Monday, August 31, 2020


Rep. Rashida Tlaib joins Congressional Freethought Caucus


Rep. Rashida Tlaib claps in celebration on July 22, 2020, after the House of Representatives voted 233-183 to repeal several travel bans against African and Muslim-majority nations put in place by the Trump administration. Screengrab from a tweet shared by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
August 20, 2020
(RNS) — Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women in Congress, has joined the Congressional Freethought Caucus.
Launched in 2018, the caucus seeks to promote secular government, separation of church and state, freedom of conscience and policy “based on reason, science, and moral values,” and to oppose discrimination against nonreligious people, or the so-called nones.
Members do not need to identify as nonreligious. Tlaib is Muslim.
“Supporting religious freedom, church/state separation, and evidence-based public policy aren’t simply constitutional,” said atheist advocate and author Hemant Mehta, who first reported the news at Friendly Athiest. “Those principles represent the best path forward for the country. Rep. Tlaib also understands that those values are perfectly aligned with her faith.”
The Congressional Freethought Caucus was organized by Rep. Jared Huffman, who identifies as humanist and is Congress’ only openly nontheistic member, along with Reps. Jamie Raskin, Jerry McNerney and Dan Kildee.
It now has 13 members, all Democrats. Members include Reps. Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal, Steve Cohen, Hank Johnson, Zoe Lofgren, Susan Wild, Sean Casten and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Mehta said he hoped Tlaib’s participation spurs other members of Congress to also join the caucus.
“As an atheist, I know it’s not always easy for members of Congress to openly express support for non-religious people,” Mehta said. “I genuinely appreciate her support of Secular Americans — and secular values — across the country.”
Tlaib’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

FRAUDSTER COMMITS FRAUD AS FALSE PROFIT

Jim Bakker gets PPP loans to pay employees, despite Morningside's legal fight on fraud claims

