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Christian Groups Rush To Denounce Obama LGBT Non-Discrimination Orders

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Christian faith-based organizations couldn’t wait to denounce President Barack Obama’s new executive orders that ban discrimination of LGBT people by federal contractors. 

It wasn’t just the usual anti-gay organizations and hate groups who lined up to attack President Barack Obama for signing two executive orders that merely add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to five-century old executive orders, it was Christian groups of all kinds.

LOOK: Religious Right Anger At Obama For Signing LGBT Non-Discrimination Order Reaches New Extremes

Of course, the National Organization For Marriage, the Family Research Council, and the American Family Association all had their hate-filled extremist messages to peddle, that’s how they stay in business. (It literally is their business model.) 

There were plenty of others, but they all focused on this strange concept that it is not only their God-given right to harass and fired LGBT people because they are LGBT, but their duty to Christ to do so.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the official organization that represents the Roman Catholic Church in America, had strong words against Obama’s new executive orders.

The USCCB called it “unprecedented and extreme,” claimed it “implements discrimination,” an “lends the economic power of the federal government to a deeply flawed understanding of human sexuality, to which faithful Catholics and many other people of faith will not assent.”

Fully exhibiting their anti-gay bias — and thus, the need for these orders — USCCB Bishops added the Catholic Church “strongly opposes both unjust discrimination against those who experience a homosexual inclination and sexual conduct outside of marriage, which is the union of one man and one woman.”

Note they said they oppose “unjust” discrimination, suggesting they fully embrace “just” discrimination — which they do.

“But the executive order,” the Bishops note, “as it regards federal government contractors, ignores the inclination/conduct distinction in the undefined term ‘sexual orientation.’ As a result, even contractors that disregard sexual inclination in employment face the possibility of exclusion from federal contracting if their employment policies or practices reflect religious or moral objections to extramarital sexual conduct.”

Bloviating Bill Donohue of the Catholic League – a somewhat one-man-band of anti-gay hate and hysteria — quickly issued one of his many poor press releases.

“Most reasonable persons distinguish between sexual orientation and sexual behavior, but not this gay-friendly, religion-unfriendly, administration,” Donohue said — wrongly. Most reasonable persons actually do not distinguish between sexual orientation and sexual behavior, assuming that if one if heterosexual they will have sex with members of a different sex, and if one is homosexual they will have sex with members of the same-sex. “What does this mean?,” Donohue asked, attempting to analyze the new laws. “Look for cross-dressers and other lovely types to spring forward demanding their rights. Look for homosexuals to sue Catholic institutions that do business with the federal government insisting on pension benefits for their ‘spouse.'”

“The heart of the problem,” Donohue insisted, “is (a) the mad idea that sexuality is a social construction, when, in fact, it is rooted in nature, and (b) an unyielding hostility to religious liberty.”

Actually, he may have a point. Being LGBT is “rooted in nature,” and thus, should not be a reason for legal discrimination, whereas religion is not “rooted in nature,” it is a construct of man, it is chosen belief, and thus, should not be allowed priority.

Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation’s Ryan T. Anderson — also a somewhat one-man-band of anti-gay hate and hysteria — had many strong words to share, but never proved his point, a sign of just how deep in the Christian conservative bubble these activists live.

“Today’s order disregards the consciences and liberties of people of goodwill who happen not to share the government’s opinions about issues of sexuality,” Anderson wrote, ignoring the fact that heritage and other groups for years — up until President Obama’s administration — strongly supported “the government’s opinions about issues of sexuality” and never defended those who did not. “All Americans should be free to contract with the government without penalty because of their reasonable beliefs about morally contentious issues.”

What do Bible-believing purists think is “reasonable”? Stoning? Rape and forced marriages? Slavery? Those are all “reasonable beliefs about morally contentious issues” if you happen to be a Bible-believing purist, which  a large number of Christians claim to be.

“Federal policy on government contracts should not seek to enforce monolithic liberal secularism.”

That very statement could have been written before African Americans were allowed to marry whites, before women were allowed to vote, before slavery was illegal. The fact is that while there is no “monolithic liberal secularism,” there is an American ideology that says all people are equal and religion cannot be used as a basis for discrimination.

Anderson adds, 

“All citizens and the groups they form should be free to exist and participate in relevant government programs according to their reasonable beliefs.”

What America has been saying, for years now, is that it is no longer “reasonable” to oppose same-sex marriage, or to discriminate against LGBT people. These groups who are outraged, figuratively waving their arms in the air are really fighting the march of history — and their own demise.

And again, let’s remember, what these grouse are all fighting for is the “right” to not hire, to fire, and to harass LGBT people merely for being LGBT. 

Not very “Christian,” is it?

 

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News

Lindsey Graham Admonished by Senate Ethics Committee

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March 23, 2023

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U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been formally admonished by the Senate Ethics Committee for violating ethics rules and standards by repeatedly soliciting campaign donations during an interview at the Capitol.

The bipartisan committee issued Graham a Public Letter of Admonition after the South Carolina Republican solicited donations for Georgia GOP Senate nominee Herschel Walker.

“Based upon all available information, the Committee concluded that on November 30, 2022, you conducted a media interview with Fox News in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building and that your interview was slightly over nine minutes, with over four minutes devoted to a discussion of the 2022 senatorial run-off election in Georgia. The Committee further concluded that during your discussion of the senatorial run-off election, you directly solicited campaign contributions on behalf of Mr. Walker’s campaign committee, www.teamherschel.com, five separate times.”

