Welcome to the Liberty Insider. 00:00:27.22\00:00:29.22 This is a program designed to bring you up-to-date news, 00:00:29.26\00:00:32.63 information, and insights 00:00:32.66\00:00:34.96 into religious liberty in the US often, 00:00:35.00\00:00:38.43 but around the world as well. 00:00:38.47\00:00:40.20 My name is Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty magazine, 00:00:40.24\00:00:43.51 and my guest on this program. 00:00:43.54\00:00:45.24 Welcome, Charles. 00:00:45.27\00:00:46.61 Charles Steinberg. Thank you, Lincoln. 00:00:46.64\00:00:47.98 Attorney and Vice President 00:00:48.01\00:00:49.84 for the Northwest Religious Liberty Association. 00:00:49.88\00:00:54.02 Many things that you and I can talk about, 00:00:54.05\00:00:56.75 but let's really hit 00:00:56.79\00:00:58.72 an oddball path of religious liberty. 00:00:58.75\00:01:01.02 It doesn't compute 00:01:01.06\00:01:02.46 in many ways for a lawyer at least. 00:01:02.49\00:01:06.39 The United States is a very free country. 00:01:06.43\00:01:08.76 I like to think Australia where I come from. 00:01:08.80\00:01:11.27 Then on the other side, there's countries 00:01:11.30\00:01:13.70 perhaps like Saudi Arabia, they're comfortable, 00:01:13.74\00:01:16.91 but you wouldn't say it's got religious freedom. 00:01:16.94\00:01:20.81 So there's a national component and the laws that apply there. 00:01:20.84\00:01:23.78 But what about within a belief system? 00:01:23.81\00:01:28.52 People join a belief system 00:01:28.55\00:01:31.79 and religion is a contentious topic. 00:01:31.82\00:01:35.86 And if you study church history, 00:01:35.89\00:01:37.63 Christian history, I'm very familiar with, 00:01:37.66\00:01:40.20 disputes all along the way, 00:01:40.23\00:01:42.40 and occasionally cries of heresy 00:01:42.43\00:01:45.83 and in the Dark Ages, 00:01:45.87\00:01:47.40 you know, people were brutally killed 00:01:47.44\00:01:50.17 because they differed 00:01:50.21\00:01:51.54 from the prevailing religious viewpoint, 00:01:51.57\00:01:53.88 not the state necessarily, 00:01:53.91\00:01:55.34 the church itself going after heretics. 00:01:55.38\00:01:58.05 But we're not in that era in the west anymore, 00:01:58.08\00:02:00.12 but we are more and more in the era of important topics, 00:02:00.15\00:02:04.29 whether it's some things like women's ordination 00:02:04.32\00:02:06.42 or whether the priests should marry 00:02:06.45\00:02:09.59 and these sort of things. 00:02:09.62\00:02:10.96 And there's a lot of vehemence shared. 00:02:10.99\00:02:15.26 And then often people either leave 00:02:15.30\00:02:18.40 which is their right or other times, 00:02:18.43\00:02:20.97 they choose to stay and they marginalized, 00:02:21.00\00:02:23.14 they're mistreated, they're... 00:02:23.17\00:02:26.78 Excommunicated. 00:02:26.81\00:02:28.31 Yeah, that's just a whole variety. 00:02:28.34\00:02:30.31 How do we relate to that? 00:02:30.35\00:02:31.68 I get letters from people 00:02:31.71\00:02:33.65 wanting Liberty magazine 00:02:33.68\00:02:35.58 to sort of take the side in a dispute. 00:02:35.62\00:02:38.02 Yeah. And there's not much I can say. 00:02:38.05\00:02:40.19 I know the legal bottom line. Yeah. 00:02:40.22\00:02:42.29 That it's a free association, you can go, 00:02:42.32\00:02:45.09 no one can force you to do anything. 00:02:45.13\00:02:46.53 But if you're a true believer, 00:02:46.56\00:02:48.20 that's sort of like Adam and Eve 00:02:48.23\00:02:50.10 going out of the Garden of Eden. 00:02:50.13\00:02:51.47 That's the expulsion, 00:02:51.50\00:02:54.44 you know, with no equal. 