At a time when fierce partisanship defines American politics, a gala dinner at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill showcased religious liberty as an American value that transcends political and religious differences.
Representatives from Congress, civil society organizations, and faith groups came together May 3 for the 18th annual Religious Liberty Dinner, co-sponsored by Liberty magazine and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
Many of those present had been part of an effort to ensure that strong religious liberty protections were included in the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 2022, which codified a 2015 Supreme Court decision extending legal recognition of same-sex marriages. Thanks to advocacy efforts by religious and civil groups, however, the RMA also provided robust religious freedom protections for those holding a traditional view of marriage.
Melissa Reid, who represents the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America on Capitol Hill, introduced both the keynote speaker, Senator Collins, and Shirely V. Hoogstra, President of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, who received the Religious Freedom Advocacy Award. She thanked Senator Collins for her commitment to ensuring that legislation advancing LGBTQ civil protections also included necessary religious liberty protections.Reid introduced Hoogstra by noting her “visionary leadership, her record of success, and her passion for her member schools and their students. Shirley is a vigilant protector of the rights and dignity of all humanity. Her professional achievements are only eclipsed by the respect and compassion she extends to others.”The Honorable Susan Collins, U.S. Senator for Maine, was the keynote speaker for the dinner. “I cannot address an event hosted by Seventh-day Adventists without noting that the co-founder of your Church, Ellen G. White, was born and raised—and educated and shaped to become a great teacher and leader—in my state of Maine. I was amazed to see that the Ellen G. White Center in nearby Silver Spring now offers on its website her extensive writings in 155 languages. What a remarkable woman! Among her writings is a statement that I believe describes the spirit that brings us together tonight: “Every act, every deed of justice and mercy and benevolence, makes heavenly music in Heaven.”Those deeds often come at a price. At a time of deep divisions, when extremists on the left and the right demand 100 percent compliance with 100 percent of their views 100 percent of the time, it takes courage to stand up to criticism.”Shirely V. Hoogstra, President of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, received the 2024 Religious Freedom Advocacy Award. “My life’s Bible verse is I Peter 3:15 which says, and I paraphrase, ‘Always be prepared to give the reason for the Hope that you have in Christ Jesus and do so with gentleness and respect.’ This guidance offers both personal and civic implications. …Think back to 2015. The Supreme Court expanded the definition of marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges. Suddenly, the landscape for religious liberty in our society shifted. Biblical marriage was brought into conflict with a new civil category of legalized same-sex marriage. Nine years ago, you may remember great uncertainty about how groups that held to the traditional understanding of marriage would be able to operate in the midst of new federal law. Would accreditation and federal funding be taken away? Or would we find a way to coexist? And perhaps be a blessing to each other? After serious prayer, study and consideration, the CCCU Board of Directors decided that our approach would be to sit ‘at the table’ with the groups that could be influential in finding a way forward for orthodoxy along with understanding the new civil paradigm without compromise. Our goal was to persuade decision makers that any bill moving LGBTQ civil rights forward would always include the protection of religious belief and practice at odds with those expanding civil rights. To the surprise of many, we succeeded with this paradigm shift. The passage of The Respect for Marriage Act, led so courageously by Senator Collins, here tonight, is an example of the national commitment to religious liberty.”Thomas C. Berg, the James L. Oberstar Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, received the Religious Liberty Scholar Award for 2024. His recent book, Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age (Eerdmans, 2023) was cited by Christianity Today as one of those most likely to influence evangelical thought in 2024. In introducing Berg, Bettina Krause, editor of Liberty magazine, said his “scholarship is providing those who work in religious liberty advocacy with concrete, actionable approaches to resolving deep conflicts; conflicts that often seem insoluble.”In his acceptance speech, Berg quoted James Madison, who said that “strong religious liberty for all—‘equal and compleat’ liberty—was the ‘true remedy’ for religious conflict. … Today again, strong religious liberty for all can serve that purpose….In my book I try to explain why religious liberty is so important to believers, why Christians and Muslims have an interest in protecting each other’s freedom, how freedom for religious organizations serves the common good, and how with careful thinking, one can draw lines that protect religious freedom strongly while still accounting for the interests of other persons and of society.”Alan Reinach,(left) president of the Church State Council, and Todd McFarland, (right) deputy general counsel for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, received the 2024 Religious Liberty Jurist Award. The evening’s awards were presented by Calvin L. Watkins (far left), a vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, and Orlan M. Johnson (far right), director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
