WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:03.160 Welcome to the Nonprofits, the show where we examine current 2 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.000 events and news stories through the lens of atheism and 3 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:08.720 secular humanism. In our first segment this week, the new 4 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:12.160 regime in Washington is already making moves to give Christianity 5 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:15.119 an edge in the US. Helen Green tell us what's happening. 6 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:20.519 Well, the most persecuted group in the United States, Christians, 7 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:23.559 are getting a super special office created by Presidents Trump 8 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:27.879 Faith Office, replacing the White House Faith Based and Neighborhood 9 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:32.119 Partner's Office to protect the pearl clutchers from being affected 10 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:36.399 by the Establishment Clause DEI and queer rights. We suspect 11 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.479 are the real reasons for this little stunt by the President. 12 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:42.560 I think we can all agree that religion and publics 13 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:46.079 really need a divorce from one another. The story is 14 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:50.000 from the Telegraph by David Millward on February six, twenty 15 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:50.799 twenty five. 16 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.399 All right, Helen, Yeah, you're right. I mean that that 17 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:57.960 was a very interesting article to read. But the stated 18 00:00:58.039 --> 00:01:01.840 purpose of this office is to quote target anti Christian 19 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:03.359 bias in the federal government. 20 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:04.400 Isn't that a good thing? 21 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.480 Shouldn't we be in favor of preventing bias what's your 22 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:07.920 take on that. 23 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:13.239 So obviously I'm a fan of preventing bias, but this 24 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:19.079 is where things are doing like a little bit of feveritism, 25 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:22.439 which goes against the establiment clause because we're not supposed 26 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.519 to give any religion sort of superiority in this country. 27 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:31.560 But this office is being held by PAULA White, who 28 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:35.159 is a terrible human being. I am sorry, not sorry. 29 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:41.480 And also with this particular office, as I said in 30 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:47.519 the intro, it's really more about not having DEI and 31 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:53.599 queer rights recognized in this country. So I'm Christopher gar Galadieri. 32 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:55.920 If I pronounce it wrong, I am sorry. He's a 33 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:58.680 professor of politics at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, 34 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:00.359 my home state, and I used to live right by 35 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.920 this college. Told the Telegraph of my setition is that 36 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:06.200 the type of bias they are talking about are the 37 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.039 policies that are friendly to LGBTQ employees. I think it's 38 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:14.319 part of the anti DII efforts. More conservative religious folks 39 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:17.960 object to recognizing non Christian faith, even like wishing a 40 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:22.800 happy to Wali. So it is about Christian It's definitely 41 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:26.520 about Christian bias. It's not about, you know, having this 42 00:02:26.680 --> 00:02:30.120 sort of like every faith should be respected or non faith. 43 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:34.479 It is about we're giving Christianity the super special spot. 44 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:36.840 That sounds about right, ej. 45 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:40.240 I understand that they've also made an interesting choice on 46 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:41.919 who should lead this office. 47 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:43.280 Can you talk about that for a bit? 48 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:47.800 Yes, So pauloy Kine claims to see a vision from 49 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:51.280 God and is heading the faith of us No Wela, 50 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:54.680 I wouldn't like to speculate a either she's lying about 51 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:59.240 seeing God or she's very mistaken, which is not exactly 52 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:03.680 something you on and off. However, in twenty twenty, she 53 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.680 prayed for the miscarriage of all Satanic pregnancies and embraced 54 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:13.400 an anti Black Lives matterstance. So as Helen was saying, 55 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:17.759 she's a real piece of work, not exactly the best person. 56 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.960 In fact, all of this during the current regime may 57 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:30.000 be her fault if she apparently converted Trump to Christianity and. 58 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:33.960 I had to at that. Sorry, please keep going. You 59 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:37.919 can tell you can tell just by watching. Yeah, all right, sorry, hes. 60 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:40.919 Go on much in the vein at Kenneth Copeland, she 61 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:45.599 knew she used nine hundred thousand dollars of tax exempt 62 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:48.840 money from her ministry to buy a private jet. What 63 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.599 is it with mega patterers and always buying private checks. 64 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:54.759 It's all about the blame, right, isn't that doesn't that 65 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.439 doesn't that saying that in the Bible, right, the most 66 00:03:57.479 --> 00:03:59.879 blame gets you in, right, gets you into the VIP room. 67 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:07.639 That it was the demon Scott, it's the demons. You 68 00:04:07.639 --> 00:04:12.560 can't write with demons, and Paul White obviously worried about demons. 