An Anti-Blasphemy Resolution Passed the House with Bipartisan Support

This is what religious freedom really looks like.

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• Religious exemptions are a loophole for disaster. Because of COVID restrictions, a West Virginia teacher was denied booking an event venue for an unofficial school homecoming dance. What did the teacher do next? She jumped through hoops, lied, and put lives at risk. The event was rebranded as a faith-based “vow renewal,” making county health officials powerless to stop it. One attendee tested positive for the virus. How many others will catch it?

• With the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, the balance has shifted solidly on the side of conservatism and we’re already feeling the tilt. In this guest post, Rick Snedeker of the Godzooks blog asks, “Which should be granted primacy in America’s secular republic: freedom of religion or from religion?”

• Pro-Trump pastor Guillermo Maldonado is trying to scare his entire congregation out of taking the COVID vaccine with outlandish claims that the government wants to alter your DNA and “track you down.”

• Remember the good old days when affluent white people were the ones making most of the vaccine disinformation noise? Now anti-vaxxers seem to be everywhere. All the more reason to listen to this excellent song:

• While almost everything in government has been a partisan slog lately, a bipartisan piece of legislation, House Resolution 512, came to the floor today, calling for the “global repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws.” It passed in the House with almost unanimous support.
  
  Be sure to listen to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jamie Raskin, talk about the bill’s importance:

• What would you do if you knew you were about to get national media attention? Pastor Greg Locke used it to send the message that some Christians want everyone to suffer even longer.

  Pastor Greg Locke @pastorlocke

  CNN SHOWED UP AT OUR CHURCH SO WE GAVE THEM A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE’RE NOT CLOSING.

  

• It’s pretty widely speculated by now that Trump is going to carry on with the rigged election conspiracy for as long as his supporters will keep sending donations. Either Pastor Jack Hibbs hasn’t received the memo or he’s in on the con:

  Christian Nightmares @ChristnNitemare

  During a sermon yesterday, pastor Jack Hibbs said, "My, my, how things have changed in one week." He went on to talk about "voting fraud" and the "magnitude of deception" in the presidential election.

  

• At the end of this month, Hemant will be giving a virtual talk for Atheists United about whether atheism remains a political taboo and how we can and should respond, followed by a Q&A session. Space is limited, so please RSVP here.

• Finally tonight, just say no to abstinence-only sex education.

  saint nicolas cage 🎅🏽 @HeavenInNJ

  are the straight whites okay

  

  
  Also… 3 cups?!