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Donald Trump’s provisional Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) has handed down its draft inaugural report.

Initiated in May 2025, the RLC offers a fresh take on the health of religious freedom in the United States.

Set apart from the International Religious Freedom Report and the Trump administration’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, the RLC is tasked with protecting the First Amendment.

As per Trump executive order 14291, RLC’s primary purpose is to “enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law.”

Religious Liberty Commission’s Role

This commission will monitor the foundations, impact, and current threats to one of the United States’ core civic commitments.

Seeded by the 13 colonies, religious freedom found maturity in 1776. In 1791, this went from being an implied right to being embedded in American law.

Specific protections for the freedom of religion came to life as the First Amendment, which in full states,

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

1954’s “One Nation under God” addition to the pledge of allegiance later codified the importance of religious freedom within American culture.

Team Trump’s goal isn’t just to protect it all. It’s to reconnect the nation to God.

“We’re bringing back religion in our country, and we’re bringing it back quickly and strongly,” President Trump declared when accepting the report.

This is “because for America to be a great nation, we must always be one nation under God.”

A few of RLC’s areas of focus were the silencing of pastors, attacks on “houses of worship,” the practice of debanking, government censorship and retaliation.

The “comprehensive report” also examines “conscience protections,” particularly regarding vaccine mandates, pro-life advocates, prayer in schools, and homeschooling.

Notably, RLC is not a new permanent government agency. In line with the executive order, the commission should close after its review.

Additionally, while travel expenses were allowed as funds dictated, RLC members participated pro bono.

For instance, “Members of the Commission,” the establishment order stated,” shall serve without any compensation for their work on the Commission.

Dr Ben Carson vice-chaired the commission alongside Chair Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

Other notable participants were Rev. Franklin Graham, Dr Phil McGraw, Eric Metaxas, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and Catholic Bishop Robert Barron.

All were present at the report’s reception in the Oval Office on Friday.

To summarise, the RLC confirms there has been an increased erosion of the right to religious freedom in the United States.

Religious Persecution in America

A helpful summary from the Department of Justice reported that RLC drew from seven hearings and “from more than 100 witnesses of diverse ages, religions, expertise, and backgrounds.”

“Many,” the DOJ said, “experienced religious persecutions in the United States.”

Those who testified included Jews, nuns, children, and in one specific case, a group of mums “who were lied to by local school administrators.”

Joining this group were “military service members, who lost pensions and life savings when forced to choose between their faith and vaccine mandates, among many others.”

In one example, the DOJ said a student was “bullied for standing up for his Christian faith when he was forced to read his peer a book that told him he could choose his gender.”

Another cited the persecution of a teacher who “was told she had to remove a cross near her desk or lose her job.”

The list of victims even included doctors, Navy SEALs and airline personnel.

For example, “Dr Eithan Haim was indicted by the Biden Department of Justice for blowing the whistle on Texas Children’s Hospital’s gender mutilation surgeries for minors.”

“Navy Seal Blake Martin lost his pension when he was just three years away from retirement eligibility because he objected to the COVID-19 vaccine.”

To add, “Lacey Smith was fired from her flight attendant position at Alaska Airlines because she answered the invitation to respectfully share her thoughts on the Equality Act.”

Offering 12 key recommendations on how the government should respond to the findings, the RLC said,

“From survivors of human trafficking to Civil Rights leaders to military chaplains, one common theme emerged: the flame of faith burns bright in the hearts of countless brave Americans.”

“This report is for these brave Americans.”

Of the report’s 12 recommendations, the last one reads: “Honour the courage of religious liberty heroes through creating a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards.”

Point 9 argues for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment. This 1954 law effectively forced churches and charities to self-censor when talking about politics and political candidates.

Point 6 calls for the creation of a “religious liberty task force to track and prioritise litigation protecting religious liberty.”

Adding to the report’s inevitable controversy, “combatting antisemitism” made point 7 and point 4 recommends creating a “religious liberty violation reporting hotlines/online portal.”

USA and Australia: Recently Released Religious Freedom Reports

Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission shares an affinity with the recent Australian Christian Freedom Index (ACFI) published by Australian Heart Ministries in partnership with a host of high-powered Australian contributors.

Validating the need for the Australian report, ACFI’s lead author Kurt Mahlburg recently noted, “the post-Christian creed is the governing consensus of our entire culture.”

Although this creed claims neutrality, this replacement worldview “is sectarian, biased and ideological.”

“The myth of legal neutrality might be the most powerful myth in modern public life. It’s also very useful.

This is, Mahlburg wrote, “because it allows one worldview to write the rules, enforce them, and punish those who dissent.”

“All the while insisting they’re acting from a position of pure reason and impartiality and self-evident truth.”

“If you want to see the myth of legal neutrality exposed — and the bias of Australia’s current legal system up in neon lights, I encourage you to go and read the Australian Christian Freedom Index.”

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Image via Religious Liberty Commission.