News & Updates

Read the latest press releases, blog posts, and State of Belief episodes from our team in Washington, D.C., our network of faith leaders and affiliates across the United States.

Featured Posts

Research
July 31, 2025

What is Happening with the Johnson Amendment?

Answers to commonly asked questions about the Johnson Amendment and the IRS legal filing arguing that religious leaders could endorse political candidates in houses of worship without losing their tax-exempt status, officially breaking with more than seventy years of legal precedent prohibiting churches and nonprofits from officially endorsing political candidates.

Press Release
July 30, 2025

Over 1,000 Charitable Nonprofits Launch National Sign-On Letter to Defend Nonpartisanship and Public Trust

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Interfaith Alliance, the National Council of Nonprofits, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Independent Sector, Public Citizen, and other leading nonprofit organizations launched a national sign-on letter addressed to President Trump.

Analysis
June 30, 2025

In the Wake of the New York City Mayoral Primary, Muslims and Jews Stand Together Against Hate

New York State Assemblyman Zohran K. Mamdani won the Democratic nomination to become the New York City mayor. Despite his professed claims to the contrary and his repeated commitment to working with Jewish communities in New York, critics are accusing Mamdani of antisemitism and attacking him with a tremendous amount of anti-Muslim hate.

General
June 27, 2025

A Victory for Religious Freedom and Public Education

The Senate Parliamentarian just struck a major blow to efforts to undermine public education and erode the separation of religion and government. The proposed national school voucher program, modeled on the so-called Educational Choice for Children Act, has been removed from the Senate’s budget reconciliation package after being ruled in violation of the Byrd Rule.

View All
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
General
August 5, 2025

What’s Happening in Texas is a Moral Outrage

In Tom Stoppard’s play Jumpers, he penned the line: “It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting.” In our democratic republic, the way in which votes are counted decides who represents us, whose votes matter. President Trump is currently working with allies in state legislatures across the country to change where votes in their states are counted, in an undemocratic attempt to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections by building on years of attacks on decades-old voter protection laws. For decades, elected officials have attempted to gerrymander districts in their respective states in order to maintain their party’s political power, but never has a president publicly strategized on how to use ad-hoc redistricting in order to maintain his political power.

State of Belief
August 2, 2025

From Sanctuary to Courtroom: Immigration and Religious Liberty with Legal expert Elizabeth Reiner Platt

Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush interviews Elizabeth Reiner Platt, ⁠Director of the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Union Seminary.⁠ Liz is the author of the Project's new report, "⁠Religious Liberty and Immigration: Legal Analysis of Past and Future Claims."

Research
July 31, 2025

What is Happening with the Johnson Amendment?

Answers to commonly asked questions about the Johnson Amendment and the IRS legal filing arguing that religious leaders could endorse political candidates in houses of worship without losing their tax-exempt status, officially breaking with more than seventy years of legal precedent prohibiting churches and nonprofits from officially endorsing political candidates.

Press Release
July 30, 2025

Over 1,000 Charitable Nonprofits Launch National Sign-On Letter to Defend Nonpartisanship and Public Trust

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Interfaith Alliance, the National Council of Nonprofits, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Independent Sector, Public Citizen, and other leading nonprofit organizations launched a national sign-on letter addressed to President Trump.

State of Belief
July 26, 2025

Faith, followers, and the files: Jay Michaelson and the Epstein Cover-up

What happens when faith and blind followership collide with dishonesty and an administration built on feeding conspiracy theories? Author and attorney Rabbi Jay Michaelson joins Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush for a wide-ranging conversation.

Advocacy
July 25, 2025

Hear From Our Interns: Good Trouble Lives On National Day of Action