T-Minus 10 days Until The Beginning Of The Trump Presidency (Religious Freedom)

Donald Trump will be sworn in in about a week and a half.  As we ponder that panic, let's look back at a few episodes from the past 8 years - all with the understanding that Trump would never/could never be able to accomplish any of it.

After the panic, we should ponder what we're losing.

January 15, 2015.

In a Presidential Proclamation that day, President Obama wrote:

From many faiths and diverse beliefs, Americans are united by the ideals we cherish. Our shared values define who we are as a people and what we stand for as a Nation. With abiding resolve, generations of patriots have fought -- through great conflict and fierce debate -- to secure and defend these freedoms, irrevocably weaving them deep into the fabric of our society. Today, we celebrate an early milestone in the long history of one of our country's fundamental liberties.

On January 16, 1786, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was adopted. It was one of the first laws in our Nation to codify the right of every person to profess their opinions in matters of faith, and it declares that "no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any" religion. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and guided through the Virginia legislature by James Madison, this historic legislation served as a model for the religious liberty protections enshrined in our Constitution.

The First Amendment prohibits the Government from establishing religion. It protects the right of every person to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free from persecution and fear. This religious freedom allows faith to flourish, and our Union is stronger because a vast array of religious communities coexist peacefully with mutual respect for one another. Since the age of Jefferson and Madison, brave women and men of faith have challenged our conscience; today, our Nation continues to be shaped by people of every religion and of no religion, bringing us closer to our founding ideals. As heirs to this proud legacy of liberty, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to safeguard these freedoms.

In the event you were curious about the Virginia Statute, you can find it here.  The part that President Obama quotes is found in the second section.  Here is the full sentence:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

We all know the First Amendment, right?

We touched on the Donald Trump's support of the anti-Religious Freedom FADA on day T-minus 14.

But since the obviously overrated Meryl Streep (3 Oscars, 2 Emmys - such a loser!) criticized the pussy-grabber for this:

Trump's the guy on the right.  He's in mid-mock of the reporter on the left.

He denies it but it's true none the less.

But let's not get caught up on that bit of disgust, let's all remember that at the base of the "Trump mocks the disabled guy" story is an incident of Trump's religious bigotry.  That's the one where he claimed that there were "thousands" of Arabs cheering as the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11.

Even though there's absolutely no evidence for it.  And even when showed that he's wrong, he still clings to the myth.  In doing so, in retaliation to that, he mocked the disabled reporter.

Muslim registry?  Perhaps?
Shutting down some mosques?  Yea.

Let's all begin to ponder what's going to pass for religious freedom in a Trump Administration.