00:02:54.47\00:02:56.71 There's several different issues 00:02:56.74\00:02:58.44 right off the top. 00:02:58.47\00:02:59.87 One of the first issues, 00:02:59.91\00:03:01.24 and you've already talked about it 00:03:01.28\00:03:02.61 little bit the freedom of association. 00:03:02.64\00:03:03.98 In the United States 00:03:04.01\00:03:05.35 you have the freedom to associate with a group 00:03:05.38\00:03:06.92 or not associate with a group. 00:03:06.95\00:03:08.28 That's up to you. 00:03:08.32\00:03:09.82 And courts aren't gonna get involved in that 00:03:09.85\00:03:11.99 unless it involves things like violence, 00:03:12.02\00:03:15.52 imminent bodily harm... 00:03:15.56\00:03:16.89 Let me... 00:03:16.93\00:03:18.26 I'm trying to throw you off. Yeah. 00:03:18.29\00:03:20.26 But there's a case on Christian clubs 00:03:20.30\00:03:25.37 on college campuses at one point as I remember. 00:03:25.40\00:03:30.11 The government, I'm trying to remember 00:03:30.14\00:03:31.47 it was federal or state, 00:03:31.51\00:03:33.24 but they were actually requiring the club 00:03:33.27\00:03:35.84 to open its membership to anyone, even atheists. 00:03:35.88\00:03:39.85 I believe so under the antidiscrimination clauses. 00:03:39.88\00:03:42.92 And that's required when you accept funds from... 00:03:42.95\00:03:46.39 Yes, you're right. That was the key. 00:03:46.42\00:03:47.79 When you accept funds... 00:03:47.82\00:03:49.16 When you take money, you've opened yourself up. 00:03:49.19\00:03:50.53 When you take money, it's a good thing 00:03:50.56\00:03:51.89 because everyone can use a little bit of money. 00:03:51.93\00:03:53.86 But when you take money from Washington DC, 00:03:53.90\00:03:56.87 usually it has a string or a chain that says 00:03:56.90\00:03:58.77 you must behave a certain way. 00:03:58.80\00:04:00.14 Yeah. 00:04:00.17\00:04:01.50 And some people like that as a golden chain, 00:04:01.54\00:04:03.57 and other people when they want to change their beliefs 00:04:03.61\00:04:06.07 or they want to ascribe to belief, 00:04:06.11\00:04:08.14 but they'll forget they signed this contract 00:04:08.18\00:04:09.84 to get that money. 00:04:09.88\00:04:11.21 And it's an interesting issue 00:04:11.25\00:04:12.98 but a lot of times in church disputes 00:04:13.01\00:04:16.58 one of the things that I always... 00:04:16.62\00:04:18.69 In 24 years of being a lawyer now, 00:04:18.72\00:04:21.46 it's interesting to me to see people, 00:04:21.49\00:04:24.53 they'll want to all of a sudden put God on their side. 00:04:24.56\00:04:28.16 And they'll say, well, 00:04:28.20\00:04:29.83 I'm gonna use a hypothetical here. 00:04:29.86\00:04:31.47 "Lincoln, you've done this, this, and this to me, 00:04:31.50\00:04:33.30 you've said this, 00:04:33.34\00:04:34.67 and then even God saw you do all that. 00:04:34.70\00:04:36.34 Therefore, you need to be church disciplined 00:04:36.37\00:04:39.51 or you need to be disfellowshipped, 00:04:39.54\00:04:41.04 and how could you still be a Christian?" 00:04:41.08\00:04:42.68 And all these other things. But you know what? 00:04:42.71\00:04:45.01 Once I just make the accusation that you are anti God, like, 00:04:45.05\00:04:49.98 I'm putting myself in a judgment seat. 00:04:50.02\00:04:52.62 I'm now saying what God is, 00:04:52.65\00:04:54.79 and it's kind of like some people will see... 00:04:54.82\00:04:56.46 Most of my arguments with my wife come down to that. 00:04:56.49\00:04:59.79 And I've told her a couple of times 'cause she says, 00:04:59.83\00:05:02.83 "God, will punish you for your attitude on this." 00:05:02.86\00:05:05.40 And I say, "I don't like your God." 00:05:05.43\00:05:09.24 Yeah. It is the truth. 