After Gov. Scott Walker read from a book called Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence at an event in Iowa last week, “the book shot to the top of a couple of online retailers’ best-seller lists, including Amazon,” according to Religion News Service.
Pope Backs Equal Pay for Women
Pope Francis backed efforts for equal pay for men and women who perform the same work, saying that continuing disparities in pay for women are a “pure scandal,” according to the National Catholic Reporter.
Said Francis: “Why is it expected that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights. The disparity is a pure scandal.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Today’s Democratic Party has decided there is no room for Christians. There is a liberal fascism that is going after Christian believers.”
— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by The Hill.
Scott Walker Running on Faith
“Scott Walker, the son of a Baptist preacher, learned a lot about being a politician by going to church,” the New York Times reports.
“He was introduced to glad-handing while greeting worshipers beside his father after Sunday services. His confidence as a public speaker began at 2, when he delivered a Christmas greeting from the pulpit, and it blossomed when he preached occasional sermons as a teenager. And now, Mr. Walker’s lifelong church involvement may be a powerful asset as he positions himself to run for the Republican presidential nomination and focuses on early primary and caucus states dominated by evangelical voters.”
Quote of the Day
“I think it’s fair to say that Christian convictions are under attack as never before. Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great nation. We are moving rapidly toward the criminalization of Christianity.”
— Mike Huckabee, quoted by Politico.
Oklahoma Attorney General Defends Bible Distribution
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt (R) sent a letter to public school superintendents across the state vowing to defend religious freedom amid “veiled legal threats” over the distribution of Bibles on campus, Tulsa World reports.
Said Pruitt: “It is a challenging time in our country for those who believe in religious liberty. Our religious freedoms are under constant attack from a variety of groups who seek to undermine our constitutional rights and threaten our founding principles.”
Jindal Backs ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill in Louisiana
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) announced he will support a controversial religious freedom bill filed by a Louisiana legislator, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
“The Louisiana legislation is not exactly the same as the laws introduced in Indiana and Arkansas, but it deals with many of the same issues related to same-sex marriage and religious protections.”
Cruz Rips Big Business Over ‘Religious Freedom’
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “had strong words for business leaders who haven’t defended religious freedom laws like the one in Indiana, which has sparked a firestorm of debate,” the Des Moines Register reports.
Said Cruz: “The Fortune 500 is running shamelessly to endorse the radical gay marriage agenda over religious liberty to say: ‘We will persecute a Christian pastor, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi.’ Any person of faith is subject to persecution if they dare disagree, if their religious faith parts way from their political commitment to gay marriage.”
Indiana Set to Add Protections to ‘Religious Freedom’ Law
“Indiana Republican leaders are set to announce a deal Thursday morning that alters Indiana’s controversial ‘religious freedom’ law to ensure it does not discriminate against gay and lesbian customers of Indiana businesses,” the Indianapolis Star reports.
“The proposal — which grants new protections for LGBT customers, employees and tenants — is set for a 9 a.m. rollout at the Statehouse and a 9:30 a.m. committee hearing. It closely mirrors a draft plan that was circulated early Wednesday morning and could potentially quell concerns that have made Indiana the focus of national derision for one very intense week.”
Arkansas Governor Will Not Sign ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said he “will not sign a controversial religious liberty bill, saying he wants lawmakers to recall the bill and change it so that it more closely resembles federal law,” the Washington Post reports.
Said Hutchinson: “This is a bill that in ordinary times would not be controversial. But these are not ordinary times.”
New York Times: “Several businesses, including the state’s largest employer, Walmart, as well as the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Municipal League and other civic groups have come out against the legislation.”
Are Republicans Losing Big Business?
Rick Klein: “The culture wars are raging again, bringing the predictable splits. Democrats say one thing; Republicans – including all of the potential 2016ers — say another, reflecting real divisions among voters. But there’s something missing on the GOP side: some of the biggest voices in the business community. Leading the way in criticizing the new Indiana law and its cousins in other states are titans of the corporate world: Apple, Walmart, Marriott, Eli Lilly, even Indiana’s Chamber of Commerce.”
