Trump administration guidelines allow federal employees to preach at work

Under new guidelines issued by the Trump administration on Monday, which have alarmed advocates for the separation of church and state, federal employees will be permitted to preach in their workplaces.

The guidelines, outlined in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), permit public employees to pray and discuss religion, including efforts to “convince others of the correctness of their own religious views,” but do not endorse a specific faith.

Managers will also be able to encourage employees to express their faith, including through prayer.

The OPM Director stated, “Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their careers. This guidance ensures that federal workplaces not only comply with the law but are also tolerant of Americans of all faiths.”

The White House also pointed to a memo issued by former President Bill Clinton that contained similar language and protections.

Nevertheless, religious freedom advocates appear disturbed. Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said the guidelines contradict the Constitution and the rights of employees.

Weinstein asked, “What are your chances for promotion if your supervisor sits down and makes it clear that it’s important to him that you accept this weaponized version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”

However, Andrew Walker, an associate dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the new policy “resets” the rules to neutrality.

“I have no problem with this. To me, this is nothing more than reaffirming the First Amendment with the proper caveats that you’re not engaging in harassing behavior,” Walker claimed.

The Trump administration has significantly embraced religious initiatives. It established a Faith Office in the White House, instructed State Department employees to report perceived anti-Christian bias from colleagues, and issued an executive order to create a presidential commission on religious freedom.