69 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:14.960 I'm sorry. 70 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:19.639 Speaking of Christian values, you know how they constantly want 71 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:21.560 to get rid of queer people because they do not 72 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:25.399 suit a biblical narrative. She's also against divorce, which is 73 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:26.920 why she's been married three times. 74 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:31.360 Hmmm interesting Wait, wait she married three times without divorcing. 75 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:32.160 Is that what you're saying? 76 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:46.079 Well, well, yeah, checked, Well, Stephen, I want to I 77 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.120 want to hear something from you here. We know that 78 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:52.000 religion in general is on the decline pretty much worldwide. Basically, 79 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:54.720 why do you think there's such a strong push here 80 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.879 to quote, bring back the glory days of religion. 81 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:00.879 Well, it's it's like, I don't think it's right to 82 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.639 place the emphasis on religion per se. It's not like 83 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.600 people are like, hmm, religion time was so good. But 84 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:13.639 like I believe that it's you know, old rich, cis wet, 85 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:17.600 cis hat white guys who are like I missed those 86 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.480 days when I really mattered based on my status. And 87 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:23.600 it just so happens that those were in the fifties 88 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:26.839 and part of that was when people were able to 89 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:30.839 be browbeaten into doing exactly what the authority said, and 90 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.800 they missed those days. And so, yeah, religion was one 91 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.360 of those pieces, one of those pieces of controlling people, 92 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:39.800 of marginalizing people who make the power people powerful people 93 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:44.040 feel uncomfortable. I think that's what is what we're what 94 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.279 the people that are calling the shots are trying to 95 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:50.759 bring back. Yeah, and that religion definitely plays a part 96 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:52.519 in it. And I don't, I don't. I wish, I wish, 97 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:56.680 I wish, I wish that we were capable of saying, 98 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:59.879 you know what, those pieces were in our past, and 99 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.560 they were. We have moved past them for a reason. 100 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:06.240 We have evolved, we have become better. And that's why 101 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.160 it's in the rear view mirror, not because we have 102 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.439 been downside, not because we've been degrading as a society, 103 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.480 as a people, but because we've been improving. We've been 104 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.279 doing a better job of listening to marginalized voices of 105 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:21.600 valuing them, and that's why we are no longer in 106 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.040 that place. But people like, yeah, it's totally a matter 107 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:29.800 of what is it when what? When people of privilege 108 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.199 lose their privilege, it feels like persecution. It can feel 109 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:37.639 like persecution, fine, but you're not being persecuted. It's just 110 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:41.079 the leveling of the field, which is what we're seeing here, 111 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:42.279 and they don't like it. 112 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:44.879 So do you think that religion is being used as 113 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:45.959 a tool in this case? 114 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:47.000 I mean, because clearly the. 115 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:50.079 Office is for it's a faith office, right, and so 116 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:53.279 it they are using religion at some forms. So do 117 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:57.720 you think that the people in power are using religion? 118 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:00.639 I mean, you know, as Marx famously put, the opiate 119 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:02.759 of the masses, right, I mean are we Is this 120 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.680 being used as a tool for manipulation or is it 121 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:08.759 an end uh an end goal in and of itself? 122 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:11.360 Like I think I think it's a rallying point. It's 123 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:14.560 a familiar touchstone for a lot of people. Like a 124 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:17.279 lot of people, they have it in their past, so 125 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:21.959 it makes sense to to you know, default back onto it. 126 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.720 But yeah, it's totally a way of controlling people. Because 127 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:28.120 religion deals with the unknown. We don't have an answer 128 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:33.360 for absolutely everything, and and especially for people in power. 