Chapter 4 – Our Solution
Why This Matters to Texas Republicans
Texas is a constitutional republic, not a theocracy and not an ideological state. Our liberty depends on keeping government power limited, neutral, and bound by the Constitution.
This resolution matters because it draws a clear line where government must stop.
It protects freedom of conscience for everyone — especially people of faith — by ensuring that no Texan is ever forced to submit to religious, ideological, or political doctrine as a condition of employment, education, public accommodation, or access to government authority.
It prevents government from enforcing religious law, ideological rules, or foreign legal systems as civil law, while fully preserving private religious belief, worship, and voluntary practice.
It also protects Christians and other people of faith from the kind of coercion many experienced during COVID, when government mandates punished refusal to comply with medical or ideological requirements that violated conscience.
This is not about suppressing religion. It is about keeping government from becoming the enforcer of belief — whether religious or secular.
When government stays in its constitutional lane, faith is free to flourish, families remain sovereign, and liberty is preserved.
That balance — faith protected, coercion prohibited — is exactly what the Constitution requires, and exactly what this resolution supports.
Christian-Specific FAQ
Does this resolution attack Christianity or religious influence?
No. It protects Christianity by preventing government from controlling, regulating, or enforcing religion. The Church thrives best when it is free from state power.
Does this stop Christians from living out their faith publicly?
No. Christians remain free to speak, worship, persuade, assemble, and live according to their faith. What it stops is government coercion, not Christian witness.
What about public accommodations and religious conscience?
The resolution does not force Christians to violate conscience. It prevents government from conditioning licenses, employment, benefits, or authority on belief or ideological compliance. It protects the right to say no.
How does this relate to COVID mandates, vaccines, and masking?
Many Christians were punished for refusing mandates that violated conscience. This resolution affirms that government may not use its power to coerce belief, medical compliance, or ideological conformity under threat of exclusion or penalty.
Does this prevent Christians from advocating biblical values in law?
Christians remain free to advocate moral positions through the democratic process. What this resolution rejects is enforcing religious law as religious law, rather than as neutral civil law grounded in constitutional authority.
Does it stop Sharia law or other foreign legal systems?
Yes. It clearly rejects any substitution of foreign, religious, or ideological legal systems for constitutional law — without singling out Christianity or any faith.
Bottom line for Christians?
This protects your faith, your conscience, your children, and your church — by keeping Caesar out of God’s jurisdiction.
RPT Platform Plank Language
This can be placed under Religious Liberty, Constitutional Government, or Civil Authority:
Constitutional Self-Government and Freedom of Conscience
We affirm that Texas is a constitutional republic in which all civil authority derives solely from the United States and Texas Constitutions. Government must not enforce, apply, or accommodate religious law, ideological doctrine, or foreign legal systems as civil law, nor condition public authority, employment, benefits, or public accommodations on belief or participation.
We strongly support legislation that protects private religious exercise, voluntary association, and freedom of conscience, including the right to refuse government-imposed mandates that violate sincerely held beliefs. Government neutrality in matters of belief protects liberty by preventing coercion, compelled orthodoxy, and punishment for dissent, while preserving the free exercise of faith.
RPT PLATFORM RESOLUTION
In Support of Constitutional Self-Government, Freedom of Conscience,
and the Prohibition of Religious or Ideological Governance
WHEREAS, The Republican Party of Texas affirms that the United States and Texas are constitutional republics founded on the sovereignty of the People, with all civil authority deriving solely from the Constitutions of the United States and Texas; and
WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the free exercise of religion while prohibiting the establishment of religion, and secures freedom of conscience, including the right to believe, to practice, or to decline belief or participation; and
WHEREAS, Religious liberty is strongest when government neither compels belief nor enforces any religious, ideological, or foreign legal system as civil law; and
WHEREAS, History demonstrates that liberty is threatened whenever civil authority is subordinated to religious doctrine, ideological systems, or extra-constitutional codes, whether foreign or domestic; and
WHEREAS, Government neutrality in matters of belief protects people of faith by preventing coercion, forced participation, or punishment for conscience-based refusal, including in matters of public employment, public accommodations, education, licensing, or access to public benefits; and
WHEREAS, Texans of faith have experienced government-imposed mandates—such as compelled medical procedures, ideological requirements, or belief-based conditions—where refusal based on conscience resulted in exclusion, penalty, or loss of opportunity; and
WHEREAS, No person or organization has a constitutional right to demand that government apply religious law, theological rules, or ideological doctrine as civil law, nor to condition public authority on compliance with belief; and
WHEREAS, The Republican Party of Texas has long opposed the recognition or enforcement of foreign legal systems, including Sharia law, and affirms that no competing legal authority may supplant constitutional governance in Texas;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Republican Party of Texas reaffirms that all civil authority in Texas is subordinate to the United States and Texas Constitutions, and may not be delegated to religious, ideological, or foreign legal systems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Party supports legislation prohibiting the use of governmental authority, public office, or taxpayer funds to enforce, apply, or accommodate religious or ideological law as civil law, or to condition public power, public employment, public benefits, or public accommodations on belief or participation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That such legislation must fully protect private religious exercise, voluntary association, and freedom of conscience, including the right of individuals to decline participation in government-imposed mandates that violate sincerely held beliefs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Republican Party of Texas urges the Texas Legislature during the 2027 Regular Session to enact safeguards preserving constitutional self-government, preventing belief-based coercion, and ensuring that no Texan is compelled—directly or indirectly—to submit to religious or ideological governance; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That this principle shall be treated as a legislative priority of the Republican Party of Texas.
How to Use This at the RPT Convention — Usage Explainer
How This Proposal Becomes Part of the Republican Party of Texas Platform
This resolution is designed to be used through the Republican Party of Texas convention process, consistent with RPT rules and practice.
Step 1: Submit as a Platform Resolution
Delegates may submit this resolution through their county or senatorial district convention as a platform resolution. The resolution should be introduced during the platform or resolutions committee process at the convention level.
Step 2: Committee Consideration
If adopted by the local convention, the resolution is forwarded to the State Republican Party Platform Committee for consideration at the State Convention.
Step 3: Platform Integration
The Platform Committee may:
Adopt the resolution as written,
Incorporate its principles into an existing platform plank, or
Advance it as a new plank or priority statement for the next legislative session.
Step 4: Delegate Advocacy
Delegates are encouraged to:
Share the explainer and FAQ with fellow delegates,
Speak in favor during committee debate,
Emphasize constitutional grounding, neutrality, and protection of conscience.
Step 5: Legislative Priority (2027 Session)
Once adopted into the platform, the resolution may be elevated as a Republican Party of Texas legislative priority, guiding endorsed legislation during the 2027 Texas Legislative Session.
This proposal is written to be platform-compatible, constitutionally grounded, and suitable for legislative translation without amendment to its core principles.
Download & Print
A print-ready PDF of this resolution, including:
The constitutional purpose summary,
Plain-language explanations,
Delegate FAQs, and
Convention-use guidance,
is available for download below.
➡ [Download the Sword and Shield Resolution (PDF)]
(Formatted for printing, distribution, and convention submission)
Delegates, precinct chairs, and grassroots volunteers are encouraged to print copies for committee meetings, delegate caucuses, and convention discussion.
For questions about submission, platform placement, or legislative coordination, contact Accountability Matters directly.