As America Turns 250, We Should Ask: Are We Using Our Greatest Freedom?

Published: July 4, 2026

church, faith, prayer, cross — Photo by Mick Kirchman on Unsplash

By Movieguide® Staff

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence this July 4th, IgniteAmerica Founder and President Barry Meguiar is issuing a challenge that cuts to the heart of what the Founders built.

“Religious freedom is one of the greatest blessings Americans enjoy, and we should never take it for granted,” Meguiar said. “Millions of believers around the world cannot openly share their faith, but we can. We should use that freedom with gratitude and purpose by inviting others to experience the hope found in Jesus Christ.”

The call lands at a meaningful moment. When the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they grounded human rights in a Creator — a claim that was radical then and remains foundational now. Thomas Jefferson considered the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted in 1786, one of his three greatest accomplishments, and it laid the groundwork for the First Amendment, ratified in 1791.

Two hundred fifty years on, that freedom to share one’s faith openly and without fear remains both a defining American liberty and, by global standards, a genuinely rare one. Recent research shows 80% of non-churchgoers would attend church if invited — yet nearly half of Christians said they hadn’t extended that invitation to anyone in recent months.

Meguiar knows something about building from scratch. The third-generation president of Meguiar’s Car Wax — the top-selling automotive care brand in America — hosted Discovery Channel’s CAR CRAZY for 18 years. A recent episode of his “Ignite With Barry Meguiar” podcast featured Pacific Justice Institute founder Brad Dacus in a conversation about what it actually means to defend and exercise religious liberty.

“It’s freedom we get to celebrate God’s love to us and flowing through us,” Meguiar said.

To help believers move from conviction to action, IgniteAmerica released “Ignite Your Day: A 30-Day Faith Sharing Challenge,” a free, downloadable e-book built on the premise that you don’t need “a stage or a sermon to share your faith” — just “an open heart and a willingness to say yes to God’s nudges.” Day-by-day prompts include praying for a mail carrier or asking a restaurant server how to pray for them. Matthew 5:16 — “Let your light shine before others” — anchors the entire challenge.

“Many Americans are far more open to spiritual conversations than Christians realize,” Meguiar noted. “Sharing our faith does not require extraordinary gifts. It starts with ordinary acts of kindness, intentional conversations and a willingness to invite someone to take one step closer to Jesus.”

IgniteAmerica also offers SeekingGod.org Cards — small, shareable tools that direct recipients to articles, videos, and biblical teaching designed to guide seekers toward a personal relationship with Jesus. The ministry describes every card as a conversation that could become something eternal.

Meguiar’s credibility in both the business world and the church runs deep. The Assemblies of God named him Layman of the Year; the National Religious Broadcasters honored him with the Billy Graham Award for Excellence in Christian Communications. Moody Bible Institute presented him with its 1886 Legacy Award, and Northwest University granted him an honorary doctorate.

As the nation turns 250, IgniteAmerica’s message is pointed: the freedom to share your faith is real, it’s rare by any global measure, and it belongs to every believer. The only question is whether we’ll use it.

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