What's the Opposite of Diversity?

University. Former UCSB student government president sues school alleging antisemitic harassment | The College Fix

UC Santa Barbara’s former student government president recently filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging she was the victim of antisemitic abuse and harassment while campus leaders did nothing to protect her.

The lawsuit alleges Tessa Veksler, who is Jewish, was the “victim of repeated and systematic assaults and other abuse by a horde of antisemitic instigators on campus.”

She begged for help from the powers-that-be, but UCSB administration did nothing.

Click thru for the details. Pretty standard antisemitic slurs dressed up as "just against Israel."

Democrats versus Christians

The Other McCain asks Why Do Democrats Hate Christians?

Make no mistake; it isn't religion they hate. It is Christianity.

This post is not going to be one of those “look-what-the-crazy-liberal-said” exercises, as enough such work has already been done on podcaster Jennifer Welch’s most recent outburst. Sure, I’ll quote what Welch said, but my point here is to explain why she said it.

And there is a bit of historical irony in their hatred of Christians.

There is a deep irony in the Democratic Party’s demonization of “white evangelical Christians” because, of course, the whole reason this phenomenon gained national attention in the first place was that, in 1976, a Georgia Baptist named Jimmy Carter ran for president and made his “born again” faith front-and-center in his campaign.

Though after Nixon and Ford (people seem to have forgotten Agnew), people were going to vote for anyone who wasn't a Republican. Which gave us, perhaps, the 3 worst President in history. Carter was the 2nd worst in my lifetime. (I can't speak to US Grant's Presidency, but from what I've read, he was awful.)

Click thru for the details.

The Democrats will say horrible things about Christians, and the current batch are actively antisemitic, but won't say anything about Islam, in in the face of crimes committed. If you're Buddhist? They love you, though that seems to have fallen out of favor with the Hollywood crowd recently. There was a time, and not that long ago, it was the fad.

House Democrats Object To Prayer

From Leif Le Mahieu at The Daily Wire has some thoughts. ‘Ugliest Moment I’ve Ever Witnessed’: House Dems Object To Prayer For Charlie Kirk

Democrats objected after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) requested a spoken prayer from the House floor for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Wednesday while holding an event at a university in Utah. [SNIP]

Boebert’s request was met with yells of opposition from Democrats, including from Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), who yelled about school shootings, the Journal reported. Other Democrats screamed “no.”

I'm not surprised. And I think it is prayer in general the Democratic Party hates. How dare you hold anything higher than the authority of The State. Read the whole thing.

FBI versus Traditional Catholics

From the New York Post. FBI targeting of 'radical traditionalist Catholics' greater than Biden officials claimed: Chuck Grassley

The former FBI director testified that the FBI's targeting of traditional Catholics, was limited to a single field office, and that was struck down as soon as the powers-that-be became aware of it. Turns out that was a lie.

The Biden-era FBI chief told House lawmakers in July of 2023 that the memo – which described the purported overlaps between Catholics who oppose abortion rights and would-be terrorists as an opportunity for “threat mitigation” and “source development” – was “a single product by a single field office.”

However, the new FBI files obtained by Grassley show the bureau produced “at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology,” as well as a second memo updating the FBI’s Richmond Field Office’s case against “radical” Catholics.

So if lying to Congress is a crime, why do so many people do it, and not face any consequences?

The new documents reveal that Richmond FBI officials worked with the bureau’s field offices in Louisville, Portland, and Milwaukee as they drafted the memo – further belying Wray’s testimony.

The Deep State apparently thinks that it doesn't answer to anyone, about anything. And they clearly don't like anything that would prevent people from worshiping The State.

Click thru for more details.

And I will just note that this is beyond being Funded But Incompetent. This is bold-faced lying, because you don't want to admit what is really going on.

There Is a War Against Christianity

It just isn't being covered by the legacy media. From Sarah Anderson at PJ Media: The Nanny State Shut Down a Small New Hampshire Church. Now Pam Bondi Is Involved.

