The Dangers of Project 2025 and Christian Nationalism

The New Republic brings together the top legal and policy minds from Americans United for Separation of Church and State to discuss the far-reaching implications of Project 2025, the political blueprint outlined by ultraconservatives for the Trump administration.

Tuesday, September 24 · 1 - 2pm PDT

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dangers-of-project-2025-and-christian-nationalism-tickets-1009545677297


SPEAKERS:

Rachel Laser, president and CEO, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Andrew Seidel, author, vice president of communications, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Moderated by: Nina Burleigh, author, investigative journalist

HOSTS: TNR in partnership with Americans United for Separation of Church and State


BIOS:

Nina Burleigh is an American writer and investigative journalist, She writes books, articles, essays and reviews. Burleigh is a supporter of secular liberalism, and is known for her interest in issues of women's rights.


Rachel Laser is a lawyer, advocate and strategist who has dedicated her career to making our country more inclusive. She knows that we must shield our laws from any religion’s influence in order to be able to come together as equals and build a stronger democracy. Rachel has a proven track record of uniting both faith and secular leaders and advocacy organizations to make real progress on some of the most important issues of our time. See Rachel in action!

As a religious minority – she was raised as a Reform Jew – Rachel personally understands how much it matters that our laws treat everyone fairly and equally. She is an advocate for racial justice and has led workshops, given speeches and worked with schools and universities to challenge racism and expose privilege.

Rachel knows the work of Americans United has never been more important than it is today. She is a leader in the fight to defeat the serious threat that Christian Nationalism poses to religious freedom and the separation of church and state. As a thought leader and freedom fighter, Rachel has written op-eds for major publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, and appeared on high-profile media outlets, including MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, and ABC.

Before joining AU, Rachel built bridges between disparate groups on a host of issues that connect to church-state separation. As the deputy director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (the RAC), Rachel ran interfaith campaigns on LGBTQ+ equality, immigration reform, gun-violence prevention, and paid sick, family and medical leave.

She directed the Culture Program at Third Way, a Washington, D.C., progressive think tank specializing in understanding and reaching moderates. There, she launched the “Come Let Us Reason Together” initiative, which mobilized evangelical Christians and liberals to find shared values and work together on abortion and LGBTQ+ equality.

As senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Rachel founded and ran the Pharmacy Refusal Project, which put protections in place to ensure that birth control prescriptions are filled – without delay or judgment. She advocated for judicial appointments with a proven record on women’s equality, and lobbied in favor of reproductive health bills.

Rachel is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School. She is also a former national board member of Reproductive Freedom for All (previously NARAL Pro-Choice America).

Her religion is an important part of her identity. “I believe that religion can provide guidance, ritual and structure for celebrating, reflecting on and dealing with life,” she says. At the same time, many in her family identify as atheist or agnostic. “Some of the people I love and respect the most are non-believers. They are also some of the most moral, ethical and principled people I know.” Her personal and professional experience make Rachel a natural leader in AU’s goal of bringing together people of all religions and none to fight in the courts, legislatures, and the public square for freedom without favor and equality without exception.

Rachel lives in Washington, D.C. She and her husband have three children and a dog, Teddy.

Follow Rachel on Twitter: @rachelklaser


Andrew L. Seidel is Vice President of Strategic Communications for AU, an author, and an attorney who’s defended the First Amendment for more than a decade. Andrew is the author of two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American (2019) and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom (2022). He’s also co-editor of an academic text, Law and Religion: Cases and Materials (Foundation Press, 2022) 5th Edition, with Prof. Leslie Griffin of UNLV law school.

A Senior Correspondent at Religion Dispatches, Andrew is a prolific author of opeds, has written several scholarly articles, has debated the utility of the Johnson Amendment, and organized and contributed to the groundbreaking report, “Christian Nationalism at the January 6, 2021, Insurrection,” which was published by the Baptist Joint Committee and the Freedom From Religion Foundation and aroused congressional interest. Andrew is a recognized expert on Christian Nationalism, which he’s spent the last decade fighting in and out of court. He’s appeared on Fox News to debate Bill O’Reilly, MSNBC, and hundreds of other media outlets.

Andrew graduated cum laude from Tulane University (’04) with a B.S. in neuroscience and environmental science and magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School (’09), where he was awarded the Haber J. McCarthy Award for excellence in environmental law. He studied human rights and international law at the University of Amsterdam and traveled the world on Semester at Sea. Andrew completed his Master of Laws at Denver University Sturm College of Law (’11) with a perfect GPA and was awarded the Outstanding L.L.M. Award for his work as the Erik Bluemel International Environmental Law Fellow. After a short stint in private practice Andrew joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation as a constitutional attorney and later Director of Strategic Response, running a nimble unit known as the Strategic Response Team and helping elevate that organization’s profile. He joined AU in March of 2022.

Before dedicating his life and law degree to keeping state and church separate, Andrew was a Grand Canyon tour guide and an accomplished nature photographer.