Stanley Carlson-Thies

When society’s expectations diverge from the values upheld by a faith-based organization, and society’s expectations become part of the law, the FBO has to look to religious freedom for the right to follow its now unpopular and illegal values. But FBOs do not have to be passive, simply hoping and praying that lawmakers and lawyers come to their defense.

In a chapter on how FBOs can act to protect the religious freedom they need, the new book, Free to Serve: Protecting the Religious Freedom of Faith-Based Organizations (by Steve Monsma and Stanley Carlson-Thies; BrazosPress, 2015), says this: When the practices of FBOs are being challenged is exactly when those organizations should become very transparent about their religious commitments:

“It is crucial that religiously based organizations be upfront and explicit in their religious commitments. They need to hold themselves out to the public as being truly religious in nature. The only basis on which faith-based organizations can—and should—receive protections for their distinctive practices is if they can demonstrate those practices are clearly and genuinely embedded in their organization’s religious nature.”

The chapter then briefly notes Best Practices for FBOs: bringing into alignment their religious beliefs, operating and service policies, and everyday practices, and documenting the religious convictions that animate and guide the organizations.

For more detail on these Best Practices, FBOs can consult a webinar and white paper that IRFA produced in collaboration with the Christian Legal Society (CLS).

The webinar and white paper stress the other two ways that FBOs can help strengthen the religious freedom they need so that they can continue to make their uncommon contributions to the common good. One is encourage more positive Public Perceptions. The white paper says:

“Too often . . . the remarkable works of service by faith-based organizations are not acknowledged by the public, the media, or lawmakers as the fruit of the religious commitments and practices of those organizations, but rather are treated as just further examples of humanitarian service. When the public does not see that connection between the religious root and the service fruit, an important opportunity has been lost to help the public see why religious freedom is so important, practically, to our society. Religious nonprofits should consider carefully, especially in our current environment, how they can help the public, the media, and lawmakers develop a clear understanding of the good they do and how that good is inextricably rooted in their religion-based convictions and practices.”

And the white paper reminds FBOs of the powerful role they can play in helping to shape hospitable Public Policy:

“Your voice, your story about what you do and why and what good outcomes you see, your assessment of how a proposed law or regulation will harm or help service: this is information that legislators and regulators need so that they do not act blindly. At the least, invest time in introducing your organization and its mission and services to your federal, state, and local government officials (and the media, too!) before any crisis arises. And then consider speaking up when your voice is needed in a legislative hearing, on a letter or as part of a phone or email campaign to reach key legislators, or when an advocacy organization or a reporter wants to discuss the potential consequences of a proposed change on the wellbeing of the community.

Speaking up can be costly, to be sure. But silence incurs an even higher cost when governments rewrite the rules that determine your organization’s ability to serve as God has called it to serve.

Often you do not need to speak alone: Look to CLS, IFRA, and other organizations that will help you keep informed and that will help give you a voice in the legislative and regulatory processes.”