This weekend marks 12 years of continuous broadcasting for State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast. It’s also Martin Luther King Day weekend, and Tuesday is Religious Freedom Day. Highlighting the growing assault on “religious freedom for all” is a big part of what we do every week on this show, and what Interfaith Alliance does every day. This week we will talk about how we reclaim religious liberty from those who would hold it hostage.
As the constitutionally-protected “first freedom,” religious liberty is a cornerstone of American society and government. Sadly, but not surprisingly, it’s also a value that too often is perverted to push an exclusionary agenda as the Religious Right, in particular, has done for decades. To talk about how we can respond to the manipulation of religious freedom, host Rev. Welton Gaddy will be joined this week by Frederick Clarkson, senior research analyst at Political Research Associates and a leading voice in the effort to reclaim true religious liberty.
At the start of each year, Welton sits down with the Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner, senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, where she ministers to LGBTQ and other marginalized communities of faith. In the face of overwhelming odds facing the LGBTQ community around the world – and growing threats here at home – she continues to do work that changes hearts, minds, and lives. Rev. Pat will join Welton this week to discuss new and unexpected challenges – and the real progress that’s been made in securing and preserving the rights of LGBTA individuals.
