The coordinated effort to erase the foundation of the West is beginning to crack. How should Christians respond?
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POLITICAL CHANGE AND POLITICAL WILL
For much of its history, America was a Christian nation, shaped by a Christian cultural foundation that informed its values, laws and institutions. While secularism has grown in influence over several decades, many Americans still believe that a return to Christian principles is possible – as well as necessary – for national renewal. The challenge, however, is how to achieve this goal. The election of President Trump was a gift upon which we can build. During the 2024 election cycle Trump said, "We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and back into what will be again a great nation."
"Christians are under siege. … we must defend God and the public square and not allow the media or the leftwing groups to silence, censor or discriminate against us. We have to bring Christianity back into our lives." – Donald Trump
"In the end we do not answer to bureaucrats and Washington, we answer to God in Heaven," Trump continued, underscoring the primacy of the Word of God.
The Trump administration has already undertaken several initiatives aimed at pushing back against the attacks on Christianity over the last few decades. In February 2025, he signed an executive order establishing a task force led by the Attorney General to combat "anti-Christian bias" within federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the IRS and the FBI. This task force is mandated to identify and eliminate discrimination against Christians in the federal government.
Across the states, Christianity is reemerging at the behest of the people and the actions of the leaders they've elected.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants to reintroduce Bibles to Oklahoma classrooms. Walters issued a directive requiring public schools to teach the Bible in schools as an "indispensable historical and cultural touchstone." He is also pushing to create the country's first Catholic public charter school.
Louisiana recently passed a law that would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms (though this is on hold after a legal challenge). Texas lawmakers have signaled they want to pass a similar law. An Idaho lawmaker introduced a bill, written by a Christian lobbying group, to require daily Bible readings. A few states, starting with Texas, have passed laws to allow schools to hire chaplains.
According to The Guardian, "This is what 'Christian nationalism' looks like in governance – rejecting church and state separation and installing Christian viewpoints – and it's on the rise with Trump back in the White House."
While those who oppose Christianity (who have done all they could for decades to undermine it) might seethe at this turn of events, it is important that we, as Christians, utilize this momentum to continue to build the towns, cities, states and nations that truly represent our values.
As recent revelations with USAID have shown, there have been massive, well-funded, concerted efforts to undermine the Christian identity of the West. Should we as Christians be doing anything less in restoring our founding principles? While those who undermined Christ in America used immense government coercion and the embellishment of tax dollars through myriad "non-profits" and "NGOs," restoring faith does not require similar coercion. Instead, it simply requires a recognition and rejection of their subversions along with an organized, strategic, lawful and multi-pronged approach – leveraging legal challenges, for example, as well as education reform, media influence, political engagement and strong community organization.
LEGAL CHALLENGE
The phrase "separation of church and state" has been widely used to justify the removal of Christian influence from public life, yet it does not appear in the US Constitution. Instead, it originates from a letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, where he described the First Amendment as creating a "wall of separation" to prevent government interference in religion. However, over the past century, this phrase has been weaponized to marginalize Christianity rather than protect religious freedom.
The US Constitution does not mandate a strict separation of church and state; rather, it protects religious freedom through the First Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This means the government cannot establish a national church, but it also cannot restrict religious expression in public life.
The Founding Fathers saw Christianity as integral to moral governance, as evidenced in the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which declared that "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government … schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." Early Congresses even funded Christian schools and missionaries, showing that faith was not meant to be excluded from public institutions.
Over time, Supreme Court rulings have distorted the original intent of the First Amendment, shifting from protecting religious freedom to restricting Christian influence in public life. These changes came with the seedlings of multiculturalism as the first non-Christian (primarily Jewish) immigrants arrived and utilized the broad nature of the "establishment clause" to challenge the long-standing Christian elements of American public life.
Everson v. Board of Education (1947) introduced the modern "separation of church and state" doctrine, limiting religious expression in government institutions. Engel v. Vitale (1962) removed school-sponsored prayer, despite its deep historical roots in American education. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) established the so-called Lemon Test, making it easier to challenge government actions that acknowledge religion. These rulings have gradually eroded Christianity's presence in public life, contradicting the Founding Fathers' vision of a society where faith and governance coexist.
Christians seeking to reverse these legal precedents can take a multi-pronged approach. First, legal advocacy groups should challenge these rulings in court, pushing for cases that could overturn or weaken them. The Lemon Test has already been partially dismantled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022), where the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a high school football coach's right to pray publicly.
In addition, Christians should support constitutional originalists in judicial appointments, ensuring that future rulings interpret the First Amendment as protecting, not restricting, religious expression. Additionally, state-level legislation – such as laws allowing Bible literacy courses in schools and protecting religious displays on public property – can help create legal challenges that may reach the Supreme Court, providing opportunities to redefine precedent. Lastly, public education efforts on the historical and legal basis of religious freedom can shift cultural perceptions, ensuring that future legal battles are fought on strong constitutional grounds.
Of course, it also goes without saying that to accomplish this kind of change, we will need Christians who are also great lawyers, judges and advocates. To do this we need to ensure that we reject the common idea that our only option is withdrawal from society. We need the exact opposite. We need to get more deeply involved. We need strong Christians who can be strong defenders and promoters of Christ in our culture. In Matthew 5, verses 13-16, Christ gives us a warning about hiding the light he has placed within us:
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
In the verses prior to the ones above, Christ also tells us to rejoice when we are persecuted for his sake. Of course, the enemy will attack any movement that will promote Christ in the public sphere. Of course, those who attempt to stand for Jesus will face vicious opposition. But, we are supposed to expect this and keep pushing forward. We are His salt and light on earth. By withdrawing we only hide that light under a bushel and cause that salt to "lose its savor." Our job is to push through the attacks and continue to work toward being the city on a hill that gives light to the world. To do this, we need to engage fully while also remembering to not be conformed to this world that we are in, but not of.
Arthur is a former editor and consultant. Born in India to missionary parents, he spent his early career working in development for NGOs in Asia, Central America, and Africa.
Arthur has an educational background in history and psychology, with certifications from the University of Oxford and Leiden in the economics, politics, and ethics of mass migration and comparative theories in terrorism and counterterrorism. He is currently launching CivWest, a company focused on building capital to fund restorative projects and create resilient systems across the Western world.
HOW SOULS AND LIBERTY WILL MOVE FORWARD THE NEXT FOUR YEARS
There can be no doubt we have witnessed an extraordinary moment in the history of the United States and the world. The election of Donald Trump to a second Presidential term is a great victory for Christian patriots, but it is not a complete or final victory. Rather, it is a reprieve from the ceaseless assaults on life, liberty and faith we have had to endure for four years.
Donald Trump is president once again, and his decisions, Cabinet selections, and force of personality are shaping the United States and the world in ways we could only dream of.
We have a Heaven-sent opportunity to step up and ensure this victory is not merely a one-off, but the first of many and the foundation of a lasting legacy of patriotic, Christian, pro-family policies.
Souls and Liberty will be part of that effort, but we cannot do it without you. It will require reporting and activism that YOU can be a part of.
Can you step up and support us? Just once – a one-time donation is very valuable. Or, better yet, support us every month with a recurring donation. Thank you, and may God bless you.
Stephen Wynne
Editor-in-Chief, Souls and Liberty
Yes, yes, yes. on all of it.