COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. June 13, 2018. — Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Tim Clinton of the James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI) issue the following joint statement:
“We commend Attorney General Sessions along with the entire Trump Administration for once again demonstrating they prioritize religious freedom in America. The new “Place to Worship Initiative” announced today by the Department of Justice rightly acknowledges our cherished Constitutional right to associate and worship in public together. In many ways this freedom represents the foundation of the church in America and it therefore must be preserved and protected at all cost.
“As Americans, our first freedoms include speech, association, and free exercise of religion. This means our government specifically acknowledges its mandate to protect our right to talk about God publicly and gather together in houses of worship. Churches have always been recognized in America as a protected community under the free exercise and association clauses of the First Amendment. This initiative helps ensure religious communities will continue to have safe places available under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which has been strengthened today by a commitment to continue preventing discrimination.
“This action by the Department of Justice should encourage families and churches across the nation that President Trump is a strong advocate for their religious freedom.”
