new 'religious liberty task force ......

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watchman's picture
new 'religious liberty task force ......

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday announced the Department of Justice's creation of a "religious liberty task force" to "help the department fully implement our religious guidance."

link...

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/30/politics/jeff-sessions-religious-libe...

Any of our U.S. colleagues got any idea what "our religious guidance" consists of ?

(edit to correct spelling)

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Nyarlathotep's picture
I've been listening to a

I've been listening to a related "summit" today.

I haven't finished the whole thing, but apparently there is recently released document (20 simple guidelines I think they said?) from the top of the justice department directing the department how to interpret what religious freedom is.

The basic theme of the summit is that religious liberty trumps every other legal matter. In short: the law shouldn't be able to compel you to do anything that violates your religious beliefs. An example cited repeatedly was that religious employers shouldn't have to contribute to employees health insurance if that insurance would potentially violate their beliefs (birth control was a commonly cited issue).

watchman's picture
Thanks for that Nyar…… and

Thanks for that Nyar…… and the link...

I assume these proposed "protections" will apply to all religions...??? or is that being naïve .

Nyarlathotep's picture
I haven't read the document;

I haven't read the document; just listening to the video. Of course they pay lip-service to all religions in the talk (so far, not finished yet).

Oh and I just listened to this part (2:51:00) where a lawyer is discussing/defending the religious right to suck a newborn's penis with your mouth, after circumcision. That is not an exaggeration, imo.

Alembé's picture
Just a rhetorical question:

Just a rhetorical question:

If this christian god is so all-powerful, why does it need a US government task force to protect it and its followers?

Nyarlathotep's picture
It is surreal to hear speaker

It is surreal to hear speaker after speaker lament how their religious faith is under attack; when members of their faith totally dominate the positions in the halls of power.

Rohan M.'s picture
Agreed. Here's a pie-chart to

Agreed. Here's a pie-chart to punctuate the point:

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arakish's picture
Oh great. Guess that means

Oh great. Guess that means the stonings, crucifixions, stake burnings, etc. are going to be coming back since not allowing the Christians to do such would violate their religious freedoms...

rmfr

Rohan M.'s picture
@Arakish Yes... In fact, some

@Arakish Yes... In fact, some Christians (including our Vice President here in 'Murica) already want to be allowed to once again torture kids and teens for being gay... and even one of their websites praises this cruel practice... https://www.conservapedia.com/Conversion_therapy

This is exactly the reason why we have "militant" movements like FFRF and American Atheists.

Zaphod's picture
The religious intollerant

The country is being run by theses wingnuts and they used the 7 deadly sins to get it.

Zaphod's picture
The religious intollerant

The religious intollerant will only see things from their eyes and will come up with excuses and arguments to push their way on the will of others. The religious intollerant will disregard anything that does not go along with their own beliefs. They will not acknowledge that they can't have thier way with everyone else and will try to have their way regardless. It's a very dangerous time for not only atheist but for people of all faith's. The language "religious liberty task force" is make no mistake about it lingo to express militarized religion in the US.

Rohan M.'s picture
And yet they constantly bitch

And yet they constantly bitch and cry about "militant atheists" waging a "war on Christmas" and about how we atheists are the ones who are "forcing our beliefs down everyone else's throats". BULLSHIT.

ThePragmatic's picture
Why do I keep reading

Why do I keep reading "Christian Evangelical Liberty Task Force"?

If that task force was true to its purpose, they should stick to praying for their religious liberty.

Rohan M.'s picture
Yeah, I agree... it'll have

Yeah, I agree... it'll have the exact same effect as me thinking for the protection of the separation of Church and State... none at all. And besides, there's no need to fight for "religious liberty", because I don't know what kind of backwards alternate reality they live in, but nobody- repeat, nobody- is saying that they can't practice their faith, or that they can't believe what they want to believe. Oh yeaaah, I forgot... not being allowed to dictate what all 'Muricans can and can't do, wear, learn, say, or think is persecution and censorship... and an atheist daring to say that they don't believe in God within earshot of a theist who had grown accustomed to their beliefs never being challenged is militant... I'm so, so, so sorry... I should try to be more like S. E. Cupp...

Cognostic's picture
And now..... Meet the MAN

And now..... Meet the MAN who will be in Charge of the New All Christian, Religious Liberty Task force:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk23atjqtMQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDx4XyHND0s

arakish's picture
Seth Andrews - The Copycats:
David Killens's picture
This is a very very scary law

This is a very very scary law that is leading the US back into the dark ages and an age of barbarism.

What if a doctor in an ER chooses not to treat you because of some minor lines in an old book? What if a cop decides not to protect you for some biblical reason? What if some firefighters decide not to answer a call on a house on fire, because that house was owned by an atheist?

Rohan M.'s picture
@David Killens And as for the

@David Killens And as for the last one, I remember hearing in one of the past ARep news podcasts, Armin and Allie were discussing how some firefighters said that when driving to a burning house that belonged to atheists, they would drive a little slower because they "deserved to burn"... so scary...

The next time a Christian tells me that FFRF is Just As Bad As™ FFAF, I'll tell them that the above paragraph is why we have organizations like FFRF.

Zaphod's picture
LoL, I put a little bit of

LoL, I put a little bit of thought into this and you know something, perhaps we should try and take this over. Besides, who better to lead a religious liberty task force than people who stand nothing to gain with any particular religious liberty. I mean hey someone needs to say when religious people are infringing on the rights of others and define when ones religious liberty is getting out of hand. I can think of no better group of people to do it than a bunch of atheist who would like to defend and understand freedom of speech and expression.

watchman's picture
What's going on...….I keep

What's going on...….I keep tripping over this crap...…

First it was the "religious liberty task force"...… and now this...….

"How a faith-based movie studio is seizing the moment in Trump's America
Pure Flix is all about "faith, family and fun" — and occasionally politics. "

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/how-faith-based-movie-studio-...

Netflix for Christians ….? (shudders....)

Rohan M.'s picture
Oh, GOAT... First a Christian

Oh, GOAT... First a Christian version of Wikipedia (Conservapedia), then a Christian version of YouTube (formerly GodTube, but now Tangle), then a Christian version of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (Freedom From Atheism Foundation), then a Christian version of the (not so) "New Atheists" (New Christians), then a Christian version of MySpace (MyChurch), then a Christian version of Pininterest (Godinterest)... and now Pureflix, a Christian version of NETFLIX?! Wow, them poor, poor little Christians must be sooo persecuted... LMFAO this'll kill me!

Meepwned's picture
This has been on my radar for

This has been on my radar for months. I think it will ultimately fail, as atheism is gaining traction. The ability to look things up in minutes is the primary cause. They may create hurdles, but in 20 years, a significant margin of politicians will be atheists.

Rohan M.'s picture
They're already too late;

They're already too late; recent surveys show that the percentage of people aged 16-20 who are atheists is around 35%... and at that age, your views are pretty much all set... especially if they're (hopefully) based on reason and logic. I know that many argue that atheism is a "fad because it's cool" (because y'know, atheism is one of those things that can just be fads), but such people are just in denial and are trying to cope with the frustration at changing demographics.

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