the National Day of Prayer, the president signed another executive order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission [RLC].

The purpose of this presidential commission will be to defend, promote, and uphold religion. At the ceremony, Mr. Trump remarked, “We’re bringing back religion in our country, and we’re bringing it back quickly and strongly. For America to be a great nation, we must always be one nation under God.” Following the ceremony, the White House issued a statement that read in part, the Commission “will safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom.”

The president is following in the steps of the Founders. One of the commission’s primary responsibilities will be to defend religion, especially Christianity, which has been under attack from radical far-left groups. Churches have been fire-bombed and defaced. The Biden administration was no friend to religion in general.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick will head the commission and lead a diverse group of members. This will include clergy, priests, rabbis, evangelists, and TV personalities who will work with the White House Faith Office in carrying out the commission’s mandate. The Director of the White House Faith Office, Paula White-Cain, mentioned how the commission will hold periodic meetings in the White House with her team.

The Lt. Governor spoke during the Commission, “We were a nation birthed by prayer, founded on the [Christian and Jewish traditions] to ensure that people could worship as they wished without interference from government. There’s a saying that no one should get between a doctor and a patient. I think we would say no one should get between God and a believer.”

The White House Faith Office explained how the Commission will issue comprehensive reports on the foundations of religious liberty in America, and strategies to “increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism, and the current threats to religious liberty, and strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations. The key focus areas include parental rights in religious education, school choice, conscience protection, attacks on houses of worship, free speech for religious entities, and institutional autonomy.”

People of faith should feel heartened and thankful at the measures the Trump administration is taking in upholding religious liberty. Historically, there can be little doubt that this is one of the greatest efforts by a president to promote and defend religion.