Arguing that evangelical Christianity “permeates every aspect of government policy,” including “health care, public and private education, foreign policy, tax policy, environmental policy, military policy, and more,” the group calling itself Secular Democrats of America (SDA) has sent a 26-page memo to former Vice President Joe Biden, urging him to adopt an agenda that will eliminate the political clout of what they call the “national security threat” of “white Christian nationalism.”
The group is presuming that Biden will be sworn in as president on January 20 of next year, and they are urging him to quickly implement a strongly leftist agenda, all in the name of destroying the supposed threat of the “religious right.”
These anti-evangelical secularists are not some fringe group, but have the support of several Democrat members of Congress who see evangelical Christians as a principal obstacle to them achieving their progressive goals. The document was prepared by Representatives Jamie Raskin and Jared Huffman, and was endorsed by Representative Jerry McNerney. The three Democrats are part of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which rejects the forming of opinions based on religion.
“Policy decisions that should be guided by science and evidence — on matters ranging from climate change to comprehensive education to federal funding for stem cell research — have been skewed or blocked by powerful religious interest groups,” the secular document contends, as if the liberal beliefs that there are 70-plus genders or that government-run schools are largely successful at educating kids is based on any empirical, scientific evidence. While the group claims it is simply desirous of religious liberty, it is essentially a group advocating the typical liberal agenda.
This can be seen in their denunciation of the evangelical Christianity by asserting that it “advances a reactionary economic policy, tax policy,” and a view of the environment “that undermines our capacity and will to address the climate crisis.”
Not content with simply opposing the political positions of many conservative Christians, they charge evangelicals with providing “cover for white supremacy.” This has become a standard talking point and smear used by those on the Left — that evangelical Christianity’s involvement in politics is driven mostly by “white supremacy.”
In this document, however, the secularists, who have largely taken over the modern Democratic Party, are not simply resorting to slandering and verbally attacking their hated foe — Bible-based Christianity — they are pleading with Biden to implement a wide range of actions against those who still “cling” to such religious beliefs. (Referring to working-class voters in old industrial towns decimated by job losses, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama famously ridiculed such thoughts in 2008, saying, “They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion.”)
The group urges Biden, as president, to “dismantle the Department of Justice Religious Liberty Task Force,” and to reverse the “Trump administration policies that have allowed faith-based government-funded contractors to provide adoption and foster care service” if they “discriminate on the basis of religion.” They further urge that “all sectarian-based restrictions of federally funded fetal-tissue and stem cell research” be reversed and all future decisions in this area “not [be] dictated by religion.”
If Biden becomes president, they are demanding that he “appoint an attorney general to the Department of Justice who will support governors whose emergency declarations and/or executive orders require even-handed universal restrictions on indoor gatherings, including at houses of worship, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.” (Emphasis added.) To make sure that their meaning is not misunderstood, the document calls for these “houses of worship” not be given “preference.” Considering that many secularists are calling for continued restrictions even with the distribution of the anti-virus vaccines, this could mean the forced curtailment of religious practice (a direct violation of the First Amendment) for months, or years to come. There could even be a push for a permanent shutdown of religious services, all in the name of public health, but driven more by anti-Christian animus than concern about the spread of a virus. It should be noted that hatred of religion is a central tenet of communism: The author of The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx, compared religious belief to a drug.
They further call for the IRS to enforce the Johnson Amendment, and even to “strengthen” it. The Johnson Amendment was authored by Senator (later President) Lyndon Johnson, requiring religious organizations to take no position on political candidates in order to continue to receive tax-exempt status. It is of dubious constitutionality, and should the IRS seek to enforce it, the rule would probably be stricken down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Biden is also urged to enforce the teaching of an “accurate evidence-based secular curriculum rather than creationism in the schools.” The document does not specify which part of the Constitution gives any part of the federal government to dictate any curriculum in the public schools, probably because there is no such part of the Constitution. It is also urged that “humanist and non-theist chaplains” be selected for the armed forces,” and that “In God We Trust” be removed as our national motto.
The document also tells Biden that government officials have an “obligation” to “separate their personal religious beliefs from their work,” and that such officials should “never use their positions and offices” to “proselytize or promote religious dogma.” One might recall that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) chastised Amy Coney Barrett, stating that Barrett’s Catholic “dogma” was of concern.
This memo to Biden is further evidence that we can expect increasing attacks upon the concept of religious liberty in the United States. Other members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus include Representative Rashida Talib of Minnesota (also known as a member of the socialist “Squad” associated with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and the delegate from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton. If Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer has his way, the District of Columbia would become a state, and Norton might very well become a U.S. senator.
In short, this document, is a prophecy (to use a word from the Bible that they hate) of our future, should these people gain power.
