America’s Founding Promise Of Religious Freedom Has Long Coexisted With Prejudice, Even As Many Christians Have Worked To Confront It
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on Liberty Island, N.Y., on Oct. 3, 1965. GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images BY DAVID MISLIN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INTELLECTUAL HERITAGE, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, old questions have returned about who belongs and whose religious practices are truly protected in the country. At the start of the year, an arson attack significantly damaged the oldest synagogue in Mississippi. Two days later, local officials in Oklahoma rejected a proposal to build a mosque after opponents declared Islam “hostile to our Constitution.” A Texas GOP congressman complained on social media that a Hindu festival was a “third world” practice. These incidents come amid resurgent claims that the United States is a Christian nation. All this has happened even as President Donald Trump has emphasized a particular idea of religi...