Howard Kaloogian used his barn to host weddings, and parties, and the town had no problem with that. But then he decided that he was going to host church services, and the town went ballistic.

But when Weare's zoning officer, Tony Sawyer, found out that Kaloogian was hosting church services, he personally "showed up at Kaloogian’s front door and told him he could no longer use any part of his home, including the barn, for religious assemblies. The barn was zoned residential—assemblies constitute a 'change in use,' and Kaloogian would be required to complete a site plan application and seek a conditional use permit (which Sawyer said would most likely be denied)."

Eventually after years of back and forth with the city, First Liberty Institute filed a lawsuit.

The city tried a delaying tactic, saying that the issues were not ready to be heard in court, but now the Trump administration is involved and saying that no delays should be given.

I know it's just one little church in New Hampshire, but it's a perfect example of what goes on across this country every day. It's rare and certainly not something I've felt much in my lifetime, but each day, it feels more and more like Donald Trump and his team are on the side of the American people. That's exactly what I voted for.

The authoritarians don't like the 1st amendment, or the 2nd amendment. The 4th has been gutted. Is there any amendment that they do like?

The United Kingdom Is Going Full Totalitarian

You cannot question the powers that be. From Hot Air: UK Police Arrest Parents, Jail Them For Criticizing School Policies

Britain and Europe, as a whole, are run by proto-totalitarians who see arresting parents, Christians, and any ordinary Britons for wrongthink as necessary to building an ideal society. Dissenters are enemies of the people, of the ideal order and must be disposed of or suppressed.

I'm not really surprised at this point.

After all, they have outlawed prayer. From The Telegraph: Praying at home could be a crime ‘depending on who’s passing the window’

Praying at home could be a crime “depending on who’s passing the window”, according to the architect of a controversial protest ban outside abortion clinics in Scotland.

Gillian Mackay, the Green Party MSP, said “performative” prayer within 200 metres (220 yards) of abortion clinics could theoretically fall foul of new legislation, even if it was within someone’s home.

Because thou shalt worship nothing but the state.

More like Airstrip One every day.

The British need to take their country back.

The Left, Radical Islam, and Traditional Catholicism

The Other McCain writes about the distinction that The Left loves to draw about different religions. Condemning one; tolerating and (in some cases) joining the other. Double Standards for Jew-Haters?

If not for double standards, they'd have no standards at all.

Do you remember the FBI memo that painted all traditional Catholics as dangerous extremists? If you do, it isn't because the media found it to be abhorrent, and has been reminding you of it as an example of FBI overreach.

At any rate, the reason I bring up Xavier Lopez’s case is because he was the proximate cause of the Richmond FBI office circulating what has since become known as “the Catholic memo,” which emphasized “the increasingly observed interest of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology.” This was due to Lopez’s reported seven-month involvement with the Society of Saint Pius X, a conservative Catholic group.

The Other McCain covers aspects of that case I wasn't familiar with, including the trail of Xavier Lopez. I was more aware of the FBI's memo and the fallout when it came to light.

Then he compares that to the way the Left treats radical Islam, and certain events that are driving them to distraction at the current time.

There’s a blatant double standard here, where Democrats excuse the kind of “extremism” that involves Hamas terrorists murdering Jews, because Democrats consider the real danger to be the kind of “extremism” that might cause Americans to vote Republican.

Read the whole thing; it isn't that long.

Poland Says Inclusivity Must Include Christianity

From Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture, a Polish, Catholic legal organization. IKEA Loses in Poland’s Supreme Court: The Policy of Inclusivity Should Not Exclude Christians

Actually what the Polish Supreme Court did was to refuse to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling.

In 2019, IKEA published an article on its company intranet that imposed the ideological demands of the LGBT movement on its employees. In response, Janusz Komenda published a comment criticizing the announcement and included two Bible verses referring to homosexual practices. As a result, store management decided to dismiss him. The consequences extended to those who had “liked” Komenda’s comment.

The regional court ruled in favor of Komenda, requiring IKEA to reinstate him.

Employers must consider that a significant portion of Poles are Christians and have the right to uphold and defend their beliefs.

