John Boehner Appoints NOM Founder To Religious Freedom Commission

Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has appointed NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, co-founder and former Chairman Dr. Robert George to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Commissioners at the USCIRF are government employees, and hold their posts for two years.

Last month, Dr. George appeared on anti-gay advocate and founder of James Dobson’s show claimed that President Obama’s policies were a “weapon” of the federal government designed to “undermine religious liberty.”

Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign released previously sealed court documents that include internal NOM documents that provide a road map and board-approved strategy for using race-baiting and religion as tactics to divide the Democratic party on the issue of same-sex marriage and to bring down President Obama.

“Dr. George is a respected and leading voice for religious freedom, and I’m pleased that he will bring his passion for this issue and legal expertise to the commission,” Speaker Boehner said via a press release. “No person should live in fear of persecution for worshipping as they see fit or be forced by government mandate to disavow or compromise their faith.  He will be a great resource in the House’s effort to defend this fundamental human right.

“This commission has a unique opportunity to call attention to efforts that threaten religious liberty around the globe, and I was pleased that Congress reauthorized it last year.  Lastly, I appreciate the leadership of Rep. Frank Wolf, the founder of the commission, who has been a leader in Congress to ensure that religious freedom is protected in the U.S. and is appropriately addressed in our foreign policy.”

Dr. George is credited with writing the Manhattan Declaration, which has been signed by Christian Evangelical leaders who promise “resistance to the point of civil disobedience against any legislation that might implicate their churches or charities in abortion, embryo-destructive research or same-sex marriage.”

He has been praised recently by gay-basher Chuck Colson, and last year Dr. George wrote that “‘gay marriage’ will inevitably undermine all marriages.”

GLAAD lists Robert George among their 36 commentators tracked as part of the GLAAD Commentator Accountability Project, and cites these facts about Dr. George:

Described being gay as “beneath the dignity of human beings as free and rational creatures.”

Argued that gay relationships have “no intelligible basis in them for the norms of monogamy, exclusivity, and the pledge of permanence.”

Suggested that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shouldn’t be considered a Catholic because by signing marriage equality into law, “he has made it clear that he simply does not believe what Catholicism teaches about sexual morality and marriage.”

Said marriage equality is “about sex,” not about love, commitment, and responsibility.

Sits on the Board of an organization that supports and funds anti-Islam extremists.

In October of last year, New Civil Rights Movement writer Scott Rose wrote,

Professor George founded the so-called National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which incessantly promulgates documentable untruths about gay human beings intended to demonize them in a political context.  He was one of the authors of the notoriously anti-gay “Manhattan Declaration.” From the tweedy confines of his Princeton University office, Professor George is a main instigator of a huge quantity of malicious anti-gay-rights propagandizing and political gay-bashing. He is the founder of the American Principles Project. That site’s “Innocence” tab includes links to articles that contain statements like this:

The “Health Literacy” section raises still more questions.  It introduces concepts and skills on “violence,” “bullying,” and “safety.”  Such approaches are often subterfuges to encourage affirmation (and even promotion) of LGBT lifestyles.

Via Wikipedia:

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF’s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress. It describes itself as “[g]rounded in and informed by the American experience”. It is rooted in the U.S. Evangelical movement and its original intention was to protect Christians around the world. Such organisations asChristian Solidarity International, International Christian Concern, Open Doors and the Cardinal Kung Foundation as well as the lawyer Michael Horowitz were influences for the foundation of the International Religious Freedom Act.

It is funded entirely by the federal government on an annual basis and its staff members are government employees.

Is it any surprise that Speaker Boehner has pledged up to $1.5 million to defend DOMA, the law already declared unconstitutional by President Obama, the DOJ, and several federal court judges?