Project 2025: Where Christian Nationalists Define "Conscience"
And force their religious beliefs on everyone else (Scroll to the end to listen)
In my newsletter What Is Separation of Church and State, we did a deep dive into James Madison’s views on conscience.
Madison is credited with the final text of the First Amendment delineating the separation of church and state. The entire newsletter is worth revisiting, but for those pressed for time, I repeat its salient point below:
Madison believed the government had no right to dictate one’s moral beliefs just as he believed religion had no place in government. Madison’s words mean people can oppose abortion, and others can believe abortion is necessary healthcare, acceptable as a part of individual freedom and bodily autonomy. They mean people can believe their Bibles say homosexuality is a sin, and people can be openly LGBTQIA+ without fear or shame. They mean some Americans can believe their Bibles define marriage as between one man and one woman, while other Americans legally marry the same-sex partner they love. They mean some people stay married to terrible partners out of religious conviction or obligation, while others legally divorce and move on. They mean some people believe one’s sex cannot be changed, even as others change their sexes to be the person they know they are.
Madison believed the concept of religious morality should be separated from government. While he vociferously argued for a person’s individual right to their own consciences, he crafted the First Amendment to ensure no faith’s version of morality would underpin our laws. Americans are free to worship however they want; they cannot force others to practice their faith or follow their moral code.
The framers of Project 2025 turn the concept of conscience on its head. Essentially, Christian Nationalists define “conscience rights” as I can discriminate against you because my Bible says so.
With that interpretation in mind, let’s read some of Roger Severino’s screed from the Health and Human Services Section of Project 2025.
From Project 2025, page 494
Conscience Enforcement. Existing statutes that protect rights of conscience (such as the Church, Coats–Snowe, and Weldon amendments) do not explicitly provide a private right of action that would allow victims to seek legal redress in court. At the same time, when it continues to fund governmental and private entities that violate these laws, HHS is spending taxpayer funds unlawfully. Under liberal Administrations, OCR has amassed a poor record of devoting resources to conscience and religious freedom enforcement and is often complicit in approving or looking the other way at the Administration’s own attacks on religious liberty. Congress should pass the Conscience Protection Act so that victims can pursue redress through courts without having to depend exclusively on OCR.
The Christo-fascist state of Florida has already tried to enact a private right of action that would allow victims to seek legal redress in court. In January 2024, the Florida senate proposed Bill 1780, Defamation False Light and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likeness. The bill died in committee, but it is a window into Fascist Republican strategy.
From the Tallahassee Democrat:
Under "Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses" (SB 1780), filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, practically all accusations of racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia would be considered "defamation per se," making speakers presumptively at fault and leaving them liable for damages of at least $35,000 and court costs — for what may currently be constitutionally protected speech.
This bill tried to make it possible to sue for defamation for calling anyone racist/homophobic/transphobic/otherwise hateful in any media (including individual social media posts), even if the post referenced something that was obviously racist/homophobic/transphobic/otherwise hateful the person suing for defamation actually said. Thankfully, it died in committee.
But this is the second attempt to bring forward such a bill by this Florida lawmaker. Why do they keep trying?
Because according to their Bibles, calling out the “sins” of homosexuality and transgender surgeries is following their consciences. Saying women belong in the kitchen, submitting to their husbands and having as many babies as God gives them isn’t sexism'; it’s Biblical. Insisting that Black and Brown people are cursed by God isn’t racism; it’s Biblical. In their minds, their right to follow their religious consciences supersedes our right to live our lives without their religious judgment, restrictions, or interference.
This extreme approach is baked into Project 2025’s interpretation of conscience enforcement.
From Project 2025, page 494
OCR should return to Trump Administration policies that initiated robust enforcement of these conscience laws. It should restore and fully fund the Office of the Deputy Director for the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division (CRFD) and ensure that it has the necessary delegations from the Secretary to enforce these laws. The Secretary should give adequate delegations to OCR to pursue enforcement of conscience laws, including RFRA, and require all HHS components that provide funding or grants to cooperate with OCR CRFD investigations. The Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and principals in other HHS divisions should endorse the remedial measures recommended by OCR CRFD and limit territorial objections and slow-down attempts by other divisional officials including OGC. HHS should withdraw funding from any violating entities that refuse to correct their behavior, and OCR CRFD should work with ASFR to ensure that all grant announcements and instruments inform grantees and applicants of their obligations to comply with federal health care conscience laws specifically as a condition of obtaining or maintaining their funding.
Once again, Project 2025 is openly saying a Fascist Republican federal government will withhold funding from any state, municipality, organization, or group that refuses to honor Christian Nationalist interpretation of conscience rights.
This means if a Republican President signs a federal nationwide ban on abortion on Inauguration Day, blue states that continue to protect abortion could see federal funding withheld until they outlaw abortion, even if they have otherwise protected it in their state constitutions. Fascist Republicans could also enforce laws that stifle free speech, like the failed Florida bill the framers of Project 2025 clearly call for nationwide.
For Christian Nationalists, the only consciences that matter are theirs. These Project 2025 sections and their actions on the ground in red states make their intentions clear: They will force us to live by their definition of conscience, even if it violates our individual conscience rights. Despite James Madison’s belief that religion has no place in government.
For anyone interested, I’m speaking to Seniors Taking Action this Wednesday, 7 August at 11am EST. To join by Zoom, GO HERE and click on the Zoom link. I’ll promote it again tomorrow.
Calls to Action to Keep P2025 From Ruining YOUR Life
Check your voter registration or register to vote: I Will Vote
Support Democratic campaigns directly in competitive races: Blue24
Support earlyworm’s 2024 Giving Guide: earlyworm
Report a Project 2025 incident: Not On Our Watch
Mail postcards to swing-state voters: Postcards to Swing States or Activate America
I am sure hoping that the coming election season will foster more deep conversation about the separation of church and state, as well as the separation of powers generally. "We the People" need a renewed lesson in civics, and I'd love to see that as part of the curriculum handed Gov. Walz.
Thank you Andra for your continued work educating us on the threat to our Rights as guaranteed in the US Constitution by those pushing Project 2025 and it’s blasphemous “Christo-fascist” agenda. Project 2025 is 2Peter2. It is hate. It is darkness and cruelty. There is no darkness with God - only light - light so strong that Moses wore a veil to interact with the people after coming down from the mountain.
Jesus death tore apart the curtains in the Temple. We no longer need these self appointed humans to interpret our interactions with the Almighty. Like the Pharisees of Jesus time they are hypocrites who want the best for themselves but want others to obey “laws”.
Jesus Christ resurrection gave HIS followers the Holy Spirit. Those who follow the teachings of Jesus are guided by the Holy Spirit. They no more need these new blasphemous “Christian Nationalist’s or Dominionist’s” hypocrites than the followers of Jesus needed the hypocritical Pharisees 2000 years ago.
Let God be God and let the law of humans treat each other as they would want to be treated.
That means equality.