Hat tip to Vlad Tepes.

I guess it should come as no surprise that Ordo Iuris is described by the Wiki as "ultra-conservative." So the idea of "don't discriminate based on creed" is not a liberal virtue, or maybe I should say "no longer a liberal virtue," since it is baked into every non-discrimination law. Interesting. I guess the rule is be tolerant of the people you agree with, and intolerant of anyone who disagrees.

Religious Zealots in Public Education

What could possibly go wrong? Quebec investigating 17 schools for possible violations of secularism law

According to its statement Thursday morning, the ministry is sending auditors to those schools after receiving several complaints and reports regarding violations of the secularism law, commonly referred to as Bill 21.

The ministry says the information it received pertains to the secularism law's "four principles": the separation of the state and religions, religious neutrality, equality and the freedom of conscience and religion.

Click thru for the details. Well, I will share just one.

The decision came in the midst of a controversy involving Bedford elementary school, which is located in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. The school was the subject of a 90-page government report looking into the conduct of teachers accused of creating a toxic environment for both students and staff.

Those teachers, 11 in total, were suspended and had their teaching licences suspended.

The government report looked at their competence level, the effects of their behaviour on students and staff and the role religion may have played in their behaviour and the tensions at the school.

The situation is more complicated and nuanced than I can summarize here. Suffice it to say it isn't as simple as you may assume.

Federal Judge Blocks Illinois Law He Called Stupid

The state cannot chose one viewpoint over another. That is the very thing that the first amendment to the constitution forbids. Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Illinois Law Targeting Pro-Life Pregnancy Counseling | ZeroHedge

Pro-Life viewpoints were labeled "deceptive business practices."

On Aug. 4, Judge Johnston called SB1909, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Businesses Practices Act, “both stupid and very likely unconstitutional,” when he signed a preliminary injunction halting its enforcement.

He now has permanently banned the law.

SB 1909 exempts abortion facilities and their speech, while exclusively regulating pro-life organizations and their speech, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment.

This law is just one of a number of illegal new laws enacted across the country that restrict pro-life speech. We hope this permanent injunction, with full attorney’s fees, serves as a warning to other states that would seek to follow Illinois and try to silence pro-life viewpoints. [Peter Breen, executive vice president of the Thomas More Society, which represented the plaintiffs.]

When did the West turn its back on freedom? Free Speech is the cornerstone of the Enlightenment, which is why it is called out in the first amendment.

First Amendment Win in the Ninth Circuit

And a religious-based win. Fellowship of Christian Athletes scores big Ninth Circuit win for religious liberty and freedom of association | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

In April 2019, controversy erupted at the San Jose Unified School District’s Pioneer High School in California over a Fellowship of Christian Athletes requirement that student leaders comply with the group’s Statement of Faith and its Sexual Purity Statement. The former requires student leaders of the group to hew to the tenets of traditional Christian theology and the belief that “marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman,” while the latter affirms that “the appropriate place for sexual expression is in the context of a marriage relationship.”

They applied for recognition again in 2020, and they were rejected.

As with most cases of constitutional law, this one is not simple, and amenable to a few excerpts. You should click thru and read the whole thing. (Hat tip.)

Attending Religious Services Has Become Dangerous

And it is only likely to get worse. One of the most dangerous hours in America is now 11 o'clock on Sunday morning - CBS Miami

1. 2007 - New Life Church in Colorado Springs
2. 2015 - Historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina
3. 2017 - Sutherland Springs, Texas
4. 2019 - Texas Church of Christ
5. 2022 - Presbyterian church in Orange County, California

It is not just churches of course.

In 2012 a man gunned down six people at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. And in 2018, a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

It has gotten so bad, that a small industry has grown up around keeping congregations safe.

Some churches' security plans amount to this: Hope nothing bad happens, he says. Harris says he launched Full Armor in 2016 to accommodate a growing number of churches searching for ways to boost their security.

"Hope is not a strategy," says Harris

There is more. Click thru.

