House Republicans demand answers from Biden admin over grants 'to promote atheism worldwide'

House Republicans argue Biden admin grants violate the Constitution

Republican Study Committee (RSC) chairman Jim Banks of Indiana led the letter with 14 of his GOP colleagues to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s (DRL) grant program promoting atheism and "humanism."

"The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was officially titled ‘DRL FY20 IRF Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing and Non-Affiliated Individuals,’" Banks and the Republicans wrote.

"It announced a ‘competitive’ process that would award grants of up to $500,000 to organizations committed to the practice and spread of atheism and humanism, namely in South/Central Asia and in the Middle East/North Africa," they continued.

The Republicans pointed out that atheism and "humanism" are both "official belief systems" protected under the First Amendment’s right to religious freedom and said they would "like to know what other United States government programs supported with appropriated funds are being used either to encourage, inculcate, or to disparage any official belief system – atheist, humanist, Christian, Muslim, or otherwise."

Banks and his colleagues wrote that it "is one thing for the Department to be tolerant and respectful of a wide range of belief systems" and "to encourage governments to respect the religious freedom interests of their citizens."

b"It is quite another for the United States government to work actively to empower atheists, humanists, non-practicing, and non-affiliated in public decision-making," the letter read. "Any such program – for any religiously-identifiable group – in the United States would be unconstitutional."

"In addition to its constitutionally dubious legal foundation, we also question how such a grant or cooperative agreement program advances the foreign policy interests of the United States," it continued. "Were such programs known by the citizens of the target countries, we would expect that local populations, interest groups, and governments would bristle at what any ‘objective observer’ would see as ‘covert’ funding from a foreign power designed to shatter local religious and cultural relationships."

The Republicans wrote that this is "not ‘religious freedom’" and the DRL’s NOFO on the subject "prioritizes atheists and humanists above all other potential recipients." They also argued that the prioritization violates "both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses" as well as the "the No Religious Test Clause of Article VI" of the Constitution.

"In the NOFO, the State Department characterizes atheists as a unique religious group while then encouraging the building of "networks and advocacy groups" for atheists," the letter read. "This would be analogous to official State Department promotion of religious freedom ‘particularly for Christians’ in China, with the express goal being to build a corresponding missionary network."

"Obviously, this goal that would never pass constitutional muster and would be derided by radical leftist bureaucrats in your agency as completely out-of-bounds," they continued. "So why is this atheist NOFO not viewed with similar objection?"

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-demand-answers-biden-admin-grants-promote-atheism

https://www.scribd.com/document/580515059/Rep-Jim-Banks-letter-to-President-Biden-Secretary-Blinken-regarding-atheism-grants#from_embed

Families flee Pennsylvania school after boys 'encouraged to wear dresses' during Pride Month: report

"It’s not enough to be gay. You have to be flamboyantly gay," one parent said

At least two families have pulled their children out of a Pennsylvania middle school due to its "'woke' agenda," citing how, among numerous things, children are not allowed to wear the American flag, but "boys were encouraged to wear dresses" at the school's Gay Pride Month celebrations.

"The last thing I wanted to do was to transfer my son for his 8th-grade year, but enough is enough," parent Jim Jacobs told the Delaware Valley Journal about his decision to transfer his son out of Stetson Middle School, located in West Chester, Penn.

"At Stetson, there is no freedom of speech but freedom of ‘woke’ speech. The tolerance promoted by Diversity/Equity/Inclusion is not practiced towards those who have disagreements with or dare to question the ‘woke’ agenda," Jacobs said. His brother also decided to transfer his children out of the West Chester Area School District into private Catholic schools due to concerns over cultural indoctrination.

During Gay Pride Month in June, Jacobs' son was disciplined for wearing Uggs that officials said were slippers, despite the fact that the student wore the Uggs before without a problem.

"So my son gets disciplined for wearing Uggs (which are said to not adhere to the dress code), but boys are encouraged to wear dresses and male teachers can teach in stilettoes! Really?" Jacobs said. "I called Assistant Principal (James) DeWitt to ask if that was true. He verified it and told me that 'boys dressing as girls and a male teacher wearing high heels is perfectly acceptable and not in violation of the dress code.'"

The assistant principal also defended a specific male teacher's choice of footwear, although the instructor is not named by the Delaware Valley Journal.

"This teacher has worn high heels on multiple occasions and that if the teacher is comfortable wearing them, then the school supports him," DeWitt reportedly said.

"My son told me that the same teacher who wears high heels would wave the gay pride flag and march it through the cafeteria at lunch and that this was completely accepted and encouraged," Jacobs noted, asking, "How are these not clear-cut examples of indoctrination and the promotion of a specific social agenda?"

The school reportedly went as far as stopping students from wearing patriotic and pro-police clothing.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/families-flee-pennsylvania-school-after-boys-encouraged-wear-dresses

>>16796440

Notable

Electric Bus Burst Into Flames During East Coast Heatwave – One Day After Connecticut Gov. Requires All Future State Vehicles to Run On Electric Power

On Saturday morning, during the heatwave that swept the East Coast, a new electrically powered public transportation bus caught on fire as it sat in the bus parking lot, according to fire officials.

