Dr. James Dobson fought all his life for faith, family, and freedom. He was deeply concerned about the erosion of religious liberty in the United States. Dr. Dobson would have been ecstatic on Monday to see President Trump announce another set of initiatives to protect religious liberty and restore America to our Judeo-Christian roots.
On that day, September 8, the Religious Liberty Commission, established by President Trump in May, held its second meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. The hearing focused on defending religious liberty in public education.
The commission heard from students who had experienced discrimination and censorship because of their faith, as well as having been forced to participate in activities that violated their faith. Parents whose children had been “socially transitioned” by school officials without the parents’ knowledge, and in violation of their faith, addressed the commission as well.
President Trump also delivered a major address to the Religious Liberty Commission. The president reaffirmed his commitment to defend our God-given freedom of religion. He called out Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who recently rejected the idea that our rights come from God, not government. Trump said:
The need for this commission has never been more clear than it was last week when the ineffectual Senator from Virginia — a man named Tim Kaine — stated that the notion our rights come from our Creator is ‘extremely troubling’ to him … It’s this Declaration of Independence that proclaims we’re endowed by our creator with the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The Senator from Virginia should be ashamed of himself.1
Toward the end of his remarks, President Trump asked Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner to speak. Secretary Turner, who is also a pastor and one of many strong Christians serving throughout the administration, announced a major prayer initiative leading up to the 250th anniversary of the United States, July 4, 2026. The goal is to mobilize millions of Americans to gather regularly to pray for our country and our citizens. JDFI will enthusiastically join this effort.
In closing his remarks, President Trump declared, “America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer, and we will never apologize for our faith.”2 As you know, prayer was always important to Dr. Dobson and to Shirley Dobson, who led the National Day of Prayer Task Force for 25 years.
Dr. Dobson and I have frequently noted that after the Supreme Court took Bible reading and prayer out of our public schools, virtually every measure of student achievement plummeted while absenteeism and discipline issues skyrocketed.
President Ronald Reagan tried to get a constitutional amendment passed to reinstate school prayer, but liberal Democrats blocked it. President Donald Trump has not given up on that goal. He announced at the Religious Liberty Commission meeting that he has ordered the Department of Education to issue new regulations making clear that prayer on school grounds is not only permitted but protected under our Constitution.
For many years we did not have a majority on the Supreme Court that would uphold similar laws and regulations defending religious liberty. We do now, thanks to President Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. They join Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in a solid five-vote majority and, occasionally, a six-vote supermajority.
The Trump-Vance administration is fighting hard for the values that inspired Dr. Dobson and the mission here at JDFI. This administration is committed to defending the central idea of the American Republic, found in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Make no mistake: “Our Creator” is the God of the Bible, and President Trump understands this.
When I was in the Oval Office recently, the president wanted to make sure I and other Christian leaders saw that he had one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence prominently displayed on the wall. We talked about how important that particular sentence is, especially now, leading up to the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. We believe, and President Trump agrees, that America cannot be great again until it is godly again.
As the Constitutional Convention concluded in 1787, Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin this question: “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”3
Our Constitution was the result of a long and difficult process, throughout which our Founding Fathers regularly prayed for God’s wisdom and mercy. But what Franklin meant in his reply was that only a virtuous people can remain free. All the Founders believed that, just as we do today.
By the grace of God, we have kept our republic for 250 years, but powerful forces are trying to change it by ripping out our country’s roots from the rich soil of our Judeo-Christian heritage. JDFI will continue to resist those radical secularists and fight for faith, family, and freedom.
- “President Trump Champions Religious Freedom, Unveils America Prays.” 2025. The White House. September 8, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/09/president-trump-champions-religious-freedom-unveils-america-prays/.
- “One Nation under God.” 2025. The White House. September 9, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/one-nation-under-god-2/.
- Julie Miller. “‘A Republic If You Can Keep It’: Elizabeth Willing Powel, Benjamin Franklin, and the James McHenry Journal | Unfolding History: Manuscripts at the Library of Congress.” Blogs.loc.gov. January 6, 2022. https://blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts/2022/01/a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it-elizabeth-willing-powel-benjamin-franklin-and-the-james-mchenry-journal/.