00:05:09.27\00:05:10.77 But this is the dynamic, I've recognized. 00:05:10.81\00:05:12.31 It's true. 00:05:12.34\00:05:13.68 It's easy, especially, 00:05:13.71\00:05:15.04 within a church environment 00:05:15.08\00:05:16.41 to appropriate God on your side. 00:05:16.44\00:05:18.15 You know, 00:05:18.18\00:05:19.51 there's that classic statement of Abraham Lincoln 00:05:19.55\00:05:22.08 that both sides of the Civil War prayed to God, 00:05:22.12\00:05:24.42 but He was on one of the side. 00:05:24.45\00:05:25.79 And, you know, the founding of the United States, 00:05:25.82\00:05:28.52 the Declaration of Independence. 00:05:28.56\00:05:30.23 We are endowed from the inalienable rights 00:05:30.26\00:05:34.63 by God to life, 00:05:34.66\00:05:37.40 liberty in the pursuit of freedom, 00:05:37.43\00:05:38.77 pursuit of happiness. 00:05:38.80\00:05:40.14 And, you know, we... 00:05:40.17\00:05:41.80 Now property as the original statement said. 00:05:41.84\00:05:43.84 Yeah, Thomas Jefferson in the court of world opinion 00:05:43.87\00:05:48.54 shows God is on our side 00:05:48.58\00:05:50.35 away from the tyranny of King George, 00:05:50.38\00:05:53.15 but whether it's somebody who's feeling 00:05:53.18\00:05:56.45 put under the thumb of either a church board 00:05:56.48\00:05:59.52 or church board of elders or worse... 00:05:59.55\00:06:03.36 The Bible is very, very masterful in this. 00:06:03.39\00:06:07.20 And we're going a long ways away from religious liberty 00:06:07.23\00:06:09.43 in my area of expertise here. 00:06:09.46\00:06:11.30 But there's a book... 00:06:11.33\00:06:12.67 But it's connected. It's all very connected. 00:06:12.70\00:06:14.24 This is a big concern 00:06:14.27\00:06:15.94 of many people of faith, I know. 00:06:15.97\00:06:17.34 It's all very connected. 00:06:17.37\00:06:18.81 There's a book, and the book is in the Book of Matthew. 00:06:18.84\00:06:21.74 And Matthew 18 says, 00:06:21.78\00:06:23.61 "If you have a disagreement with a brother, 00:06:23.65\00:06:25.81 go talk to him just you and him alone. 00:06:25.85\00:06:28.98 And then you might have won a brother over." 00:06:29.02\00:06:31.22 But then if he still has got a stiff neck, 00:06:31.25\00:06:33.49 and we humans, we can be a troubled lot. 00:06:33.52\00:06:35.49 Yeah. 00:06:35.52\00:06:36.86 Then you bring another person along to do that. 00:06:36.89\00:06:39.69 And then if after you and a witness 00:06:39.73\00:06:42.60 go along to that person, 00:06:42.63\00:06:44.33 then is when you tell it to the church. 00:06:44.37\00:06:46.97 Now these days we have these electronic devices, 00:06:47.00\00:06:50.61 and social media, and texting, 00:06:50.64\00:06:53.27 and emailing, and things like that. 00:06:53.31\00:06:55.54 Those have replaced face-to-face communication. 00:06:55.58\00:06:59.31 And there are things that I might tell you 00:06:59.35\00:07:01.08 in a text message or a snappy chat 00:07:01.12\00:07:03.95 or social media thing 00:07:03.99\00:07:06.02 that I would never tell it to your face. 00:07:06.05\00:07:08.09 And that is a dumbing down 00:07:08.12\00:07:11.06 of a part what a human being is in my opinion. 00:07:11.09\00:07:15.00 It's created a new social instability, isn't it? 00:07:15.03\00:07:17.83 I don't know if it's a new social instability, 00:07:17.87\00:07:19.90 I wouldn't go that far yet. 00:07:19.93\00:07:21.27 I would say it's created 00:07:21.30\00:07:22.64 a new mechanism of way to do things. 