129 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:37.439 If it enables you to have more power to maintain power, 130 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:41.480 then absolutely this is this is a really handy tool 131 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.439 to have in your toolbox. It doesn't surprise me. And 132 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:45.720 it's wrong as hell. 133 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:48.279 Right right, all right, I have I have a question 134 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:52.079 here for the for the panel here. So, so the 135 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:55.920 US Supreme Court is tasked by the Constitution to be 136 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:00.040 the quote unquote interpreter of the Constitution itself. There's no 137 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.279 mandate for the Constitution to remain static. I mean there's 138 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:07.160 In fact, there are elements in the Constitution that were 139 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:10.920 added and or changed after the original was written, you know, 140 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:15.079 most notably the Amendments to the Constitution. So given that, 141 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:20.079 is there any grounds for claiming that any decision really 142 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:25.079 that the Supreme Court makes could be quote unconstitutional? Let's 143 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:27.759 go to Helen first on that. Ken is it even 144 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:30.839 possible for the Supreme Court to do something, to make 145 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:34.240 some kind of ruling that is unconstitutional? 146 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:35.879 Now, of course this isn't. 147 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:40.320 The Supreme Court is not the one supporting this. This 148 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:43.360 office and so We don't know if it's going to 149 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:45.480 come to that or not. But if the Supreme Court 150 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:49.519 rules that this office is acceptable, do we have any 151 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.440 grounds to say otherwise. 152 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:56.200 Well, here's the thing that we've had religion and government. 153 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:01.200 We have a national Prayer breakfast. Every president pretty much 154 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:03.559 has said that, you know, they believe in God, even 155 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.519 I suspect a good portion then probably did not, you know, 156 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:11.320 a percentage, you know. So this is this is just 157 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:14.919 another way for them to kind of skim over that, 158 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:18.200 you know, freedom of religion. You can have freedom of religion, 159 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.639 and that you know you can. This is skirting around 160 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:25.679 the law. They're not saying that like you can't practice 161 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.799 your religion, you know, as a private citizen. They're just 162 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:34.200 creating an office to create that. So Christians don't have 163 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:38.200 bad feelings. This is a way of skirting around the 164 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:41.320 law because they're not they're not going in the Constitution 165 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:43.600 and making it like an official thing where they're going 166 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:49.679 to so far dictate you know, what could be theratic law. 167 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:54.440 But it's it's just skimming the surface and until the 168 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:57.600 Supreme Court really looks at what this office is going 169 00:09:57.639 --> 00:10:00.360 to because like other other than ones in the article, 170 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:04.000 we really don't know what this office is going to do. 171 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.360 Down the line, he established this office, but Paula White, 172 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.000 you know, king in charge of it because you know, 173 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.200 she a lack of a better term, sex is dick, 174 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:19.919 you know, proverbally, and that's why she got that position. 175 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:23.960 And because when you're under a certain regime, they like 176 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.600 their sickle fans. And so down the line, we're really 177 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.000 going to see if the Supreme Court is going to 178 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:32.879 have the step in and is going to have to say, like, no, 179 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:36.240 this actually goes against the establishment clause and we're not 180 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:40.080 supposed to give any sort of president to any sort 181 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:43.720 of religion. So it's a it's a very slippery slope. 182 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:47.440 But I don't think we know enough about this particular office, 183 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.960 and I don't think the Supreme Court is one hundred 184 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:52.000 percent paying attention right now because right now we have 185 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:53.159 bigger fish to fry. 186 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:58.240 Okay, so you think they're they're kind of I mean, 187 00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:00.200 do you think this is like tomorrow a free is 188 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:01.039 a wedge issue? 189 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:01.240 Right? 190 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:02.799 Do you think this is just a way of getting 191 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:05.120 a foot in the door and then maybe they're going 192 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:06.840 to expand on that at some later point. 193 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:10.360 Yes, Because I think as those of us that have 194 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:14.000 looked at Project twenty twenty five knows that it's going 195 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:17.240 to be a slow burn. There's and right now it's 196 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:21.080 a lot of shocking off. But what this actual office 197 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:24.480 is going to do to have sort of that anti 198 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:30.600 anti Christian, you know, savior thing whatever, kind of giving 199 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:34.320 Christianity that little of push. And again, this is not 200 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.080 about like, you know, Christians being persecuted. This is more 201 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:41.600 about denying rights America, rights to people you know that 202 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.480 or you have a freedom to discriminate, like hey, I 203 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.679 can fire someone because they're gay. That's what this is about. 