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Speaker's Bureau
Of CounselThe Church State Council is dedicated to promoting religious freedom for all peaceful people of faith. The Council also fights religious discrimination, bigotry and intolerance through education, legislative advocacy, and litigation. The Council provides legal representation for persons of any and all faiths who suffer religious discrimination.
LEGAL SERVICES
We provide legal services to those suffering religious discrimination, regardless of your religious belief or affiliation. We especially seek those willing to advance the law by making a long term commitment to engaging in trials and appeals. This is known as “impact litigation” because it helps to change, and hopefully strengthen the law.
- Religious Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace
- Discrimination and Accommodation Issues in Education
- Land Use Conflicts Involving Religion
- Autonomy of Religious Institutions.
- Religious Objections to Labor Union Membership
- Constitutional Rights and Violations
We can also provide referrals. For more information, or to obtain help, click here.
Current News and Features
As vaccine mandates spread, employers and colleges seek advice on religious exemptions
Secular and faith-based institutions alike are balancing religious protections against community health and safety, as well as the deep political divide. READ MORE
Priest: Mr. President, we don't need to open churches to practice our faith
President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration is issuing guidance deeming places of worship "essential" during the coronavirus pandemic, calling on governors to reopen religious institutions for services. READ MORE
It's Not About Rights
It’s Not About Rights! Lawsuits have been filed all over the country asserting a package of constitutional claims arising from the mandated closure of churches. These cases assert many rights, First Amendment Rights, religious freedom, free speech, freedom of assembly. Friends, IT IS NOT ABOUT RIGHTS! I've been an advocate for religious liberty for three decades, at least. Before that, I was a student of religious liberty. I have seen plenty of spurious rights claims in my day, but today, its really about LIFE, not RIGHTS. It's about how best to safeguard life. Government is not shutting down churches out of some sort of hostility to religion! Yet, too many assume we don't even need to speak to government because it is hostile, so we can use self- help and just do what we want. The opening chapters of Genesis tell the story of what happens when we just "do what we want." Isaiah records the fall of Lucifer, who did just what he wanted to do. Across America, thousands of churches are promising to reopen with or without government approval. Surely, this is the fruit of three decades of anti-government rhetoric -- turning the church into a vehicle of rebellion. Ronald Reagan famously quipped that government was part of the problem, not part of the solution, and there has been a consistent anti-government ethos nurtured ever since. Donald Trump campaigned as an outsider, promising to drain the government swamp. Part of the current problem stems from inadequate communication between state and local governments and the faith community. While government officials surely share the blame, politics are also in play. The conservative American church has nurtured a profound distrust of government, especially in states controlled by Democrats. There is a knee jerk assumption that government harbors discriminatory motives toward the church, that government is hostile to religion and hostile to religious liberty, so why bother communicating? Why bother trying to work together? Let's just file lawsuits and dare the government to come after us. In California, 3000 churches have signed a pledge to reopen on Pentecost at the end of May, even if in violation of shelter at home orders. This is not a Christian spirit. Full stop! The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,self control. Rebellion is not one of the fruits of the spirit. I’m tired of hearing Hebrews 10:25 abused to support rebellion. The text reads: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” This text hardly constitutes a command to worship in person in church even at the risk of people getting sick and dying!!! We are not “forsaking” assembling for worship when we take our worship to the zoom or livestream platform. I am hearing from many pastors that their attendance is actually increasing! That some who would be reluctant to attend church are participating. Today, it is imperative that churches and state and local governments work together to figure out the best way to re-open responsibly. Neither party has all the answers. Assuming the worst motives about the other side is counter-productive, and objectively inconsistent with the biblical teaching to esteem others BETTER than oneself. Philippians 2:3. I urge those in leadership in the faith community – reach out and build bridges of communication and trust with local government officials. Make sure there is an ongoing dialogue about how and when to reopen churches, and how to do so safely. The rebellion issues will not be solved by enforcement. Enforcement is not a viable option. The only solution is to get as much “buy in” from the faith community as possible and buy in does not happen in the absence of communication and trust. All politics is local. The reopening of churches will need to be worked out on a local city and county level, although states can provide guidance, as well. Folks. Think about it. This really is a life and death matter. If we do this wrong, people will die. And their blood will be on the hands of those religious leaders who reopened too soon or failed to take the best safety measures. Already some churches that reopened are having to close down again, because people became ill. And this is not for failure to practice social distancing and other measures. Most pastors don’t want to perform funerals for church members who were infected attending church. But I did speak to one who is the exception. He told a reporter that if someone died attending church, at least the person would have died exercising his religious freedom. That doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t need to risk life and limb to exercise my religious freedom. I can do that quite nicely without placing my family or myself or my friends from church at risk. It’s not about my “right” to worship. It’s about my life. Alan J Reinach, Esq. , serves as Executive Director and General Counsel of the Church State Council, the education, advocacy and legal services ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Pacific region. READ MORE
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FREEDOM CLASSROOM
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