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Kelly Shackelford says religious freedom underpins all other liberties
Summary
Kelly Shackelford argued that religious freedom is the nation’s "first freedom," warning that totalitarian regimes repress any allegiance higher than the state and that losing religious liberty would imperil other rights.
Kelly Shackelford said religious freedom is the nation’s foundational liberty and warned that its loss would threaten other rights. "Our founders called this our first freedom," he said, adding that that status reflects the founders’ view of its central role in protecting broader liberties.
Shackelford argued that totalitarian regimes silence competing allegiances, saying, "the one thing a totalitarian regime will never allow is citizens who hold an allegiance to one higher than the government." He framed that dynamic as the point at which other freedoms begin to fall away, saying the consolidation of state power often targets religious commitments first.
He stressed the stakes in stark terms: "So, what we’re really dealing with here is the precipice of all our freedoms." The remarks presented a direct argument that protecting religious freedom is necessary to prevent broader erosion of civil liberties.
No formal actions or policy proposals were recorded in the transcript excerpt.
