You know, it’s a funny thing about freedom. Our Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, knew that certain rights weren’t just nice ideas, but gifts from God Himself, essential for a virtuous and free nation. And right up there at the top of the list? The freedom to worship, to live out your faith without the government breathing down your neck. It’s the bedrock, Americans, the very first freedom they thought to protect.

But lately, it feels like some people, particularly on the Left, are treating these sacred rights like old suggestions they’d rather ignore. Day by day, it seems there’s a new effort to chip away, to redefine, or to outright attack the principles that made this country great. And just when you think they can’t go any further, one state, run by Democrats naturally, decides to pass a law so egregious it directly tramples on the religious liberties of millions.

Well, patriots, I’m here to tell you that President Trump’s Department of Justice isn’t standing idly by. They’ve just announced a full-blown civil rights investigation into a new law out of Washington State, Senate Bill 5375. This isn’t just some minor bureaucratic squabble; this is about a state government apparently trying to force priests to violate the sacred seal of confession when it comes to reporting child abuse or neglect. Yes, you read that right – demanding clergy break a vow central to their faith.

Liberals Declare War on the Confessional?

This Washington State law, signed by Democrat Governor Bob Ferguson on May 2nd, 2025, doesn’t just tiptoe around the First Amendment; it looks like it two-steps right over it. The DOJ itself noted that SB 5375 “appears on its face to violate the First Amendment.” Think about that. The sanctity of the confessional, a cornerstone of faith for millions, is being directly threatened by state decree. It’s a place where souls are bared, seeking guidance and forgiveness, and the privacy of that space has been respected for centuries.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division put it bluntly, and thank goodness for her clarity:

From ‘The Post Millennial’:

“SB 5375 demands that Catholic priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government.”

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division even went so far as to characterize it as an “anti-Catholic law” in their communications. When the federal government uses language that strong, you know we’re dealing with a serious overreach. This isn’t just policy; it’s an affront to religious practice.

Special Persecution: Why Clergy Are Singled Out

What’s particularly galling about SB 5375 is how it seems to specifically target members of the clergy. According to the DOJ’s investigation announcement, the new law adds clergy to a list of mandated reporters but does so without an exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. It’s a direct hit.

But it gets worse. The law apparently singles out “members of the clergy” as the only supervisors who may not rely on applicable legal privileges, including religious confessions, as a defense to mandatory reporting. As Harmeet Dhillon also stated, “Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals.” So, other professionals might get a pass on certain privileges, but not our priests? This isn’t just an oversight; it smells like deliberate targeting, an attempt to undermine a specific religious practice. It’s a classic case of government picking winners and losers, and in this scenario, religious freedom is clearly on the losing end in Washington State.

We Hate to Say We Told You So (But We Did)

The truly frustrating part? This constitutional train wreck was entirely predictable. While this bill was making its way through the Washington legislature back in April, Republican State Representative Jim Walsh was sounding the alarm. He warned that SB 5375 didn’t just violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, but also Article 1, Section 11 of Washington’s own State Constitution!

Rep. Walsh rightly called it a “dangerous erosion of constitutional rights and a threat to the foundational principles of justice.” He even offered amendments to protect religious freedom, but it seems the powers-that-be in Olympia weren’t interested in listening to common sense or, you know, the actual Constitution. It’s a stark reminder that when common-sense conservative voices are ignored, fundamental liberties often pay the price.

This situation in Washington State is a wake-up call. It’s a blatant attempt by a liberal state government to interfere with one of the most sacred tenets of faith for many Americans. But thankfully, under President Trump, we have a Department of Justice willing to step in and defend our God-given, constitutionally protected religious freedoms. This investigation is a welcome sign that the erosion of our rights will not go unchallenged. We’ll be watching this one closely, because the fight for religious liberty is a fight for the soul of America.

Key Takeaways:

• WA State law SB 5375 attacks religious freedom, forcing clergy to break confessional seals.
• Trump’s DOJ is investigating this “anti-Catholic” law as a First Amendment violation.
• Federal action defends constitutional rights against state overreach targeting religious communities.

Sources: The Post Millennial