Bridging the Church and State Divide

Zachary Twist shares his point of view with Congressman Huffman and the Roundtable Panel

Why Faith Leaders and Secular Advocates Must Stand Together for Constitutional Democracy

In an era marked by deepening political and cultural polarization, the national discourse surrounding the relationship between church and state has reached a critical juncture. All too often, this debate is reduced to a false dichotomy between two uncompromising ends of the spectrum: hard secularists who dismiss any legitimate role for faith-based leadership in public policy, and far-right Christian nationalists who seek to reframe the United States as an exclusively Christian nation - co-opting the mantle of "religious liberty" to entrench the legal and cultural dominance of a single tradition.

Neither extreme reflects the lived reality of our communities, nor do they serve the health of our republic.

As Board President of the Marin Interfaith Council (MIC), I view our institutional mandate through a clear lens. MIC functions fundamentally as a convener - an institution dedicated to bridging divides and fostering constructive civic engagement rather than pitting opposing factions against one another. Yet, if we are to safeguard our constitutional democracy, faith-based leaders and advocates of conscience must establish a clear pathway forward: one that firmly rejects both the systemic exclusion of faith from the public square and the authoritarian attempt to impose a state-sanctioned religious identity upon a pluralistic society.

A Focused Convening in San Rafael

Sister Patricia Bruno, O.P. engages with faith leaders at the roundtable discussion

This imperative set the foundation for a roundtable discussion convened in Marin. Congressman Jared Huffman’s office reached out to MIC Executive Director Reuben Shank to collaborate on assembling a representative cross-section of local faith leaders. We gathered on Friday, September 25, 2026 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin in San Rafael for a small-group dialogue focused on the preservation of church-state separation and emerging threats to our constitutional framework.

Congressman Huffman brings an unusually personal perspective to these issues, having publicly detailed his journey from an upbringing in a devout tradition and ordination as a young minister in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to his current secular worldview. Today, he identifies as the first open Humanist to serve in the United States Congress, serves as co-founder of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, and is the author of No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism (W. W. Norton & Company, August 2026, foreword by Rep. Jamie Raskin). Framing his analysis through the dual lens of his Christian background and current Humanist worldview, Huffman outlines how Christian nationalist movements seek to dismantle foundational constitutional guardrails.

Our primary touchpoint for the discussion was the draft report issued by President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission. Under the banner of free exercise, the commission’s recommendations propose sweeping shifts - including instructing the Department of Justice to alter its interpretation of the Establishment Clause and calling for the explicit repeal of the Johnson Amendment. Enacted in 1954, the Johnson Amendment is a long-standing provision of the U.S. tax code (Section 501(c)(3)) that prohibits tax-exempt charitable and religious organizations from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Repealing it would eliminate a crucial legal boundary, effectively inviting electoral politics and dark-money campaign financing into houses of worship.   

Voices at the Table: Action, Education, and Concern

Our gathering brought together a wide array of spiritual leaders, practitioners, and civic advocates from across Marin:

• Jaye Ayyar (Iyer) – Board Member, North Bay Hindu Center

• The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham – Founder, Interfaith Power & Light

• Rev. Beverly Brewster – Minister, Presbyterian Church (USA)

• Sister Patricia Bruno, O.P. – Dominican Sister of San Rafael & MIC Board Member

• Sherna Deamer – Board Member, Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of San Rafael & MIC Board Member

• Rabbi Stacy Friedman – Rabbi, Congregation Rodef Sholom

• Sister Vaishali Jogi – Spiritual Practitioner and Teacher, Brahma Kumaris

• Sidharth Kaw – MIC Board President, Member of North Bay Hindu Center

• Bishop Johnathan Logan Sr. – Bishop, Cornerstone Community Church of God in Christ

• Carolyn Logan – Church Leader, Cornerstone Community Church of God in Christ

• Sister Elizabeth Padilla – Spiritual Practitioner and Teacher, Brahma Kumaris & Past MIC Board Treasurer

• Rabbi-Cantor Elana Rosen-Brown – Rabbi-Cantor, Congregation Rodef Sholom & MIC Board Member

• Ago Sara Tashker – Enkyo (Abba) and Director, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center

• Zachary Twist – Executive Director, Islamic Center of North Marin & MIC Board Member

Rather than producing a single monolith of opinion, the 75-minute discussion revealed a rich spectrum of perspectives from the leaders present.

Some participants adopted an explicit activist stance, emphasizing the urgent need to openly name, oppose, and dismantle Christian white nationalism to defend minority faiths and secular democracy alike. Others focused their inquiries around practical engagement, seeking to understand how they and their congregants could tangibly support constitutional protections beyond simply expressing themselves at the ballot box.

Sidharth Kaw, Jaye Ayyar, Congressman Huffman

Speaking from my personal point of view but also as a reflection of our organization, I felt the importance of voicing a deep, poignant concern: that faith itself is being co-opted and reframed as a negative or dangerous force in public life due to extreme political movements. There is an importance to protecting the sacred integrity of faith, ensuring that religion is recognized as a force for compassion, justice, and community rather than an instrument of partisan division.

While Congressman Huffman outlined his legislative and judicial efforts on Capitol Hill, the overarching consensus in the room was clear: our communities crave ongoing, accessible civic education and organized avenues for constructive action.

Charting the Path Ahead

For the Marin Interfaith Council, educating the public on constitutional protections is core to our institutional purpose. The separation of church and state was never intended as an instrument to suppress religious expression; rather, it remains the ultimate legal framework ensuring that every individual retains the freedom to practice their faith - or hold no faith at all - without state coercion or institutional preference.

To build upon the momentum of our closed-door session, MIC has formally extended an invitation to Congressman Huffman to participate in a follow-up public panel discussion. Moving this conversation into an open, community forum will allow the broader public to participate directly in examining these urgent issues and defining actionable next steps together.

We are eagerly awaiting Congressman Huffman’s response to our invitation. In the interim, MIC will continue to fulfill its role as a convener - ensuring that leaders of conscience remain at the forefront of defending a pluralistic, democratic society.