204 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:50.759 Break Yeah, I'm not gonna be their okay, exactly, Like 205 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:53.200 that's what this is really about. It has really nothing 206 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:56.759 to do with the actual religion. I think it's more 207 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.480 that this gives the freedom for people to be big 208 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:03.440 in my opinion. Okay, you know, so we'll see what 209 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.639 happens with this particular office. I'm not feeling super confident 210 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.000 about it, but I think it's gonna be gross. It's 211 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.559 gonna be bad. But that's what we're waiting for. We're 212 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:15.240 going to see what Paul White and other people that 213 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:18.279 are hard Party twenty five and what the trumb administration 214 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.639 really wants to do with this particular office. So it's 215 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:24.399 only you guys. It's going to suck either way, it's 216 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:24.879 going to suck. 217 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:29.519 So release yourselves. Crash positions, that's what you're saying, right. 218 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.840 Yeah, everybody's going to suck. Everybody, just get getting catch 219 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:36.320 your safety belts on. It's gonna be allowed of turbulent. 220 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:37.080 Some motherfuckers. 221 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:41.840 Boy can't wait for that. Let's drop over to an 222 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.279 ejector seat for a second here, EJ. I wanted to 223 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:47.840 ask you. Helen was talking about shock and awe, right, 224 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:52.120 and so it's really possible that this new office isn't 225 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:53.919 going to have any teeth and that it's just lip 226 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.600 service on the part of the new regime in Washington, 227 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:00.639 possibly even a distractor or something along those lines. So, 228 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.279 given the religious pasturing we've seen already, do you think 229 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.399 this office could be all bark and they'll bite? 230 00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:09.679 So I think it's what I hope is the case, 231 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:13.480 because I hope that the next four years go by 232 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:17.679 relatively uneventful and people can realize, holy fact, that was 233 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:20.639 a mistake. Let's get the country, you know, for lack 234 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:24.720 of a better term, great again. However, I don't think 235 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:27.879 with the way it's going, it's going to have no teeth. 236 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:31.200 I think it is, like Helen was saying, going to 237 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.799 be a fit in the door. I think, paired with 238 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.320 some other people from Project twenty twenty five who have 239 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:39.120 been put in power, that is, it will be one 240 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:44.879 step to helping suppress people who they see as undesirable 241 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:48.879 or undeserving of national or federal attention. 242 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.200 Stephen, what's your thoughts on that. 243 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:51.639 Do you think this is going to be Do you 244 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:54.159 think this is a distract you know, look over here, 245 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:57.639 because if it is, then that means that they're using 246 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:00.200 this to distract us from something that's much much worse. 247 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:05.399 Like I think that forty five is designed to be 248 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.600 a distraction because that's all he does. He loves the attention. 249 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:12.320 So he's going to do absolutely everything that comes into 250 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.919 his tiny little pea brain, and he's going to do 251 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:19.559 whatever his sickle fan base is going to gobble up. 252 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:21.279 And this is exactly the kind of thing they're going 253 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:24.240 to gobble up. They already believe that they're the victims, 254 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.679 they already believe that they're martyrs, that they're called to be, 255 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:30.080 that this is all fulfilling what Christ said that people 256 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:32.159 will hate you, and look, they do hate us. And 257 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:36.840 also our Messiah is saving us because he is legislating 258 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.679 it so that finally we can have unmake it are 259 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:42.720 the shackles can come off, and we can be the 260 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:46.759 unmitigated biggots that we always wanted to be. That the 261 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:49.440 rule of law is just preventing us from being because 262 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:54.600 clearly we have a divine right to be right. So, like, 263 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:56.600 is there a game plan? I don't know if there's 264 00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:00.440 a game plan. I think whatever whatever opportunity happens to up, 265 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.159 they're going to jump on it. And if nothing comes up, 266 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.960 if it's just a one big grift, one big con 267 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:10.519 just to get even more federal funds into whoever's pocket, 268 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:14.120 if it's just to increase the profile of Paula or 269 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:17.279 whomever it is, that whoever is going to benefit from 270 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:20.519 this office, Like, it's not people, it's certainly it's not 271 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.000 marginalized people who are going to be benefiting from this bullshit. 