by Evan Davis
Newly formed Hoosiers for Separation of Church and State recently hosted a forum attended by more than 140 people. Held at the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne, Ind., the event featured three speakers and four panelists describing how Christian Nationalism is threatening our constitutional rights, and even our lives.
Although the Sept. 13 Larry Hayes First Amendment Forum lasted more than three and half hours, almost everyone stayed for the entire time. Often the audience responded with prolonged applause, and afterward expressed gratitude to organizers.
The late Larry Hayes was a long-time editorial page editor of Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette and a champion of constitutional free speech, free press and church-state separation.
The three featured speakers were prominent Indiana political blogger and former law professor Sheila Kennedy, Bethany Theological Seminary professor Daniel W. Ulrich an Americans United staff member.
All four panelists were from the Fort Wayne area: Zachary Parrish, expert on the Christian Nationalist LifeWise educational program that seeks to convert public school students to its brand of Christianity; Dr. Jacqueline King, Founder and CEO of Black Women Empowered; professor Steve Carr, director of the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Purdue University in Fort Wayne; and Laurie Gray, an attorney, child advocate and legislative coordinator in northeast Indiana for the National Organization for Women.
Hoosiers for Separation was founded within the local Unitarian Universalist Congregation in February and quickly gained strong support from the Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren. Other congregations have since expressed interest in the organization.
In addition to the recent forum, the organization’s activities have included two showings of the film “Bad Faith,” a Zoom conversation with two educators versed in the history of the First Amendment and several educational presentations by Mr. Parrish.
Coming events include a program about the Christian Nationalist group Moms for Liberty, as well as a project to thank the local county library system for its support of the freedoms of press and speech.
Meeting monthly, Hoosiers for Separation helps fill the need for more education – and encouragement – necessary to counter misinformation in a county that has consistently supported President Donald Trump’s anti-religious freedom agenda.
Evan Davis is a member of Hoosiers for Separation of Church and State. (This article represents the personal views of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Americans United.)