00:07:22.67\00:07:24.54 As a lawyer, you know, 00:07:24.57\00:07:25.91 I've subpoenaed and obtain text messages from people, 00:07:25.94\00:07:28.28 and I've had them read them back in court, 00:07:28.31\00:07:30.31 and they are crying and the judge is like, 00:07:30.35\00:07:32.55 "Are you really gonna have that person continue 00:07:32.58\00:07:33.98 to read those text messages, Mr. Steinberg?" 00:07:34.02\00:07:35.95 "Well, now that I know that you know 00:07:35.98\00:07:39.45 what we're talking about judge, 00:07:39.49\00:07:40.82 I don't need to keep on pestering this witness. 00:07:40.86\00:07:43.26 And so one of the things I tried to do is, you know, 00:07:43.29\00:07:46.59 don't put something in a text message or an email, 00:07:46.63\00:07:48.63 you don't want read back in front of a judge. 00:07:48.66\00:07:50.47 I go on that theory. Yeah. 00:07:50.50\00:07:52.13 Well, not so much the judge, 00:07:52.17\00:07:53.50 but I figure it has to be something 00:07:53.54\00:07:55.54 that many people can see 00:07:55.57\00:07:57.54 and you could still live with it. 00:07:57.57\00:07:59.27 But how many church disputes would stop 00:07:59.31\00:08:02.78 if someone would just use Matthew 18? 00:08:02.81\00:08:05.78 You know, it kind of reminds me 00:08:05.81\00:08:07.42 and you're gonna think I'm crazy. 00:08:07.45\00:08:09.18 But it reminds me of a little bit of the tension 00:08:09.22\00:08:11.29 between Israel and Egypt, 00:08:11.32\00:08:13.62 over the Sinai Peninsula 00:08:13.66\00:08:15.36 and the bargaining over the Sinai Peninsula. 00:08:15.39\00:08:18.49 Israel needed the Sinai desert as a buffer zone, 00:08:18.53\00:08:21.36 so they could make sure that they're not gonna get attacked 00:08:21.40\00:08:23.33 from the Sinai desert, Egypt, 00:08:23.37\00:08:26.63 even though they lost it in a war by right of conquest. 00:08:26.67\00:08:30.34 They'd lost that territory in a war to Israel. 00:08:30.37\00:08:33.04 They need it 00:08:33.07\00:08:34.41 because that's been their historical possession forever. 00:08:34.44\00:08:36.61 It's like an honor, a mark of honor. 00:08:36.64\00:08:38.45 They had to have that land. 00:08:38.48\00:08:39.91 And through what we call shuttle diplomacy 00:08:39.95\00:08:41.75 with Henry Kissinger. 00:08:41.78\00:08:44.09 "Okay, Israel, can you give the land back to Egypt?" 00:08:44.12\00:08:48.62 And Israel's like, "Yeah, 00:08:48.66\00:08:49.99 if we get to have early advanced warning systems 00:08:50.03\00:08:52.29 of an upcoming invasion." 00:08:52.33\00:08:54.86 And that's what Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin 00:08:54.90\00:08:58.73 were able to come to this huge, dramatic peace. 00:08:58.77\00:09:01.94 Yeah. 00:09:01.97\00:09:03.30 And it took another person in the room. 00:09:03.34\00:09:06.11 So there's a lot to be said and a lot of church... 00:09:06.14\00:09:11.45 Church and belief is such a personal thing 00:09:11.48\00:09:13.78 to a person in their heart 00:09:13.82\00:09:15.38 and that's where you're gonna get passion 00:09:15.42\00:09:17.75 and people are gonna wanna have 00:09:17.79\00:09:19.12 even the editor of Liberty magazine 00:09:19.15\00:09:20.62 choose a side, 00:09:20.66\00:09:21.99 you need to decide this, you are my judge. 00:09:22.02\00:09:23.73 Yeah. 00:09:23.76\00:09:25.09 And, you know, we all answer to one judge. 00:09:25.13\00:09:27.26 And you, you know... 00:09:27.30\00:09:28.73 You're giving me ammunition on how I deal with the next one. 00:09:28.76\00:09:31.17 Well, anyway we all make judgments every day. 00:09:31.20\00:09:37.17 We make thousands of judgments a day in split seconds. 00:09:37.21\00:09:40.61 And some of you... 00:09:40.64\00:09:41.98 Well, you know, I'm an attorney, 00:09:42.01\00:09:43.35 part of my law practice is doing estate planning. 