However, one man, a Christian Captain of the Los Angeles County fire department is suing the Golden State for forcing him to hang a Pride flag on the firehouse this June. He claims it’s against his Constitutional right to religious freedom.

That was the first time that a Pride flag had been flown at a government building. But now, just five years later, several other local governments have decided to do the same.

Mayor Bass announced, “I’m proud to have signed this historic motion to fly the Pride Flag over City Hall. Our message to the rest of the country and to the world is clear — now more than ever, we must stand together.”

Even in today’s modern world, there are still many who don’t approve of the LGBTQ+ community, which includes those who are gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, and queer. And these naysayers argue that the government should not be so publicly supporting the community.

Captain Little claims that by forcing him to fly the LGBTQ+ flag at his fire station in LA, the government is unequivocally revoking his Constitutional right to religious freedom.

Captain Little explained that he considers himself a “devout Evangelical Christian who adheres to traditional Christian beliefs” and, therefore, does not believe in same-sex relationships. Consequently, he argued that he deserved a religious accommodation.

Therefore, legally, Captain Little was completely within his rights to transfer in order to avoid hanging the Pride flag at his fire station.

Captain Little said that he himself took down the flags somewhere between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM the very day they were added to the flag poles. But that wasn’t the end of the drama.

Captain Little claims that when he refused, he was removed by the department from his role in the background investigation unit, therefore alleging that the Dockweiler department illegally retaliated against him for expressing his religious beliefs.

It continues to say that flying the flag is “in direct conflict with Captain Little’s bona fide and sincerely held religious beliefs on the same subjects.”

And in a press release, his lawyer, Paul Jonna, explained, “In our great country, Americans can’t even be forced to salute the American flag as a condition of government employment. Yet, in this case, the L.A. County Fire Department seeks to force Captain Little to personally raise the Progress Pride Flag in violation of his sincere and deeply held religious beliefs—or face termination.”

The first concerns an American’s right to religious freedoms, and the second concerns the government’s right to an opinion. Both have been debated for decades, but now it seems they are coming to a head.

In other words, neither the American government nor any of its elected leaders can pass laws that disrespect a citizen’s personal right to practice the religion of their choosing.

However, while this is considered a fact in the United States, it’s not exactly what happens in practice. There is absolutely religious prejudice in the US, specifically against those following the Islamic, Jewish, Satanic, or even atheist faiths.

Technically, because every American has the right to follow their own religious practices and beliefs, whatever they may be, the US itself should not identify as any one religion. However, it has become very clear that the US government and many of its citizens respect Christianity above all other belief systems.

The county’s pledge of allegiance, national anthem, and currencies, all mention the Christian God. So the question remains: Is the US a Christian nation, even though it’s supposed to be nonreligious according to the Constitution?

Currently, one-third of Americans agree that the US is a Christian nation and more than 40% argue that it should be. Even though people’s personal opinions cannot change the Constitution, it can affect who they vote into office.

The famously controversial Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has always boasted about his Christianity, and even quoted a Bible verse during one of his campaign speeches. And many argue that his belief system has unquestionably affected his decisions as leader of the Sunshine State.

In fact, Trump went as far as to say that if he is elected again in 2024, he will use his four years in the White House to defend Christianity as he is a self-proclaimed “very proud Christian.”

They argue that Trump and other government officials promoting Christian nationalism isn’t only unconstitutional and literally illegal, but it’s also against their own personal beliefs.

The organization believes that Jesus, the one true son of God, spread the message of love for all people, no matter who they are, what they believe in, or who they love. However, that is not the message these “Christian” leaders are spreading. Therefore, Faithful America wants the US to continue its practice of the separation of church and state.

Either way, the phrase stuck and has long been considered a crucial part of the American government system.

Christianity and the United States government are more intertwined than ever, and if Trump wins in November, the separation of church and state may become a distant memory.

However, whatever does happen in this case will likely influence the rights of Americans for years to come. And no matter which way the judge rules, there will certainly be outcries from Americans all around the country.