The GOPs continued march to make the US a theocracy

[Electro1980]

Oklahoma bill would fine teachers $10k for teaching anything that contradicts religion

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/...

“ Under Senator Rob Standridge’s Students’ Religious Belief Protection Act subjects like LGBT issues, evolution and the big bang theory, even birth control could be off the table”

Anyone have any relatives in Oklahoma that would be willing to tie the state in knots by complaining about teaching Jesus was the son of god, offending the beliefs of Muslims, or demanding Hindu pantheism is respected, or that the schools building is an offence to Shinto teachings?

[goldbazinga]

Hmmm, I always thought that the right wing were against cancel culture, yet somehow they seem to always be the cheerleaders for it when it suits them.

Personally, I don't think this will amount to anything, and is just a virtue signalling (look another culture war slur appropriated by the right) attempt to placate the Religious right.

[Randy Winkman]

I guess it demonstrates the idea that things go in a circle with the extremists joining up at one point. Extreme conservatism is remarkably similar to the sort of extreme Muslim stuff that I'm sure they hate. (Or perhaps they quite like it really?)

[Electro1980]

Randy Winkman said:

I guess it demonstrates the idea that things go in a circle with the extremists joining up at one point. Extreme conservatism is remarkably similar to the sort of extreme Muslim stuff that I'm sure they hate. (Or perhaps they quite like it really?)

They are both right wing religious extremists. They hate each other but have far more in common than they think.

Like the right wing loons in this country who scream about imagined sharia law implementation and then praise the idea of cutting criminals hands off.

[Sway]

goldbazinga said:

Hmmm, I always thought that the right wing were against cancel culture, yet somehow they seem to always be the cheerleaders for it when it suits them.

Personally, I don't think this will amount to anything, and is just a virtue signalling (look another culture war slur appropriated by the right) attempt to placate the Religious right.

Just shows that lazy, simplistic notions such as pigeon holing millions of people onto a single binary axis, doesn't work.

[JGR1954]

Oklahoma SB1470 is unlikely to get through the state legislature's Education Committee, even in this heavily Republican state. It wouldn't pass a court test.

https://legiscan.com/OK/text/SB1470/2022

The Republican Party isn't trying to establish a state religion. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits it and protects the freedom of religion.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/religion_and_the_c...

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 14:57

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 15:03

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 15:04

[goldbazinga]

JGR1954 said:

Oklahoma SB1470 is unlikely to get through the state legislature's Education Committee, even in this heavily Republican state. It wouldn't pass a court test.

https://legiscan.com/OK/text/SB1470/2022

The Republican Party isn't trying to establish a state religion. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits it and protects the freedom of religion.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/religion_and_the_c...

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 14:57

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 15:03

Edited by JGR1954 on Friday 4th February 15:04

That's why it's virtue signalling to a specific voter base.

[Panamax]

Randy Winkman said:

I guess it demonstrates the idea that things go in a circle with the extremists joining up at one point. Extreme conservatism is remarkably similar to the sort of extreme Muslim stuff that I'm sure they hate.

Agreed. At the end of the day an extremist is much the same as any other extremist. Like the old days of fascism vs communism.

[Ian Geary]

goldbazinga said:

Hmmm, I always thought that the right wing were against cancel culture, yet somehow they seem to always be the cheerleaders for it when it suits them.

Personally, I don't think this will amount to anything, and is just a virtue signalling (look another culture war slur appropriated by the right) attempt to placate the Religious right.

Let's be clear here. This is not a "right wing" position.

It's religious fundamentalism, boardering on fanaticism. Far right might be a better description.

The political right can be authoritarian, but also liberal. And the USA is more right wing than the UK in terms of free markets and individual rights.

As has been pointed out, not sure how they will square the circle of the USA constitution mandating religious freedom.

Lie most things religious, you quickly run into contradictions, or falling back on "well I believe it so it must be true.."

It's a sorry picture of USA politics if this type of policy is being floated by gop to attract voters. Where do they go next? measuring skirts and cancelling Christmas?

[biggbn]

When people set out in straight lines away from each other, eventually they must converge. One world, one platform, no deviance....

[goldbazinga]

Ian Geary said:

goldbazinga said:

Hmmm, I always thought that the right wing were against cancel culture, yet somehow they seem to always be the cheerleaders for it when it suits them.

Personally, I don't think this will amount to anything, and is just a virtue signalling (look another culture war slur appropriated by the right) attempt to placate the Religious right.

Let's be clear here. This is not a "right wing" position.

It's religious fundamentalism, boardering on fanaticism. Far right might be a better description.

The political right can be authoritarian, but also liberal. And the USA is more right wing than the UK in terms of free markets and individual rights.

As has been pointed out, not sure how they will square the circle of the USA constitution mandating religious freedom.

Lie most things religious, you quickly run into contradictions, or falling back on "well I believe it so it must be true.."

It's a sorry picture of USA politics if this type of policy is being floated by gop to attract voters. Where do they go next? measuring skirts and cancelling Christmas?

It's a Republican senator, so in this case, I think it's fair to say this is a right wing position. The US right wing have courted and continue to court the religious fundamentalists for years, so to be very clear, this is very much part of right wing Republican politics.

I'm happy to call Republicans far-right if that helps you

[Electro1980]

JGR1954 said:

The Republican Party isn't trying to establish a state religion. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits it and protects the freedom of religion.

The first amendment may prohibit it, but it doesn’t stop them trying to create a de-facto theocracy. “One nation under god”. There are plenty of states that have restrictions on the religious leanings of politicians. Religion is shot through the US systems.

[JGR1954]

Electro1980 said:

The first amendment may prohibit it, but it doesn’t stop them trying to create a de-facto theocracy. “One nation under god”. There are plenty of states that have restrictions on the religious leanings of politicians. Religion is shot through the US systems.

Those state and federal legislations protect individuals from infringements on the exercise of religion by the government. They protect practitioners of all faiths.

President Bill Clinton signed the federal law in 1993 during his first term when the Democrats controlled the House & Senate:
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/jmd/le...

Recent religious freedom legislations by state:
https://www.findlaw.com/civilrights/discrimination...

The religious composition of the 117th Congress:
https://www.pewforum.org/2021/01/04/faith-on-the-h...

[FourWheelDrift]

Evolution has got some catching up to do in Oklahoma.

[andy_s]

FourWheelDrift said:

Evolution Intelligent design has got some catching up to do in Oklahoma.