The Hamden Fire Department was dispatched to the CT Transit bus depot in order to extinguish the fire that had spread throughout the electric bus.

According to the authorities, the lithium-ion battery was responsible for the fire that broke out on the electric bus.

“Lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish due to the thermal chemical process that produces great heat and continually reignites,” the fire officials said in a statement. “Exposures were protected at the scene.”

“Two CT Transit workers were transported as a precaution from exposure to the smoke, and one firefighter was transported for heat exhaustion,” authorities said.

The incident is being investigated by the fire marshal.

The incident comes after Governor Ned Lamont (CT-D) announced a new State Law that requires Connecticut to transfer all State vehicles to electrical power.

On Friday, Governor Lamont joined state agency officials, legislators, and environmental stakeholders on the New Haven Green to highlight the enactment of Public Act 22-25.

This is a new law that includes a number of actions that will allegedly help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector, improve air quality and health outcomes for Connecticut residents, and help to mitigate impacts from the climate crisis, according to the news release.

“This historic law does so many great things that will benefit the residents of Connecticut, improving air quality and health outcomes while also helping to mitigate the climate crisis,” Governor Lamont said. “This is another great example of Connecticut leading on climate, particularly at a time when continued state leadership in this area is critical.”

“The measures in this unprecedented law mean cleaner air, better health outcomes, and reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said.

https://youtu.be/lfF4j0IQvAI

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/07/electric-bus-burst-flames-east-coast-heatwave-one-day-connecticut-gov-requires-future-state-vehicles-run-electric-power/

>>16796465

>https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1551243529049047044/photo/1

Comic-Con San Diego 2022: Vile protester trolls event-goers

Up to 150,000 Comic-Con goers in San Diego have had their fun disrupted by a disgraceful protest, but defiant attendees got the last word.

In the heart of the action on day one, there’s a man holding a giant black-and-yellow sign reading, ‘Know the God of the Bible.’

He’s shouting hate speech into a megaphone, calling the buzzing attendees “confused” and “depressed”.

He then begins endorsing the overturning of Roe v Wade and says he hopes same-sex marriage is next. There were worse statements, but he doesn’t deserve any more airtime.

There are a flurry of people rightly getting emotional about the vile protest. They’re begging police to make him leave, with one officer arguing, “I can’t, it’s his belief.”

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/comiccon-san-diego-2022-vile-protester-trolls-eventgoers/news-story/8d4f31fa883bcdfa49f635f23b14794b

MSM actually pushing this BS

Schiff Claims Jan. 6 Committee Will Be Presenting New Evidence “This Fall” Linking Trump Officials to Proud Boys…. Just in Time For Midterms

Serial liar Adam Schiff on Sunday said the January 6 Committee will presenting “new information” linking Trump White House officials to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers “this fall.”

Just in time for the midterms.

The Democrats have nothing to run on this November so they are using the January 6 show trials as part of their reelection efforts.

Americans are suffering because of record high inflation rates and soaring gas prices thanks to Joe Biden and a Democrat-controlled Congress.

The January 6 show trials are actually backfiring on Joe Biden and the Democrats.

Voters are tuning out the Jan. 6 hearings.

Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss the January show trials where he smeared Trump with lies.

“That remains an ongoing part of our investigation… We will be presenting new information in the fall,” Schiff said when asked about any links former Trump White House officials have to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

Schiff also said President Trump “should be investigated” by the Justice Department.

Adam Schiff lies non-stop about having damning evidence against Trump.

We’re still waiting for Adam Schiff to present evidence of Trump-Russia collusion.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/07/schiff-claims-jan-6-committee-will-presenting-new-evidence-fall-linking-trump-officials-proud-boys-just-time-midterms-video/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/07/schiff-claims-jan-6-committee-will-presenting-new-evidence-fall-linking-trump-officials-proud-boys-just-time-midterms-video/

>>16796572

"YOU JUST TRIED TO KILL 10 F'N PEOPLE!" Woman With Child in Car Rams Multiple People & Police Cars While Trying to Avoid Arrest

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1551282261332467712

Canadian government funds plan to combat online “disinformation”

In another effort to control the content consumed by people online, the Canadian government announced a $2.4 million funding to combat “harmful online disinformation.”

In a statement, the Heritage Ministry said the project’s purpose is to promote “civic, news, and digital media literacy through funding third-party educational activities and programming to help citizens become resilient against disinformation.”

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the project was inspired by a desire to “have a common set of facts.”

“These projects will give Canadians skills and tools to tell fact from fiction online. We live and work better as a society when we have a common set of facts,” he said.

The money will fund 11 projects, including Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, Toronto Metropolitan’s Leadership Lab, Concordia’s Project Someone. Other organizations that will receive the funding include Digital Public Square, DisinfoWatch, and CIVIX.

They will engage platforms to discuss disinformation and produce online courses and podcasts on the topic.

Meanwhile, the liberal government is looking to pass several internet censorship laws, most notably, Bill C-11, which amends the Broadcasting Act and will result in user-generated content being regulated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

The government is also consulting with a panel of 12 “experts” to help draft a law that will address “online harms.”

https://reclaimthenet.org/canadian-government-funds-plan-to-combat-online-disinformation/