272 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.159 It's obviously going to be people who are already in 273 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:27.480 power who just want more power. Right, Who's going to 274 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:29.399 benefit from it in whatever way possible? 275 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:30.720 All right, well, thank you for that. 276 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.519 I do want to jump back to the Constitution for 277 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:37.440 a second here, specifically something called the Lemon test, the 278 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:40.000 Lemon test, that was a ruling that resulted from the 279 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:44.159 nineteen seventy one case Lemon versus Kurtzman, and that's been 280 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:48.960 largely abrogated to use the words of Justice Samuel Alito 281 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:52.879 since twenty twenty two. Basically, they're setting that Lemon test aside. 282 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:56.759 The Lemon test was originally states that a statute must 283 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.399 satisfy three conditions. It must serve a secular purpose. 284 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:02.200 It must, as. 285 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:06.200 A principle, as a principal effect, neither advance nor inhibit religion, 286 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:09.840 although they did rule that a secondary effects could be 287 00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:13.799 promoting or inhibiting religion, but it's principal effect can't do that, 288 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:16.759 and that it must not result in a quote, excessive 289 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:21.080 government entangled with religion. So going to Helen first, if 290 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.799 the Lemon test were still kind of a thing today, 291 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:27.759 how would that reflect on the establishment of this office? 292 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:29.840 And I want to point out this this office is 293 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:33.279 technically not a law, although it is certainly funded by 294 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:35.559 a law. Right, the budget is a law, and so 295 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.720 we can you know, we can still apply this test. 296 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:40.919 So how would the how would this fit? How did 297 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:43.559 this fly with the with the Lemon test, I. 298 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:46.759 Think God, it gets into that ambiguity thing, which I 299 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:51.840 hate because it's not it can't be officially in office 300 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.720 right because we can't have an establishment of religion according 301 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:59.879 to the Constitution, but it's getting cultural funding. So it 302 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:04.200 gets into that little sticky sort of ambiguity place that 303 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:08.799 I hate because I'm neurodivers and I hate ambiguity, like 304 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:13.039 just tell me to me straight man. So based on 305 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:17.119 the Lemon tests, I think that we're looking at, as 306 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:20.480 I said before, about like this sort of push to 307 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:26.319 see how far this the administration can go, and also 308 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:31.160 that if this is actually going to take president as 309 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.640 far as you know, what sort of laws can be 310 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:38.960 established based on it, what sort of you know things 311 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.039 when it's when we're talking about like you know, religious bias, 312 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:45.279 non bias, that sort of thing. So I think that 313 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.720 because we're dealing with this place of ambiguity where the 314 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:51.640 Lemon tests actually had like you know, an actual law, 315 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:55.400 they were saying like, hey, not cool man. This is 316 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:59.559 because it's playing right on the edge of politics and religion. 317 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:03.640 It's difficult to see how this is actually going to 318 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:06.519 turn out. And I don't think it can be something 319 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:10.839 that we can directly say this, this is does this 320 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:15.400 past this test, because right now we don't know, and 321 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.599 that's kind of how I'm feeling about it. You know, 322 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.240 I don't know if the answers your question, but that's 323 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:20.680 my pain. 324 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:21.880 It does. 325 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:22.559 It does. 326 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:25.480 So you're saying that the Lemon test might not even apply. 327 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.200 It might just be you know, we're kind of in 328 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.200 a gray area where even even if that were still 329 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:34.000 in effect, even though it's been abrogated for now, but 330 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:35.839 even if it were still in effect, you think it 331 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.160 would still be kind of we have to wait and 332 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:40.759 see kind of a thing. But you know, if we 333 00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:43.119 do that, though, if we wait and see what happens 334 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.519 to so that we can apply our you know, our 335 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:51.799 full weight of of Supreme Court precedent, in order for 336 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:53.079 us to be able to do that, we kind of 337 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:55.319 have to wait and see it. But by then it'll 338 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:57.319 kind of be entrenched, right. 