2026年5月17日 美国东部时间上午5:00 / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
作者：阿丽娜·法亚兹
2026年5月14日，工人在国家广场搭建“自由250”美国大州博览会的基础设施，美国农业部大楼外悬挂着横幅。
周日在国家广场举办的全天祈祷活动得到了白宫的支持，资金来自纳税人款项和私人捐赠的混合来源，这是特朗普政府模糊政教分离界限的最新导火索。
这场被命名为“重新奉献250：全国祈祷、赞美与感恩禧年”的活动，是纪念美国建国250周年系列庆祝活动的一部分，预计将有包括国防部长皮特·赫格西和众议院议长迈克·约翰逊在内的政府官员发表讲话，以及总统唐纳德·特朗普和国务卿马可·鲁比奥的视频致辞。活动将汇集宗教领袖、公职人员和音乐家，在美国建国周年纪念前夕进行反思和礼拜。
周日的活动是白宫倡导的一系列宗教举措和政策行动的最新一例，这些举措和行动强化了政府运作、文化和政策中对基督教的重视。
“自由250”是国家公园基金会的非营利子公司，也是国家公园管理局的筹款机构，负责组织此次活动。
“‘重新奉献250’将是一个充满力量的时刻，让我们反思走过的道路，重新致力于定义我们的理想，并以新的希望和目标展望未来，”“自由250”高级顾问丹妮尔·阿尔瓦雷斯说道。
尽管组织者邀请了来自各个背景的美国人参加活动，但出席的众多宗教领袖大多是福音派基督徒，仅有一位东正教犹太教士和两位保守派天主教主教除外。白宫高级政策顾问、白宫美国250特别工作组负责人布里塔尼·鲍德温在周日活动前发布的一段已删除的规划网络研讨会上，将活动的核心描述为“我们作为犹太-基督教国家的传统”。
合宪性争议
CNN采访的专家在该活动是否合宪这一问题上存在分歧。
西北大学普利兹克法学院教授安德鲁·科普曼的研究领域包括宪法法律，他表示，尽管他认为活动本身可能受到宪法保护，但这“违背了宪法的根本宗旨”。
“这种刻意将特定宗教与现任政府绑定的分裂性做法，对宗教、对政府、对美国都不利，”科普曼说道。
但德克萨斯大学法学院专攻宗教与法律的道格拉斯·莱科克表示，他认为此次活动“明显违反宪法”。
“它违宪，因为这是明确的政府对宗教的推广，而且不仅仅是泛指的宗教，而是某一特定宗教中相当具体的一种版本，”莱科克说道。
与此同时，维拉诺瓦大学查尔斯·威杰法学院的法律与宗教教授迈克尔·穆尔兰德认为，宗教信仰和公共广场可以共存，并指出国会公开会议和总统就职典礼上都有祈祷环节。
“我认为，认为此类活动会引发任何宪法问题，是过分强调了分离原则，”穆尔兰德说道，并补充称，“对第一修正案要求的这种分离主义解读过于严苛。”
白宫发言人泰勒·罗杰斯在给CNN的一份声明中表示，“重新奉献250”将是一个“美好且团结的时刻”，反思由“众多信仰伟大的男女”塑造的美国历史。
“‘重新奉献250’将是我们首都一场精彩的活动，庆祝所有信仰者的宗教自由——这是开国元勋载入宪法的神圣原则的基石。美国人将齐聚国家广场，将这个国家重新奉献为‘以上帝为首的统一国家’，”罗杰斯说道。
政府层面的基督教聚焦
批评人士称，特朗普政府试图强化基督教民族主义——即认为美国是作为一个基督教国家建国的，应当由基督教原则治理。
改革犹太教宗教行动中心主任拉比约拿·多夫·佩斯内尔认为，鲍德温用来描述活动的“犹太-基督教”一词，以及特朗普政府官员反复用来描述国家价值观的该词，并不符合美国的基督教、犹太教或其他宗教的利益。
“‘犹太-基督教’常被用作混搭概念，用以吞并犹太教，将其纳入一种胜利主义的基督教视角，并直接迎合白人基督教民族主义的叙事，”佩斯内尔在周日活动前的媒体吹风会上说道。
CNN就白人基督教民族主义的批评联系了白宫。
多位特朗普政府官员多次将美国建国与基督教联系起来。在今年春季的全国祈祷早餐会上，赫格西宣称“美国是作为一个基督教国家建国的”。在一段宣传周日活动的视频中，这位国防部长表示：“我们的开国元勋知晓两个简单的真理：我们的权利并非来自政府，而是来自上帝，一个国家的强大程度取决于其信仰。”
但一些历史学家对此并不认同。加州基督教大学大师学院的历史与政治研究教授格雷格·弗雷泽在一篇在线论文中写道，尽管开国元勋中有基督徒，“但他们并未打算创建一个基督教国家”。
“他们是宗教人士，希望宗教——但不一定是基督教——能在公共广场产生重大影响，”弗雷泽写道。
美国宪法第一修正案规定：“国会不得制定关于确立国教的法律。”
包括美国政教分离联合会主席兼首席执行官雷切尔·莱泽在内的其他活动批评人士，将“重新奉献250”描述为国家广场上的“政府运营的礼拜仪式”，许多基督徒对此并不认同。
“其目的是将本届政府对基督教的狭隘观点确立为美国的国教，”莱泽在媒体吹风会上说道。“我可以想象，我们的开国元勋正在坟墓中辗转反侧。”
“自由250”的一位发言人告诉CNN，美国有着公开祈祷的悠久历史，可追溯至第二次大陆会议时期。
赫格西今年2月邀请了一位有争议的自称为基督教民族主义者的牧师领导五角大楼的月度祈祷系列活动中的一场礼拜仪式，这位牧师支持废除妇女选举权，并认为同性恋应当被定为犯罪。
自特朗普去年重返白宫以来，五角大楼是多个开始以祈祷开启会议、举办常规宗教仪式、并在社交媒体上发布圣经经文和基督教意象的政府机构之一。
今年4月，特朗普与内阁成员和宗教领袖一同参与了一场马拉松式的圣经诵读活动，作为为期一周活动的一部分，该活动的组织者将其描述为对美国建国250周年的“精神庆祝”。
同月早些时候，农业部长布鲁克·罗林斯向员工发送了“基督复活了”的复活节讯息，引发了部门内部的强烈反对，激怒了该部门近10万名员工中的一些人，并引发了针对这位部长的正式投诉。
代表包括农业部员工在内的联邦雇员的工会，上周就这封复活节邮件起诉了该机构和罗林斯，寻求阻止部长“进一步向农业部下属员工传播传教式的基督教信息”。当被问及对该诉讼的置评时，农业部的一位发言人告诉CNN：“我们不会对未决诉讼置评，但我们将在这一过程中为原告祈祷。”
宗教活动使用公私混合资金
“自由250”的一位发言人告诉CNN，该组织使用私人和公共资金为美国建国250周年举办标志性活动。
去年，国会在《一个宏大美丽法案》中拨款1.5亿美元用于250周年纪念活动。当被问及该组织为“重新奉献250”花费了多少资金时，CNN未得到明确答复。