FILE - In this Friday, March 2, 2018 file photo, televangelist Jim Bakker leaves a funeral service for the Rev. Billy Graham in Charlotte, N.C. When the U.S. government extended pandemic hardship loans to thousands of religious institutions, Bakker and Morningside USA, his ministry in Blue Eye, Mo., were among the most high-profile recipients. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
August 24, 2020
(AP) — When the U.S. government extended pandemic hardship loans to thousands of religious institutions, Jim Bakker and Morningside USA, his ministry in Blue Eye, Missouri, were among the most high-profile recipients.
On April 28, the pastor received approval for an amount between $650,000 and $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds.
Weeks before, the Missouri attorney general filed a complaint, the New York attorney general sent a cease-and-desist warning and the Federal Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters alleging Bakker engaged in deceptive practices by touting purported health benefits of a silver product on The Jim Bakker Show — including a suggestion it could be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 infection, something the FDA says is false. In June, the Arkansas attorney general's office followed with its own lawsuit.
Applicants seeking PPP loans were asked to certify they weren't engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law. The question is whether Bakker's involvement in ongoing litigation and fraud allegations will rise to the level of a Small Business Administration review.
It's likely, according to attorney Daniel Grooms, a former federal prosecutor who worked in the Justice Department for 15 years. "There is every reason to think that an entity, led by a person with the profile he has, given his history, and given the ongoing fraud issues surrounding the product he was selling, that those ongoing investigations and the ongoing attention ... it would be realistic to think that would lead to further investigation of his PPP loans," Grooms said.
An SBA spokesperson refused to comment on any specific loan recipient. However, he provided an explanation about how the loan program was administered, saying the agency made no eligibility determinations during the approval process. After the fact, the SBA will review organizations and companies to identify those that may have submitted inaccurate self-certifications. The agency may seek repayment with the potential for civil or criminal penalties if a fraudulent application was submitted.
Bakker's attorneys argue no laws were violated and provided this statement: "We strongly believe that Morningside's offering of a legal product, sold by stores across the country, did not violate any laws; a fact underscored by the FDA taking no action against Morningside and issuing its letter closing the warning letter process on July 14th. The allegations made by the Missouri and Arkansas attorneys general concern only this product, and Morningside had suspended its offering of that product prior to the date of its PPP loan application."
Bakker gained notoriety in the late 1980s and 1990s as a result of his trial and financial fraud conviction relating to Heritage USA, his TV studio, Christian-oriented theme park and water park attraction with shopping, hotels and condominiums in Fort Mill, South Carolina. After serving five years in federal prison, he shifted from preaching the prosperity gospel to an apocalyptic end-times message.
"We've gone through quite a year," a tearful Bakker told his TV congregants this month.
On Feb. 12, before any governor had ordered a coronavirus lockdown, Bakker touted the health benefits of Silver Solution on his show. Bakker was joined by guest Sherrill Sellman, who practices naturopathic medicine and is not a licensed physician.
"This influenza that is now circling the globe, you're saying that Silver Solution would be effective," he said, holding a bottle throughout the TV segment.
Sellman explained that the silver product, previously promoted on the show and sold through its online store, had not been tested against COVID-19, "but it's been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it in 12 hours — totally eliminate it. It kills it. Deactivates it," she said.
What followed was a succession of cease-and-desist orders, warning letters, multiple state complaints and a request for a temporary restraining order to stop promoting or selling the product.
Bakker's co-counsel is Jay Nixon, a former four-term Missouri attorney general and two-term Democratic governor. Nixon has framed this as a First Amendment and religious freedom fight.
Nixon says the pastor and his family use silver products in gel, lozenge and liquid form. He said Bakker complied immediately with orders to stop offering Silver Solution on his show and website.
"What we're trying to do is to show that this is a targeting of a pastor for work said in his church as opposed to some sort of massive consumer issue that they've been after for a long time, which they have not," Nixon said.
Bakker's legal team filed a suit against the Arkansas state attorney's office to prevent the pursuit of his congregation's personal information as part of its investigation.
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge pushes back on framing the lawsuit as a religious freedom infringement.
She wrote in a statement to the AP, "I have a long track record of protecting the First Amendment and religious liberties for Arkansans and all Americans. What I will not tolerate are the illegal schemes used by Mr. Bakker that directly relate to harming Arkansas consumers financially or physically. By using his celebrity status to peddle fraudulent COVID-19 cures — stealing over $60,000 — Bakker has historically cloaked his illegal action in the name of religion, yet he continues to deceive Arkansans for his own glory and wealth."
Bakker, wife Lori and daughter Maricela Bakker Woodall, who serves as president of Morningside Church Productions, appealed for donations during a show which aired April 20.
They referenced financial difficulties, and Bakker singled out "enemies" who were behind their problems. "The only way that we can stay on is if you help me. It's just sad to see what's happening to America. We are living in the final days, and if we go the wrong direction, America is through," he said. "Don't let me have to file for bankruptcy."
A week later, Arvest Bank, as the lender, released three PPP loans to Bakker's church management, production and retreat entities.
Bakker declined to comment, but Woodall responded in an email via the attorneys: The PPP program, she said, "has been another blessing for our ministry, and for so many other ministries and small businesses."_
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Abortion over immigration: Trump's pro-life policies remain paramount for many Latino Catholics

Anti-abortion demonstrators rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
August 24, 2020
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — For some Latino Catholics, choosing whether they support Joe Biden or Donald Trump for the United States presidency boils down to where they stand on abortion.
It doesn’t matter how much they may agree with the candidates' positions on national policy, immigration or the economy.
Standing firmly against abortion is a an important factor in getting their vote, said Jesse Romero, who wrote the book "A Catholic Vote for Trump." Romero describes himself as a primary-issue voter, and abortion is a primary issue, Romero said.
“Abortion is the biggest civil rights issue of today,” said Romero, 59, the son of Mexican immigrants. "Civil rights begins in the womb."
That’s why Romero, who was born and raised in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, is not only voting for Trump, but he’s urging other Catholics like him to do the same.
And he has company.