“There are few signs that corporate leaders’ splits with the political right will last permanently, or matter for things like campaign contributions. But it’s instructive to see how things are lining up in this fight. It’s as if big slices of corporate America are glimpsing a demographic and ideological future ahead of their political counterparts.”
Wonk Wire: An erosion of gay rights?
A Lesson for Republicans in Indiana
First Read: “Here’s the bad news for Republicans: The political fight over religious freedom and gay rights that erupted in Indiana has forced Gov. Mike Pence to retreat; put the Republican 2016 contenders to the RIGHT of Pence; and further exposed that the GOP is in a different place on gay rights than the rest of the country. That includes big business. But here’s the good news for the party: They’re learning this lesson early — as opposed to having it play out next spring or even in the fall of 2016.”
Jonathan Bernstein: “The positions that play well in a small bubble of party politics and on Fox News may go wrong when the larger November 2016 electorate is exposed to them.”
Arkansas Passes ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill
“The Arkansas legislature on Tuesday passed its version of a bill described by proponents as a religious freedom law, even as Indiana’s political leaders struggled to gain control over a growing backlash that has led to calls to boycott the state because of criticism that its law could be a vehicle for discrimination against gay couples,” the New York Times reports.
“The Arkansas bill now goes to the state’s Republican governor, Asa Hutchinson, who expressed reservations about an earlier version but more recently said he would sign the measure if it ‘reaches my desk in similar form as to what has been passed in 20 other states.’ But the bill already faces a significant corporate backlash, including from Doug McMillon, the chief executive of Walmart, the state’s largest corporation, who said Tuesday afternoon that Mr. Hutchinson should veto it.”
Pence Digs In Over ‘Religious Freedom’ Law
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) dug in his heels, supporting the “religious freedom” legislation he just signed and refusing to support nondiscrimination protections, the Indianapolis Star reports.
“Pence struggled under persistent questioning from ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday morning as he went on air to defend the law… One thing Pence was clear about, however: He will not support language that would bar discrimination. The performance Sunday morning, on national television, marked an apparent about face from Saturday, when he told The Indianapolis Star that he would support new protections.”
Bloomberg quotes Pence: “We’ve been under an avalanche of intolerance and I’m not going to take it lying down. We’re not going to change the law.”
Wonk Wire: Why the outrage?
Pence Will Seek Clarification of Religious Freedom Law
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), “scorched by a fast-spreading political firestorm,” told the Indianapolis Star that “he will support the introduction of legislation to ‘clarify’ that Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not promote discrimination against gays and lesbians.”
Associated Press: “Hundreds of people, some carrying signs reading ‘no hate in our state,’ gathered Saturday outside the Indiana Statehouse for a boisterous rally against a new state law that opponents say could sanction discrimination against gay people.”
Religious Freedom Law Sparks Outrage in Indiana
Indiana faces “a growing backlash over a religious-freedom law that has drawn a hostile reaction from defenders of gay rights, who say it could result in discrimination based on sexual orientation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Measures similar to that signed into law by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence this week are already in place at the federal level and in some 30 states. The law covers a relatively complex issue—setting a legal framework for those who claim a government rule or requirement is hampering their exercise of religion.”
The Indianapolis Star notes “the public firestorm has been fueled almost exclusively by critics — from gay rights activists to business leaders to celebrities— who see the law as a license to discriminate under the guise of religion. Oddly and conspicuously missing has been a strong counter-show of public support by the law’s backers, including evangelical Christians.”
Quote of the Day
“The First Amendment says keep government out of religion, not religion out of government.”
— Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by David Brody, speaking at a private prayer breakfast in Washington, DC.
GOP Lawmaker Suggests Mandatory Church Attendance
Arizona state State Sen. Sylvia Allen (R) raised the possibility of requiring church attendance for every American, the Arizona Republic reports.
Said Allen: “Probably we should be debating a bill requiring every American to attend a church of their choice on Sunday to see if we can get back to having a moral rebirth.”
She added that she wished things were more like they were in the 1950s: “People prayed, people went to church. I remember on Sundays the stores were closed. The biggest thing is religion was kicked out of our public places, out of our schools.”
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