Separation of Church and Breakfast
Donald Trump at the 2019 National Prayer Breakfast. Biden is following in his footsteps.
What do you call it when the President and Vice President of the United States attend an evangelical Christian event — on government property — that excludes Jews, Muslims, non-religious people, and even certain types of Christians?
An event that tells invitees that “Honorary House and Senate Committees request the pleasure of your company at the [breakfast] with The President of the United States”?
An event run by a very conservative religious organization, The Family, that has ties to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians here and abroad?
That sounds to me like elected politicians — public servants — getting involved the business of religion, and allowing their names and positions to be used not just to promote religion over atheism, which is unconstitutional in itself (establishment clause, anyone?), but a specific religious organization that excludes other religions and denominations.
I”m talking about the National Prayer Breakfast, this annual love fest where Congress members and the President, in their official capacity as public servants, try to court the support of the Religious Right — and vice versa — in flagrant violation of the principle of church-state separation.
Want to find out more about what the hell (pun intended) is going on, and what you can do about it if you believe government shouldn’t be in the business of religion, and vice versa?
GET INFORMATION: Here’s TYT Investigates’ piece that exposed what The Family and White House has been trying to keep quiet (maybe because of the backlash after TYT revealed attendees and problems related to last years event?)
WATCH THE INTERVIEW: Here’s Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Facebook page, where they will be talking with TYT Investigates’ Jonathan Larsen. (FFRF is one of my favorite non-profits, and readers of my blog may remember that FFRF received a $25 donation thanks to your votes in my monthly donation poll)
GET INVOLVED: The Young Turks has a petition calling on Democrats to boycott the National Prayer Breakfast.
The fact that they appear each year to be trying to hide more and more who’s participating seems to indicate to me that they know they shouldn’t be having this event, and that it’s unpopular among a growing segment of the population — over a quarter of us who are non-religious Americans.
Let’s hope they get the message loud and clear this year that pandering to religious bigots is not only illegal and immoral, but also a political liability.
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