On April 10, Gov. Jared Polis stood at the Colorado State Capitol and read a proclamation recognizing Religious Liberty Day. Standing beside him was Attorney General Phil Weiser, who remarked on the importance of safeguarding this foundational American freedom. Both men rightly acknowledged that religious liberty is a core component of the constitutional heritage. However, Coloradans concerned with the integrity of this principle must ask a difficult question: Do the actions of our state’s leaders align with their words?

Increasingly, the answer appears to be no.

In Colorado, we are witnessing a troubling pattern: Political leaders speak eloquently about religious freedom in ceremonial moments but consistently fail to protect it where it matters most—in law and public policy. This inconsistency is not merely rhetorical but has real-world implications, particularly for people of faith who seek to live, work, and educate their children in accordance with their deeply held beliefs.

A recent example starkly illustrates this point. In May, Polis signed HB25-1312 into law. The bill’s stated purpose is to expand nondiscrimination protections in various public accommodations, a goal that many Coloradans support in principle. However, what the bill did not include is just as telling: There was no carveout, no religious exemption for faith-based organizations, schools, camps, or ministries that operate according to biblical convictions about sex and gender. Despite ample opportunities to correct this omission, the governor and his administration failed to act.

Even more alarming is the decision from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood earlier this year, which ruled that a Christian camp must accommodate children based on their gender identity — even when doing so would require biological males to share overnight accommodations, bathrooms, and changing areas with girls. This is not simply a difference in worldview; it is a state mandate that forces religious organizations to violate their beliefs or face penalties. Where is the respect for religious liberty in such a demand?

Polis and Weiser want to be seen as defenders of religious freedom, and in ceremonial moments like Religious Liberty Day, they make sure to say the right things to that effect. However, true commitment to a principle is shown not in what one says on a podium but in what one does when pressure mounts. To date, this administration has shown little interest in defending the rights of religious Coloradans to live out their faith in the public square, especially when doing so conflicts with prevailing political and cultural ideologies.

A wise friend once told me, “Do not just listen to what people say. Watch what they do. Their actions will tell you what they truly believe.”

To be clear, religious liberty is not a license to discriminate or to treat others with anything less than dignity. However, it is not simply the right to worship privately or pray quietly. The free exercise of religion — enshrined in the First Amendment — means the right to order one’s life, work, and community according to religious convictions. This includes how religious schools educate, how Christian camps operate, how faith-based organizations serve others, and how Christian-owned businesses conduct themselves.

Colorado has long prided itself on being a state that values diversity and pluralism in its population. However, true pluralism is not achieved by silencing or marginalizing religious voices; it is achieved by protecting space for genuine disagreement and ensuring that people of faith are not penalized for living consistently with their beliefs.

There are reasonable ways to balance civil rights and religious liberties. Other states have crafted laws that ensure protection for LGBTQ individuals without forcing religious organizations to abandon their beliefs or practices. Unfortunately, Colorado’s leadership seems uninterested in seeking this balance. Instead, they prioritized ideological conformity over constitutional protections.

What we need now is not more proclamations or symbolic gestures but action. We need political courage — the courage to protect everyone’s rights even when we strongly disagree with them; the courage to defend constitutional freedoms even when it means standing up to activist pressure; and, the courage to acknowledge that in a truly free society, people of faith should not have to choose between their convictions and their calling.

As Coloradans, we must insist that our leaders do better in this regard. We must hold them accountable not only for what they say but also for what they do. Religious liberty is too important to be honored with words alone. It must be defended by action.

Greg Schaller serves as the director of the Centennial Institute, the conservative think tank of Colorado Christian University. He has taught politics at CCU, Villanova University and St. Joseph’s University. He holds a B.A. in political science and history from Eastern University and an M.A. in political science from Villanova University.