We are often told that religious liberty is alive and well, in most of the “civilized” world. Especially here in the States. Is it? Some folks don’t think so.

Here in the States, the Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCB) recently published a list of five items that they view as the greatest threats in 2024 to religion and religious liberty. Not just for Catholics or all Christians, but other religions as well. First published in January, they have followed up in some. Various media have reported it, often twisting the facts and leaving out some of their points. (The bishops specifically called out both Judaism and Islam.)

It is an interesting list, and not just because of who published it. (More below on that, as part of a disclaimer. You can read their whole report here.)

It may be of interest that neither Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, nor Joe Biden are on the list. But then, bishops are supposed to be kind to others (and one another).

Here is the list:

1. Attack on houses of worship and hate crimes
2. Federal agency misuse (and abuse), including abortion legislation
3. Threats to ministries serving migrants and related border security issues
4. Suppression of religious speech upholding marriage and sexual difference, including issues of gendered sports and harassment and transgender procedures
5. Governmental misuse and abuse, especially governmental (FBI) surveillance of religious organizations

This 2024 report of course concerned itself with the election year, and ballot issues and differences in candidates over such things as abortion, gender, ideology, and immigration.

Clearly, many of the candidates at all levels are supporting some of these things that the bishops put on their top-five list. And the astute observer will not that this list does not fall neatly into a left-right scale or even a Regressive-Tory measuring stick. If we read between the lines, a threat to a ministry serving migrants can include ending the need for such a ministry by deporting and barring the migrants. So perhaps there is a self-interest/funding slant to some of this. As is certainly the case when you consider how many Catholic hospitals and other “medical ministries” are highly dependent on federal funding – which always comes with strings. Strings like abortion, transgender transitions, contraception, and increasingly euthanasia.

What the Catholic Church has generally denied since its organization (about 1400 years ago, circa AD600) is that governments (and rulers of those governments) are generally the natural enemies of any religion that does not kowtow to the rulers. Even when they claim to be members of that same religion. Their beliefs and practices always seem to fall by the wayside when it is their power that is questioned, threatened, or ignored.

Still, the list is a good one for people of any religion which has a moral compass: not just Roman Catholicism, but anyone claiming to follow Christ Jesus (and not totally warping and perverting His teachings). And for that matter, followers of the Law of Moses, those submitting to Allah and his prophet, the Buddha, and even the teachings of Shinto and Confucius. (Don’t know about the Nordic pagans or the various animist groups, but even the Satanists surely find these things to be threats. :”First, do no harm” gets tossed aside if the FedGov and the Regressive and Repressive State and local governments have their way.)