The Five Core
Freedoms

WHY A FRAMEWORK

Not Political.
Principled.

CEA does not score on party. CEA scores on whether a lawmaker's record protects or erodes the five freedoms Christian employers depend on to lead by faith.

The framework is fixed. The standard is biblical. The scoring is objective and applied consistently across every bill, every session, every state.

The foundational freedom. Christian employers have a constitutionally protected right to hire by their values, structure benefits to reflect their convictions, and refuse to fund practices that violate their beliefs. CEA holds two permanent federal injunctions protecting members against mandate enforcement.

The ability to build, grow, and profit from honest work is a biblical virtue. Legislation that raises barriers to business formation, imposes punitive taxation, or blocks faith-driven employers from competing on a level field is measured against this freedom.

Regulatory overreach is among the greatest threats facing small and mid-sized employers. This freedom measures whether legislation imposes arbitrary burdens on how Christian businesses are structured, managed, and run.

Federal mandates requiring employers to fund procedures that violate biblical convictions represent a direct attack on Christian employers. This freedom measures whether legislation protects the right to offer benefit plans consistent with faith, without compulsion or penalty.

Christian employers should be free to hire, develop, and lead their teams in alignment with their values. This freedom measures whether legislation protects faith-driven staffing decisions and guards against coercive mandates that strip employers of the right to manage their own people.