尽管“自由250”的架构意味着它不必披露捐赠者，但国家公园基金会主席兼首席执行官杰夫·莱恩博尔德在2月的一场听证会上告诉议员们，该基金会将按照正常的报告流程披露对“自由250”的所有捐赠，除非捐赠者要求匿名。
“任何对‘自由250’的捐赠都遵循我们正常的捐赠程序，”他说道，并补充称捐赠者也会经过国家公园管理局的审核。
随着美国即将迎来建国250周年，公共宗教研究所主席兼创始人罗伯特·P·琼斯表示，他的研究显示美国人正在接受宗教多元化国家的观点。
“这个国家不仅存在巨大的多样性，我想说……基督教内部本身也存在多样性，我认为这一点值得注意，而如果你看看这场活动，这一点确实完全缺失了，”琼斯说道。
CNN的派珀·哈德塞普·布莱克本对本文亦有贡献。
National Mall prayer event sparks concern about Trump administration eroding the wall between church and state
2026-05-17 05:00 AM ET / CNN
By Aleena Fayaz
Banners hang from the United States Department of Agriculture as workers build out Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair infrastructure on the National Mall on May 14, 2026.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
An all-day prayer event on the National Mall on Sunday — backed by the White House through a mix of taxpayer funds and private donations — is the most recent flashpoint in the Trump administration blurring separation of church and state.
The event, dubbed “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” is part of a series of celebrations commemorating America’s 250th birthday, and is expected to feature remarks from government officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson and video messages from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The event will bring together faith leaders, public officials and musicians to reflect and worship ahead of the anniversary of the nation’s founding.
Sunday’s event is the latest in a series of faith initiatives and policy moves championed by the White House that have bolstered an emphasis on Christianity in the government’s operations, culture and policy.
Freedom 250, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, which functions as the National Park Service’s fundraising arm, organized the event.
“Rededicate250 will be a powerful moment to reflect on where we have been, recommit ourselves to the ideals that define us, and look toward the future with renewed hope and purpose,” said Freedom 250 senior adviser Danielle Alvarez.
While organizers are inviting Americans of every background to attend the event, the long list of faith leaders attending are largely evangelical Christians — except for one Orthodox rabbi and two conservative Catholic bishops. Brittany Baldwin, White House senior policy adviser and executive of the White House Task Force America 250, described a focus on “our heritage as a Judeo-Christian” nation in a since-deleted planning webinar that was posted ahead of Sunday’s event.
Questions over constitutionality
Experts CNN spoke with were split on whether the event is constitutional.
