Trump admin now lets federal workers spread religion at work. Faith groups react

Miami Herald

6 days ago

New guidance from President Donald Trump's administration outlining how federal employees may engage with faith practices in the workplace garnered mixed reactions from religious groups, with some raising concern about the blurring boundary between church and state.
The guidelines, announced by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in a July 28 memo, allow federal employees to display religious items, pray and attempt to spread their religion at work, so long as these practices 'are not harassing in nature.'
The memo is the latest in a series of efforts by the Trump administration to bring religion to the forefront of American society. In February, Trump signed an executive order aiming to end 'anti-Christian bias' in the federal government and established a White House Faith Office, McClatchy News reported.
'President Trump is committed to reaffirming 'America's unique and beautiful tradition of religious liberty,' including by directing 'the executive branch to vigorously enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law,'' Scott Kupor, director of the OPM, said in the memo.
Focus on the Family, a Christian ministry dedicated to supporting families, celebrated the memo in a July 28 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
'What an encouraging moment!' the organization said. 'As pressure mounts from every side to compromise our values, we are glad to see our country's leadership standing firm on our constitutional right to express our faith!'
Other religious organizations, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, called the move 'unconstitutional,' and said the memo could make employees feel forced to participate in religious discussion when there is a power imbalance in the workplace, according to a July 28 statement.
'This is the implementation of Christian nationalism in our federal government,' Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president, said in the statement.
The Rev. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, general minister and president/CEO of the United Church of Christ, said in a July 29 statement the memo unfairly prioritizes Christianity in the workplace.
'At a time when Christian nationalists are seeking to rewrite the historic narratives from a standpoint of American exceptionalism, with disregard for religious, racial/ethnic and gender minorities, the memo threatens the very freedoms it appears to be reinforcing,' Thompson said.
While the guidelines mirror President Bill Clinton-era policies, that also allowed federal workers to speak about religion with each other and 'attempt to persuade fellow employees of the correctness of their religious views,' they go against a Department of Labor precedent that said workers 'who seek to proselytize in the workplace should cease doing so with respect to any individual who indicates that the communications are unwelcome.'