00:09:43.38\00:09:45.75 And I'm not making a plug here 00:09:45.78\00:09:48.42 for doing estate planning at all, but I was doing... 00:09:48.45\00:09:51.55 Is there 800 number we can put out? 00:09:51.59\00:09:53.99 I was doing a will 00:09:54.02\00:09:55.36 for an elderly gentleman on hospice. 00:09:55.39\00:09:58.09 He was given eight days to live, 00:09:58.13\00:09:59.93 and he wanted to put his affairs in order. 00:09:59.96\00:10:02.03 And there's a test for mental competency 00:10:02.06\00:10:04.07 to make a will. 00:10:04.10\00:10:05.43 And I walked him through that he was surprised 00:10:05.47\00:10:07.37 that I was walking him through a test on mental competency 00:10:07.40\00:10:09.17 to make a will. 00:10:09.20\00:10:10.54 But at the end of that, you know what he said to me? 00:10:10.57\00:10:12.97 He was, "You know, Mr. Steinberg, 00:10:13.01\00:10:14.34 I'm glad that you have me take that test 00:10:14.38\00:10:16.28 to make will, but the only test 00:10:16.31\00:10:17.71 that I wanna be sure I past 00:10:17.75\00:10:19.81 is when I wake up did I know Jesus?" 00:10:19.85\00:10:22.08 Yeah. And when he told me that... 00:10:22.12\00:10:24.05 Now that rule would solve all of these inside church disputes 00:10:24.09\00:10:27.92 if they had the right spiritual commitment. 00:10:27.96\00:10:32.16 For some people, though, 00:10:32.19\00:10:33.53 when they're that passionate about an issue. 00:10:33.56\00:10:35.80 I learned from, 00:10:35.83\00:10:37.97 I can't remember which gentleman shared with me, 00:10:38.00\00:10:40.64 when someone has a lot of passion for an issue. 00:10:40.67\00:10:44.01 You can tap into that energy and actually, forgive me Lord, 00:10:44.04\00:10:48.31 actually get into the mind to 00:10:48.34\00:10:49.74 have there be some rationality about it. 00:10:49.78\00:10:52.38 And sometimes you can actually turn a person toward that. 00:10:52.41\00:10:56.52 Like for instance, 00:10:56.55\00:10:58.02 some people don't like Jehovah's Witnesses 00:10:58.05\00:10:59.89 going door to door. 00:10:59.92\00:11:01.26 They're known for that. 00:11:01.29\00:11:02.66 But they're out there doing their belief, and they've got 00:11:02.69\00:11:05.03 a constitutionally protected right to do that. 00:11:05.06\00:11:07.06 Yeah. 00:11:07.10\00:11:08.43 But what do you do with that person? 00:11:08.46\00:11:10.73 Do you try and share the love of God with them? 00:11:10.77\00:11:13.54 Or do you just laugh about it and make jokes about it? 00:11:13.57\00:11:15.87 Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean... 00:11:15.90\00:11:17.24 No, you should treat them as Christ witness, 00:11:17.27\00:11:20.64 it's an easy thing to figure out. 00:11:20.68\00:11:22.04 And we humans were great about rules. 00:11:22.08\00:11:24.41 We have a whole church manual. We have a whole policy manual. 00:11:24.45\00:11:27.52 And when someone is in dispute, 00:11:27.55\00:11:30.15 how often is it that you don't take the steps 00:11:30.19\00:11:32.45 to do Matthew 18. 00:11:32.49\00:11:33.82 And it's easier to throw the baby out 00:11:33.86\00:11:35.42 with the bathwater. 00:11:35.46\00:11:36.89 But it's just one of the things that I like harping back on. 00:11:36.93\00:11:40.60 Now let's get you onto... 00:11:40.63\00:11:42.86 I think you're right on the money there. 