The latest attempt by religious extremists to use the coercive powers of government to secure a privileged position in society for their version of Christianity has unofficially been named “Project Blitz.” It is actually a legislative plan for Christian theocracy. According to these extremists, their brand of Christianity is the only true religion for “real Americans” but it is also promoting legal discrimination of LGBTQ persons.
According to research provided by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, more than 70 bills before state legislatures appear to be based on Project Blitz templates or have similar objectives, and unfortunately, some of the bills are progressing rapidly. An Oklahoma measure that has passed the legislature and is now only awaiting the governor’s signature, allows adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate on the basis of their own religious beliefs.
“Among the ways they are seeking to implement ‘biblical values’ are by seeking religious exemptions from civil rights laws and professional licensing standards,” Frederick Clarkson, senior research analyst at Political Research Associates said for Salon.
There are three different categories of legislation in Project Blitz guidebook for state legislators and other allies. Those three categories are formed according to anticipated difficulty of passage. The first category is relatively easy. It consists of symbolic gestures, like resolutions to emblazon the motto “In God We Trust” on as many moving objects as possible (e.g., police cars). Such symbolic bills act as gateways to more extensive forms of state involvement in religion.
The second category consists of bills intended to promote the teaching and celebration of Christianity in public schools and elsewhere. Such bills have purpose to spread the message that Christian conservatives are the real Americans, and everybody else is not.
The third category this project is that of so-called “religious liberty protection legislation.” For instance, a Resolution Establishing Public Policy Favoring Intimate Sexual Relations Only Between Married, Heterosexual Couples: Resolves “that the public policy of this State supports and encourages marriage between one man and one woman and the desirability that intimate sexual relations only take place between such couples.”
Katherine Stewart writes for the New York Times: “In another piece of model legislation, the blitzers’ goal is to get state legislatures to resolve that, notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s recent decision on same-sex marriage, “This state supports and encourages marriage between one man and one woman and the desirability that intimate sexual relations only take place between such couples.” We have known for a long time that Christian nationalists seek to control what goes on in other people’s bedrooms. The striking thing about this model bill is the cruelty with which it advances the argument. The bill claims that people in same-sex relationships have a ‘higher instance of serious disease.’”
The problem is that religious extremists offer Americans their versions of legislation as seemingly innocuous but they are, in fact, treacherous gifts from a covert enemy. This Trojan Horse enters through the back door on purpose and it can easily jeopardize secular values to restore conservative Christian ones. These bills, viewed separately, have not much to do with religion, but the set of all “Project Blitz” laws together would serve to turn American democracy into a theocracy.
Christian nationalists are obviously aware of the fact that they don’t need a majority to hijack modern democracy. If this group feels good about itself by making other people feel bad about them, dominion may well be in reach. One thing is certain: Christian extremists use common sense rarely, but they use it in this case. The minor changes, which seemingly are unrelated to theocracy, are only an introduction to major law changes that would downgrade US society.
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