S7, Ep. 06: Updates on Oak Flat, the Johnson Amendment, and efforts to post the Ten Commandments

Hear Amanda and Holly react live to some breaking developments in today's Respecting Religion podcast. One day after new legislation was introduced in Congress to save sacred Indigenous land, they discuss the history of and need for the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act. Plus, they talk about a brand-new class action lawsuit in Texas trying to halt the unconstitutional posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and they share an update on the latest court activity regarding efforts to protect the Johnson Amendment.

This conversation aired live on social media on BJC's Facebook and YouTube channels on Thursday, December 4, at 12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT.

SHOW NOTES

You can watch this podcast on BJC's YouTube channel.

Oak Flat: Rep. Adelita Grijalva introduced the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act on Dec. 3, 2025. You can read more details in a release from her office, which includes a quote from Amanda.

For more on this issue, visit BJC's resource page at BJConline.org/SaveOakFlat

Johnson Amendment: Read this piece by Amanda published in the Dallas Morning News about the latest hearing on the Johnson Amendment: The court case that could accelerate mixing religion and politics

Read BJC's statement about the members of Congress who reaffirmed their support for the Johnson Amendment in November at this link on our website.

For more resources on the efforts to protect the Johnson Amendment, visit BJConline.org/JohnsonAmendment

Ten Commandments in Texas:

Here's a roundup of news items relating to the ongoing battled over the forced posting of the Ten Commandments, from Jaden Edison, Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro Serrano for the Texas Tribune: As appeals court is poised to consider Texas' Ten Commandments law, other legal challenges mount

Read more about the latest class action lawsuit in this story from Baptist News Global: New class-action suit filed to stop Commandments in Texas

Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC. Clicking that link to make your gift lets us know you are a supporter of the podcast.