00:11:42.90\00:11:44.63 But I haven't lately heard any legal developments on this, 00:11:44.67\00:11:49.37 but I know this mean moves 00:11:49.40\00:11:51.77 toward holding the church culpable 00:11:51.81\00:11:55.11 for promises and expectations that members might have had. 00:11:55.14\00:11:58.48 Yes. 00:11:58.51\00:11:59.85 So like let's say, for example, 00:11:59.88\00:12:02.32 member has an expectation 00:12:02.35\00:12:04.29 of certain programs being offered, 00:12:04.32\00:12:07.26 and the church changes their mind 00:12:07.29\00:12:10.19 or change in leadership 00:12:10.23\00:12:11.56 and they don't wanna do that anymore. 00:12:11.59\00:12:12.93 You know what, 00:12:12.96\00:12:14.30 court's not gonna get involved in that at all. 00:12:14.33\00:12:15.83 Not yet, but it was tied to another funds 00:12:15.86\00:12:20.54 that they had contributed, and they... 00:12:20.57\00:12:22.90 In other words, there was an essence, 00:12:22.94\00:12:24.94 I don't remember the word, 00:12:24.97\00:12:26.31 but in essence a breach of a verbal contract. 00:12:26.34\00:12:29.28 Breach of trust. Yes. 00:12:29.31\00:12:30.95 So on the areas of breach of trust, 00:12:30.98\00:12:32.58 like a donor's intent of like, 00:12:32.61\00:12:35.08 "I will give the church of Lincoln Steed $5 million 00:12:35.12\00:12:39.22 to erect a statue to religious liberty 00:12:39.25\00:12:41.02 in Town Square." 00:12:41.06\00:12:42.39 Thank you. 00:12:42.42\00:12:43.93 Sounds like a good one. 00:12:43.96\00:12:46.93 Anyway... I like that. 00:12:46.96\00:12:49.16 And then instead, 00:12:49.20\00:12:52.77 you squander the money and go to Saudi Arabia, 00:12:52.80\00:12:56.14 get a harem, I don't know. 00:12:56.17\00:12:58.27 Well, now you're really entering 00:12:58.31\00:12:59.64 into dangerous territory. 00:12:59.67\00:13:01.01 But anyway, 00:13:01.04\00:13:02.38 it's an obvious breach of trust. 00:13:02.41\00:13:05.01 It's an obvious breach of the gift. 00:13:05.05\00:13:07.05 I believe a court will step in that case, 00:13:07.08\00:13:09.12 but a court won't go 00:13:09.15\00:13:10.49 into adjudicate different issues of church belief. 00:13:10.52\00:13:14.79 Well, that's good. 00:13:14.82\00:13:16.16 So, yes, I think 00:13:16.19\00:13:17.53 you've settled it very nicely in half a program 00:13:17.56\00:13:20.20 so we might have to go off in another direction. 00:13:20.23\00:13:22.46 You know... 00:13:22.50\00:13:23.83 But this is a very serious issue, 00:13:23.87\00:13:26.70 not necessarily in the classic religious liberty sense. 00:13:26.74\00:13:30.17 And earlier, you touched on something 00:13:30.21\00:13:33.14 that I know from Australia 00:13:33.17\00:13:36.58 was part of a dynamic, I was down in Australia, 00:13:36.61\00:13:39.51 decades ago now working for a while in our church work, 00:13:39.55\00:13:44.02 and there was a huge dispute within the church. 00:13:44.05\00:13:46.35 And part of it ended up in court, 00:13:46.39\00:13:49.36 two parties, not just two individuals, 00:13:49.39\00:13:51.93 two parties, 00:13:51.96\00:13:53.29 took the issue to court and the judge quoted the Bible, 00:13:53.33\00:13:57.57 and he said, "It's a disgrace that you come before me." 00:13:57.60\00:14:00.07 He says, "I'm dismissing this case. 00:14:00.10\00:14:01.57 You go and settle this privately." 00:14:01.60\00:14:03.04 Yes, exactly. 00:14:03.07\00:14:04.71 And, you know, it does say in the Bible, 00:14:04.74\00:14:06.14 you know, "Why are you going 00:14:06.17\00:14:08.08 in front of what they call the heathen court system?" 00:14:08.11\00:14:10.65 It can be very scary to be a witness 00:14:10.68\00:14:14.65 or even a party in a civil court matter. 00:14:14.68\00:14:17.75 Good time to take a break. 00:14:17.79\00:14:19.25 So stay with us, 00:14:19.29\00:14:20.62 and we'll be back shortly to continue this discussion. 00:14:20.66\00:14:23.09