339 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:59.839 And that's and that's where like you bring up a 340 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:04.119 real good point because if this is what's actually happening, 341 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:07.680 where we don't want to have to wait, because that 342 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.519 means that they're going to kind of bulldoze these laws 343 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:13.799 and they're going to kind of push through, you know, 344 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:17.880 giving more president to one faith over any other faith 345 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:24.400 or lack thereof. And that's deeply concerning because as I 346 00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:26.279 said before, this is a lot of shock and off 347 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.839 and the whole thing is to have us panic and 348 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:33.039 then pick up the pieces later. And that's that's the concern, 349 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:36.480 because if they're going to push this office forward and 350 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:39.759 it's actually going to affect real laws, which would affect 351 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:44.000 maybe gay marriage, you know, people you know of different 352 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:49.279 ethnic backgrounds able to propel themselves upwards within you know, 353 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:54.000 getting mobility, you know, uh, discrebinatory laws, as far as 354 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:57.599 like you know, redlining, you know, and these are actual, 355 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.000 real concerns, and they can say that like, oh no, 356 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:05.839 God wants like Republicans to have this certain district. And 357 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:07.839 that's that's a deep, deep concern. 358 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:11.400 That's a very specific Sorry, go ahead, Stephen. 359 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:15.559 I had a vision one Republicans in the White House 360 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:17.079 for the next forty years. 361 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:19.759 And who's going to argue with God? Right, who's going 362 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:20.279 to argue with. 363 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:25.880 Missionary friends? So all right, I. 364 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:27.680 Got one last thing I want to I want to 365 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:28.160 bring up here. 366 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.200 And part of what we do here on the nonprofits 367 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:32.240 is is we don't just discuss the facts and the 368 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:34.759 cultural significance and all this stuff, but we also like 369 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.359 to talk about public perception and response. So one thing 370 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:40.440 I like to do is anytime we have an article 371 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:44.519 that has user comments down below. I know it's it's dangerous, 372 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.720 it's dangerous ground to be treading on, but I like 373 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:50.319 to dive into the to the user comments just to 374 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:52.519 kind of see what people are saying. And so I 375 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.000 had a comment here that I selected, and I wanted 376 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:57.920 to get just a brief, maybe thirty second response from 377 00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:59.720 each of you before we wrap things up here. 378 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:03.119 So this is by a user. 379 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:07.000 By the name of Peter Beninger, and Peter said Christianity 380 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:09.839 is the most persecuted religion on the planet. For the 381 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:13.720 past several decades, all Western leaders have been protecting, encouraging, 382 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:18.119 and coddling the persecutors. Of course, finally a leader who 383 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:21.039 cares about the victims. Yes, that will definitely bring a 384 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:25.599 course of condemnation from the twisted virtue signalers. I don't know, EJ, 385 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:27.279 what do you do? What do you what's your take 386 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:28.240 on that comment there? 387 00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:32.559 I I don't know what lens he has been viewing 388 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:36.519 the world through given that he called Christianity the most 389 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:41.200 persecuted religion in the world. I don't think he's been well. 390 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.200 I don't think he's been looking outside his window. It's 391 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:48.480 had a global influence for well over a thousand years 392 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:50.440 and unfortunately, will for quite a while. 393 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.039 Yeah, all right, Steven, what's your take on that. 394 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:57.000 Yeah, it's it's it's it's rough when you don't get 395 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.880 to do what you want as much as you want anymore, 396 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.000 you still get. 397 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.160 To do it. 398 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:06.440 There's still churches everywhere, a crosses everywhere. We can't I can't. 399 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:09.480 I can't go to my kids music recital without so 400 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:12.799 and so getting up front and praying, because that's just 401 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:17.720