Though fewer than a quarter of Latino Catholics voted for Trump in 2016, the Pew Research Center found that one-third of them backs him now. 
That’s compared to the 59% of white Catholics who voted for him in 2016 and still plan to support him over Biden today.
Jesse Romero. Courtesy photo
Trump's staunch support of the pro-life cause has won him the approval of an increasingly anti-Francis right wing of the U.S. Catholic Church.
Trump boasts a record of appointing anti-abortion judges. In January, Trump's appearance at the annual March for Life in Washington marked the first time any president has spoken in person at the event.
Biden, meanwhile, even though a Catholic himself, has a mixed record on abortion.
The democratic nominee voted against the anti-abortion amendment when it appeared before the Judiciary Committee in 1983, but in 1984, Biden backed an amendment praising the so-called Mexico City policy, which banned the use of federal money for foreign groups that provide abortion counseling or referrals. By 1987, advocates for abortion rights were already describing his voting record on the issue as “erratic.”
Latino Catholics, like Romero, are vouching for Trump despite what they see as his anti-immigration policies and divisive rhetoric about Latinos.
Since becoming president, Trump has enacted "zero tolerance" anti-immigration policies that have caused thousands of children to be separated from their families at the border. As a result, unaccompanied children have been held in cages in U.S. border facilities.
In April, Trump signed an executive order to temporarily halt people from receiving green cards to protect the country from what he described as the "Invisible Enemy."
And, according to a 2019 Latino Decisions poll, 51% of Latino registered voters said racism against Latinos and immigrants was a major problem.
Veronica Flamenco. Courtesy photo
The way Veronica Flamenco, a Catholic Trump supporter, sees it, many unaccompanied minors already immigrate on their own. Flamenco, an immigrant from El Salvador, believes news media further inflamed coverage of young immigrants held in detention facilities. Instead of news reporters saying children were held in cages, Flamenco said "we can call them shelters."
Flamenco, however, would like Trump to outline a detailed plan to manage the immigration problem at the border. 


Flamenco, 32, said her Catholic faith helps her decipher between what's morally right and wrong. 
"The topic of abortion, I think is the most important," said Flamenco, a marketing manager.
Flamenco said being in favor of abortion goes against human rights.
"If Trump is choosing things that are morally right, then obviously I'm going to prefer him instead of Biden who claims to be Catholic," she said. 
Regarding the LGBTQ community, Flamenco said that as Catholics, "we accept the person, but we reject the sin." She is against same-sex marriage because "you're changing the concept of marriage." To Flamenco, sexual orientation is a private matter.
"If those private things become political, my religious liberty is violated because that is imposing something against my moral values," she said.
Flamenco said many believe the same way she does, but "cancel culture" makes it difficult for people, especially in blue states, to speak openly about those beliefs. Flamenco openly discusses her Catholic faith and politics on her YouTube channel. One recent video is titled "¿CATOLICOS POR DONALD TRUMP?"
Luis Roman. Courtesy photo
"There is a silent majority, and I know a lot of Catholics, a lot of Hispanics that will vote for Trump," Flamenco said. "They’re not saying it out loud, unfortunately, but they’re there."
Luis Roman, 41, of Florida, agrees. Everything is too polarized, he said.
Roman hosts a Spanish-language podcast, "Conoce Ama Y Vive Tu Fe" (Know, Love and Live your Faith), where he invites priests and talks about faith, theology and news. He said he has been called homophobic for his beliefs surrounding the LGBTQ community.
Roman said he respects gay people, but he believes sex is for procreation. That natural order should not be broken, he said.
"That's my faith," said Roman, who is Puerto Rican. "If I respect their beliefs, they should respect my beliefs, too.
"With Trump, I can talk this way. I can say what I believe," he added. "(Trump) is allowing us to speak. He’s allowing us to have our religious freedom."
Roman said he identified as a Democrat until 2016 when Hillary Clinton and Trump were running for president. Clinton’s stance on abortion turned him off.
Clinton, during an October 2016 debate, defended Planned Parenthood and Roe v. Wade. She said she would defend women’s rights to make their own healthcare decisions.
"We don't support abortion for any reason," he added.
Roman said he’d love to see a Catholic president, but he doesn’t believe Biden, who is a Catholic, “is living the faith."
RNS national reporter Jack Jenkins and columnist Mark Silk contributed to this report.