Andrew Koppelman, a professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law whose areas of focus include constitutional law, said while he believes the event itself is probably constitutionally protected, it’s “contrary to the fundamental purposes of the Constitution.”
“This kind of divisive embrace of a particular religion and trying to associate the incumbent administration with that religion is bad for religion, bad for government and bad for America,” Koppelman said.
But Douglas Laycock, who specializes in religion and law at the University of Texas School of Law, said he believes this event is “flagrantly unconstitutional.”
“It is unconstitutional because it is explicit government promotion of religion, and not just religion in general, but of a fairly specific version of one particular religion,” Laycock said.
Meanwhile, Michael Mooreland, professor of law and religion at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law, argued there can be an intersection of religious faith and the public square, noting the prayers at open sessions of Congress and at the presidential inauguration.
“I think that it’s kind of overemphasizing that idea of separation to think that an event like this raises any constitutional problems,” Mooreland said, adding that it’s “too strong a separationist view of what the First Amendment requires.”
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told CNN in a statement that Rededicate 250 will be a “beautiful and unifying moment” to reflect on America’s history that has been shaped by “great men and women of faith.”
“Rededicate 250 will be a fantastic event in our nation’s capital to celebrate freedom of religion for all people of faith — a cornerstone of the sacred principles enshrined in our Constitution by the founding fathers. Americans will come together on the National Mall to rededicate this country as ‘one nation under God,’” Rogers said.
A government-wide focus on Christianity
Critics say the Trump administration is trying to reinforce Christian nationalism — the belief that the US was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by Christian principles.
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, argued the term Judeo-Christian, which Baldwin used to describe the event, and which members of the Trump administration have repeatedly used to describe the nation’s values, does not serve Christianity, Judaism or other religions in America.
“Judeo-Christian is often used as a mash up to co-op Judaism and subsume it within a triumphal view of Christianity and feeds right into a White Christian nationalist narrative,” Pesner said at a media briefing ahead of Sunday’s event.
CNN reached out to the White House on criticisms about White Christian nationalism.
Various Trump administration officials have repeatedly tied the nation’s founding to Christianity. During a National Prayer Breakfast event this spring, Hegseth declared “America was founded as a Christian nation.” In one video promoting Sunday’s event, the defense secretary said, “Our founders knew two simple truths: Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God, and a nation is only as strong as its faith.”
But some historians disagree. Gregg Frazer, a professor of history and political studies The Master’s University, a Christian college in California, wrote in an online paper that while there were Christians among the Founding Fathers, “they did not intend to create a Christian nation.”
“They were religious men who wanted religion — but not necessarily Christianity — to have significant influence in the public square,” Frazer wrote.
The US Constitution’s First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Other critics of the event, including Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, have characterized “Rededicate 250” as a “government run-church service” on the National Mall that many Christians don’t agree with.
“It’s meant to establish this administration’s narrow view of Christianity as the American religion,” Laser said at a media briefing. “I can imagine that our founders are rolling over in their graves.”
A spokesperson for Freedom 250 told CNN the US has a long history of public prayer, dating to the Second Continental Congress.
Hegseth in February invited a controversial self-described Christian nationalist pastor who supports repealing women’s right to vote and who believes homosexuality should be a crime to lead a worship service at the Pentagon as part of a monthly prayer series he started.
The Pentagon is one of several government agencies that have moved to open meetings with a prayer, host regular faith services, and post Bible verses and Christian imagery on social media since Trump returned to office last year.
In April, Trump, alongside members of his Cabinet and faith leaders, participated in a marathon reading of the Bible, as part of a weeklong event offering what its organizers described as a “spiritual celebration” of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Earlier that month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent a “Christ is risen” Easter message to employees, sparking backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary.
A union representing federal employees, including those at the Department of Agriculture, filed a lawsuit against the agency and Rollins last week over the Easter email, seeking to prevent the secretary from “further communicating proselytizing Christian messages to USDA subordinates.” When asked for comment on the lawsuit, a USDA spokesperson told CNN, “While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.”
Public-private funds used for religious event
A spokesperson for Freedom 250 told CNN the group puts on signature events for the nation’s 250th anniversary using private and public dollars.
Last year, Congress allocated $150 million toward the 250th in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Asked how much money the group is spending on Rededicate 250, CNN was not given a clear answer.
While Freedom 250’s setup means that it does not have to disclose its donors, Jeff Reinbold, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, told lawmakers at a hearing in February that the foundation would disclose any donations to Freedom 250 as part of its normal reporting, unless anonymity is requested by the donor.
“Any donations to Freedom 250 follow our normal donation procedures,” he said, adding that the donors are also vetted by the National Park Service.
As the country prepares to turn 250, Robert P. Jones, president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, said his research shows Americans are embracing the view of a religiously diverse country.
“There is great diversity, not only in the country, but I would say … within Christianity itself, and I think that’s worth noting, and the thing that’s really quite absent if you look at this event,” Jones said.
CNN’s Piper Hudsepth Blackburn contributed to this report.