Consider all of this, the expanding trends of violence toward Christians, the expanding number of Antisemitic attacks in New York, and ask yourself why the Left (in the person of the Governor of New York State) is trying so hard to ban law-abiding citizens from being armed in their places of worship. It is almost as if she wants people to physically attack the religious. That is certainly what it looks like to me.

The Woke Mob Wants a Hockey Player Fined/Fired for Being Christian

In the name of tolerance of course. They won't say it in those terms, but that is exactly what the mean. Is that hate? Sure looks like anti-Christian hate.

From Red State:

You Have NO Freedom of Religion in Canada

There is a health emergency, and The Authorities™ can (and will) trample all your rights. It's for your own good. 85 days of captivity: Alberta government to release GraceLife Church from its temporary jail - Rebel News

The church was seized in a dawn raid on April 7, when RCMP, Alberta Health Services, Paladin Security and a fencing company took over the church property after first issuing a closure notice to the church in January. The congregation has continued to meet in secret rotating locations, despite threats of fines and imprisonment.

The pastor of the church, James Coates, spent 35 days in "the maximum security Edmonton Remand Centre." He questioned their authority.

And what passes for courts in Canada ruled that this was all perfectly OK.

This was not the only church siezed by the .gov, and he was not the only pastor jailed for being a pastor. Click thru for more details.

Calgary's War on Christians

How dare you worship anything but the state! [Cue my Greta Thunberg voice.] How dare you! “Punishing dissent”: JCCF condemns second arrest of Alberta pastor

On Monday, Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church was arrested after he led an outdoor church service that police say did not comply with the province’s gathering limits and social distancing requirements.

In a video taken by Rebel News, Pastor Stephens can be seen embracing his wife and children in front of their home before being placed into a police vehicle.

Because what you believe God demands of you does not trump what The State demands of you.

Appeals Court to Cuomo: The Constitution Is Still In Force

Why are Democrats hoping to be dictators? Appeals Court Upholds Challenges to NY's COVID Restrictions at Houses of Worship

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld challenges to New York state’s attendance restrictions at houses of worship to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s order limiting attendance at places of worship with fixed capacity in hotspots “discriminates against religion on its face.”

Can't worship anything but the State!

Mob Attacks Christians in India

Not for the first time. Hindutva mob attacks Christians in the tribal village of Chingavaram in Chhattisgarh - Frontline

So a Christian had organized a prayer service at his home. Christians being a distinct minority in that part of India.

At 2 a.m. a group of about 20 people, drunk and bearing weapons such as sticks, rods and slingshots, descended on the venue and attacked the crowd. Madvi Muka was hit with an arrow. Shouting religious slurs and abuses at the crowd, the attackers destroyed their motor bikes, helmets and whatever objects they could find, including clothes, mobile phones, footwear, bags, chairs and tables. They tore pages of the Bible at his house and burnt it along with the other stuff.

The government tried to downplay it and get the media to ignore it. A common tactic.

Ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre, attacks against tribal Christians in Chhattisgarh have intensified. With the State government too unwilling to address the issue, the minority community feels vulnerable. Pastor Ankush Bariyekar told this correspondent over the phone that more than four years after a church in Kachna near Raipur was attacked (See “Persecuted minority”, Frontline, April 29, 2016), no action had been taken against the culprits, who continued to roam around emboldened.

So do you think the media would be mute if it was Christians attacking someone else? Are they interested in crimes against minorities, or only some minorities in some places? Or only when it aids their agenda in some way?

More Like 1930s Germany Every Day

Or is it more like The Spanish Inquisition? Secret plans helped Brooklyn synagogue pull off massive, maskless wedding.

So the Jews are planning and holding religious ceremonies in secret, because if they don't the authorities will persecute them. Yeah, that sounds very familiar.

Add to that the insistance on the part of governors from all over the country that Christian services not be held due to the "emergency." Do you think they will cancel Christmas? They will certainly try. (You must worship only The State.)

History. Ignorance. Rinse. Repeat. I suppose Pogroms are next on New York's agenda.