I'm sure Grace Church leaders feel quite righteous about refusing to obey mandatory reporter laws. Conservative religious leaders in the United States make their bones demanding religious supremacy over the law. This is one of the core issues for Christian nationalists, a group of Christian leaders much discussed these days.

Organizations like the Heritage Foundation and the Alliance Defending Freedom practically live in federal court, where they argue that churches and church people must often be exempt from generally applicable laws, on religious liberty grounds.

They use fancy legal arguments to justify what conservative U.S. Christians hear constantly from their leaders: God's law trumps Man's law.

This case is a perfect example of the extremes that attitude leads to. And I think it's a very useful example.

Not too many conservative Christians get upset about Christian schools and universities defying federal and state employment law to fire, expel, or otherwise mistreat queer staff and students. Most conservative Christians think that's fantastic. They hate us queer people anyway, so they're not going to get upset about demands to break Man's law.

But this example is different. It showcases horrific bullying and abuse. It perfectly highlights why Christians must not be exempt from the law.

I don't expect too many conservative Christians will connect those dots, but I hope some do.