The sacred duty of a shepherd is to protect the flock – a responsibility that extends beyond spiritual guidance to physical safety. When New York state tried to prevent churches from allowing concealed carry on their premises while granting this freedom to businesses, one pastor stood firmly for both religious liberty and self-defense rights.
Jeremy Dys from First Liberty Institute joins us to share the remarkable victory they achieved in New York, where they successfully challenged discriminatory legislation that denied churches the same security options available to secular businesses. What makes this case particularly significant is that while multiple challenges were filed on Second Amendment grounds alone, First Liberty's approach combining First and Second Amendment arguments proved decisively successful.
The historical foundation for this victory runs deep in American tradition. From colonial Pilgrims walking to worship with armed guards to protect their community, to early American laws that sometimes required churchgoers to carry weapons, our nation has long recognized the legitimate need for houses of worship to ensure their security. First Liberty brilliantly incorporated this historical perspective, showing how today's church security teams stand in a long line of American tradition dating back to before the founding.
Beyond winning the case itself, the federal court awarded First Liberty approximately $817,000 in attorney fees – a powerful statement that government overreach into religious liberty carries significant consequences. As Jeremy explains, this victory represents far more than a single case outcome; it establishes a crucial precedent for religious organizations nationwide seeking to protect their congregations while remaining faithful to their spiritual calling.
The conversation also touches on another critical First Liberty case headed to the Supreme Court, where two Christian schools were prohibited from praying over the loudspeaker before their championship football game despite this being their tradition. This pattern of forcing religious expression out of public spaces contradicts both America's founding principles and constitutional protections.
Discover how these landmark cases are reshaping the landscape of religious liberty and why the intersection of faith and self-defense represents one of the most important constitutional battlegrounds today.
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