The letter notes that Sen. Graham had previously violated the same standards when he solicited campaign donations in a federal building in October of 2020, but said it was an “unplanned media interview.” When a reporter had asked him about fundraising, Graham “directly solicited campaign contributions” for his re-election campaign.

READ MORE: Watch: GOP Lawmaker Orders Grieving Parkland Parents Removed From ‘ATF Overreach’ Hearing

The Committee noted “mitigating” circumstances and did not cite him for that violation.

“The public must feel confident that Members use public resources only for official actions in the best interests of the United States, not for partisan political activity,” the letter concludes. “Your actions failed to uphold that standard, resulting in harm to the public trust and confidence in the United States Senate. You are hereby admonished.”

CNN’s Manu Raju posted the letter to social media.

You can read the letter below or at this link.

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RIGHT WING EXTREMISM

Watch: GOP Lawmaker Orders Grieving Parkland Parents Removed From ‘ATF Overreach’ Hearing

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6 hours ago

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March 23, 2023

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U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) is being criticized for having the parents of a victim of the Parkland school massacre removed from a GOP-led House committee hearing on “ATF Overreach” after he deemed them “out of order” for remarks they made while a Member was speaking. Minutes later, Capital Police pinned the father to the ground in the hallway and arrested him.

“See this is, exactly what we have to avoid!” Rep. Fallon, chairing the joint hearing, angrily declared as he pointed his finger after the father, Manuel Oliver, made a remark that was inaudible. “Which is some minority of folks trying to silence dissent. Dissent shouldn’t be kryptonite.”

“There’s a decorum that should be adhered to,” Fallon, who recently refused to sign a statement denouncing white supremacy, said as he chastising Oliver.

After another, louder outburst, Fallon mockingly asked, “Is this an insurrection? So will they be held to the same — I don’t want another January 6.”

READ MORE: ‘Unlawful Incursion’: Manhattan DA Schools Jim Jordan for Demanding He Testify in Ongoing Trump Investigation

Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) responded, “If they’re trying to overthrow the government, they oughta be held to the same standard, but I think they’re trying to express their frustrations.”

Angrily again, Rep. Fallon interjected.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa,” he shouted as he banged the gavel.

“Member’s out of line,” Fallon said (incorrectly. The term is “out of order.”)

Shortly thereafter, Rep. Fallon had both Manuel and Patricia Oliver removed.

ABC News reporter Will Steakin, who was in the hearing, tweeted video and said bot Manuel and Patricia Oliver “appear to leave without resistance… moments later there was a loud thud outside the hearing room and I found Manuel being pinned to the ground by multiple officers.”

“Manuel Oliver, the father of a 17-year-old Parkland shooting victim, was arrested Thursday on Capitol Hill after he appeared to shout at a Republican lawmaker who was speaking during a hearing on gun regulations,” NBC News reports. Patricia Oliver, his wife and the mother of their 17-year old son, Joaquin Oliver, who was one of 17 people who died in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, was not arrested.

READ MORE: ‘National Security Implications’: Former DOJ Official Speculates on Ruling Ordering Trump Attorney to Hand Over Docs

On social media critics expressed anger at Fallon.

“Rep. Pat Fallon (R) thinks parents of slaughtered children should just sit down & shut up as Republicans maintain outrageously dangerous gun laws. He had this parent expelled rather than just giving a warning, which is the usual,” wrote one Twitter user.

“Texas Rep. Pat Fallon: You are the EXACT problem with the gun violence and why it keeps being the leading cause of death in children today,” wrote another.

According to the NIH, gun violence is the leading cause of childhood death.

Still another Twitter user blasted Fallon: “What disgraceful & despicable behavior by Representative Pat Fallon. Exercising your right to free speech is being an insurrectionist? The man lost his son. Have you no compassion? I think he has more than earned the right to be heard by Congress. Such an abuse of power.”

And one called Fallon “feckless.”

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News

‘Repercussions’: Biden White House Warns Uganda ‘Kill the Gays’ Bill Could Force US to Cancel $950 Million in Annual Aid

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8 hours ago

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March 23, 2023

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The Biden administration may cancel the $950 million in annual assistance the U.S. provides to Uganda if President Yoweri Museveni signs into law its latest “Kill the Gays” bill, which calls for the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and between ten and 20 years in prison for other LGBTQ “acts.”

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby on Wednesday made clear if Uganda further criminalizes homosexuality and the LGBTQ community there could be “repercussions that we would have to take.”

“That would be really unfortunate because so much of the economic assistance that we provide Uganda is health assistance,” Admiral Kirby said at a White House press briefing.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also told reporters Wednesday the Biden administration has “grave concerns” over the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), and “increasing violence targeting LGBTQIA+ persons.”

READ MORE: Florida GOP Lawmaker Who Wrote ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Facing Up to 35 Years After Pleading Guilty in COVID Fraud Case

“If the AHA is signed into law and enacted, it would impinge upon universal human rights, jeopardize progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, deter tourism and invest in Uganda and damage Uganda’s international reputation,” Jean-Pierre warned. “The bill is one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQI+ laws in the world.”

Kirby and Jean-Pierre’s remarks came on the same day as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” legislation, saying it “would undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”

“The United States provides more than $950 million in aid to Uganda each year, according to the State Department. The money supports development and health care measures, such as combating HIV/AIDS,” Courthouse News reported Wednesday. “Uganda is already among 30 African countries that ban same-sex relations. The new proposal would broaden penalties and appears to be the first to outlaw identifying as LGBTQ+, according to Human Rights Watch.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

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