Friend:

Fresh off my inspiring week in Bremerton, Washington, where I met with some wonderful parents, students, school administrators, clergy and other neighbors who came out to show their support for church-state separation, I returned to Washington, D.C., in time to witness the historic confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson—and the lows and highs those entailed throughout, including on our issue.

A low, for example, was when, early in the hearings, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) inappropriately grilled Judge Jackson about her religious beliefs and practice. He asked her how often she goes to church and demanded that she rate her religiosity on a scale of “1 to 10”!

Judge Jackson’s response was perfect: “I am reluctant to talk about my faith in this way just because I want to be mindful of the need for the public to have confidence in my ability to separate out my personal views,” she said. “There is no religious test in the Constitution under Article 6.”

A high was when Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) asked her to discuss “the significance in our system of government of the First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion.” Judge Jackson’s response was heartwarming for those of us in this fight:

“Free exercise of religion and the Establishment Clause—which prevents the government from preferring religion over another—is foundational. It is the principle that many people originally came to this country, when it was founded, in order to support. It was people who fled from religious persecution and wanted to found a country in which everyone could believe what they wanted, and not have the government encroach on, impinge on, burden that right. It is a core foundational right. It is in the First Amendment.”

It's all too rare these days to hear a judicial nominee—let alone one for the Supreme Court—proactively raise the important role the Establishment Clause plays in protecting religious freedom; too often they focus only on the Free Exercise Clause. I couldn’t have advocated for church-state separation better myself!

As I’ve noted, Judge Jackson does not have an extensive record on our issue, so we were listening optimistically but carefully throughout the hearing. What I heard gave me great hope that she will be the defender of church-state separation that our country so desperately needs.

These are trying times, but it’s important to pause and celebrate the good. Judge Jackson is an eminently qualified jurist whose perspective will make the Court better and stronger.

With renewed hope and continued gratitude,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO