Washington Law on Divulging Confessions Is Rank Religious Discrimination

How does the persecution of churches by the state begin? With a state that sees people of faith, or of one particular faith, as the enemy and no part of its own constituency. That’s what many of the first settlers of the American colonies came here to escape. It’s also what today’s Americans of faith increasingly find in deep-blue parts of the country.

The State of Washington has not elected a Republican governor in 45 years. Democrats have held the state senate since 2017 and the state assembly since 2002. Unsurprisingly, the result is a government that has little regard for the rights of the minority — including the Catholic Church. Governor Bob Ferguson and the state legislature put that contempt on garish display with a new law, signed on Friday, that would require Catholic priests to break the seal of the confessional if they learn of sexual abuse.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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How does the persecution of churches by the state begin? With a state that sees people of faith, or of one particular faith, as the enemy and no part of its own constituency. That’s what many of the first settlers of the American colonies came here to escape. It’s also what today’s Americans of faith increasingly find in deep-blue parts of the country.

The State of Washington has not elected a Republican governor in 45 years. Democrats have held the state senate since 2017 and the state assembly since 2002. Unsurprisingly, the result is a government that has little regard for the rights of the minority — including the Catholic Church. Governor Bob Ferguson and the state legislature put that contempt on garish display with a new law, signed on Friday, that would require Catholic priests to break the seal of the confessional if they learn of sexual abuse.