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A Message from Becket's Executive Director
December 12, 2022
Dear Friends,
First, earlier this month on Giving Tuesday I asked you for help and many of you lent us your support. Your personal and generous response did not go unnoticed. Please read on for updates on a project that is made possible by generous donors like you.
Many of us are used to lamenting the secularization of our religious holidays. As you drive around town running your last-minute holiday errands, you’re likely to see countless inflatable Santas, but relatively few creches or menorahs. Likewise, you might feel a little chafed (like I do) every time someone wishes you “happy holidays” or a merry “x-mas”.
The secularization of our religious holidays isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s part of a broader trend in American life. But it’s not all bad news. You may remember that each year Becket conducts a survey of American perspectives on the First Amendment. We call the aggregation of this data the
Religious Freedom Index<[link removed]>. After four years of asking the same 21 questions each year we are beginning to see trends emerge.
This year’s index<[link removed]> revealed the following key findings:
Support for the right to choose and practice the religion of your choice has never been higher. Th­e percentage of Americans who completely support the freedom to choose a religion, to worship without fear of persecution and to practice a religion in daily life without facing discrimination increased by over 10 points since 2020.
Broad unfamiliarity with constitutional protections opens the door for civic education. Americans' knowledge of their First Amendment rights shows room for improvement. Only 47% correctly identified freedom of religion as protected by the First Amendment.
Americans are most protective of religious minorities, with a unified majority expressing the need to make room for lesser-known religious groups. 89% support protecting Native American sacred sites on federal land which is good news for our clients in
Slockish<[link removed]> who are currently appealing to the Supreme Court, and our clients in
Apache Stronghold<[link removed]> whose case is being reheard by the Ninth Circuit.
Each year we also add a few questions that address current events in the religion space. This year, our polling shows that roughly 70% of Americans, whether they identify as people of faith or not, are supportive of the right of business owners and creative professionals not to be forced to promote ideas or beliefs they disagree with. These results directly implicate a case that was just heard by the Supreme Court last week,
303 Creative v. Elenis<[link removed]>! Check out
Becket’s friend-of-the-court brief<[link removed]>.
It's true that Americans—especially younger generations—are growing more secular, but there are still silver linings to be found. Becket will continue boldly proclaiming our vision of religious liberty for all because, as this year's Index shows, it is a message that many are eager to hear.
Sincerely,
Montse
P.S. Soon I’ll be sending my last newsletter of the year, a “wrap up” of things to watch as we head into the holidays and an announcement of the 2022 Ebenezer Award winner. Don’t miss it!
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Montse Alvarado
Executive Director
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