Head of Federal Election Commission calls separation of church and state a 'fallacy' ...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Religion News

Head of Federal Election Commission calls separation of church and state a ‘fallacy’ and 2020 election a ‘spiritual war’

September 17, 2020
Jack Jenkins

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The head of the Federal Election Commission chastised Catholic bishops during a pair of interviews this week, accusing church hierarchy of “hiding behind” their nonprofit status and declaring that this year’s U.S. election amounts to a “spiritual war” that threatens the country’s “Christian moral principles.” ... FEC Chairman James E. “Trey” Trainor III made the remarks during an interview released on Wednesday (Sept. 16) by Church Militant, a controversial conservative Catholic media outlet, and in a separate phone interview with Religion News Service.

Trainor, who is Catholic and attends Mass weekly, was asked by Church Militant founder Michael Voris about a priest who recently published a viral video in which the cleric declares that no Catholic can be a Democrat. Voris pressed Trainor about news that, in response to the video, a bishop plans to attempt “fraternal correction” of the priest, with the hierarch arguing the priest has inflicted a “wound” upon the church.

{snip}

Trainor, a Republican who was nominated to the FEC by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2020, also told Voris that because of a 2017 executive order signed by Trump, churches are free to endorse political candidates. ... “Especially with this executive order that President Trump signed, the churches can absolutely engage in that activity,” said Trainor, a lawyer who previously represented the Texas Republican Party and two presidential campaigns.

{snip}

Trainor contended the separation of church and state is “a fallacy,” because “every person who comes to the public square has to have an informed conscience in one way or another, and it’s either informed by their religion, their tradition or something.” ... The chairman also agreed with Voris that this year’s election amounts to a “spiritual war.” Trainor expanded on that position in his interview with RNS.

{snip}

Read more: https://religionnews.com/2020/09/17/head-of-federal-election-commission-calls-separation-of-church-and-state-a-fallacy-and-2020-election-a-spiritual-war/

---

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

1. So I spoke to the head of the Federal Election Commission today.

He told me the separation of church and state is a "fallacy," that Trump's 2017 EO allows faith leaders to endorse candidates, and that the 2020 election is a "spiritual war."

Link to tweet

[keithbvadu2]

1. "Christian moral principles"

He said that with a straight face?

Chuckle, chortle, guffaw!

[scarletwoman]

2. Oh god! (so to speak)

Where do these people come from?

[samnsara]

3. where do these people come from????

[AZ8theist]

4. HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!

HOW THE FUCK IS THIS FASCIST IN ANY POSITION OF ANYTHING??????????????????

THIS FUCKER NEEDS TO BE SENT ADRIFT.

[sarcasmo]

5. Tax Churches.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

16. +1000

Allowing churches to take part in the political process without paying taxes is also a way for church members to make unlimited political (read that "Republican" ) donations and get a tax deduction for them, to boot!

[2naSalit]

17. +1

[Evolve Dammit]

6. Jesus H. Christ. As Robin Willimas said, when God comes back, he's not going to look like Charlton

Heston this time. OK he played Moses. Artistic/ comedic license. They really want a fascist, dictatorial theocracy, don't they? Bless their little dark, twisted hearts.

[AZ8theist]

7. HOW THE FUCK DO THESE "RELIGIOUS" LEADERS JUSTIFY:

JOE BIDEN IS A CATHOLIC.

DONALD TRUMP IS A NON-RELIGIOUS RACIST FASCIST APOSTATE.

JUST FUCKING HOW????????????????

[DSandra]

19. Do these followers even read the Bible?

Ignorance is power

[Nexus2]

25. Transaction.

Last edited Fri Sep 18, 2020, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Trump is giving them what they want and making mouth noises that appeal to their interests. Any 'little indiscretions' can be forgiven for that.

[AZ8theist]

29. Putting children in cages is not a "little indiscretion".....

As well as child rape, adultery, bearing false witness, genocide....the list goes on and on.

[Nexus2]

30. Apparently, it is too them.

Last edited Fri Sep 18, 2020, 04:13 PM - Edit history (2)

Its about power, influence and hypocrisy. But more to what you said, yes, its a bit of hope that some of them will realize that the price is too high and sheared off his votes, but I'm not confident it will make mch difference.

[AZ8theist]

32. Yup. Irredeemable.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Henry VIII thought so too

[rickyhall]

9. We need all Trump appointees gone as soon as trump's gone. That's an imperative.

[Delmette2.0]

12. Amen. 😆

[dalton99a]

20. Absolutely. They are his accomplices and partners in crime.

[Permanut]

10. Okay, let's count how many times the word "God" appears in the Constitution..

get back to me with the count,Trainor.

[Stuart G]

11. Amendment One...Of The United States Constitution.."The of the Bill of Rights":

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence One....:Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise of..................

That says...no law...NO...still means ...NO......

A law or executive order by Trump on religion is illegal....If this gets into the courts, it will be declared illegal. Separation of Church and State is in the U.S. Constitution. Trump cannot give an executive order
on any aspect of ...."establishment of religion"....The separation of "church and state" is in
the United States Constitution.

...It is there because that is what the founders of this country wanted. There is separation because of the Constitution...This is not a fallacy, it was an important idea of our founding fathers.
Amendment One solidifies that separation. Every scholar of the Constitution knows that.

FEC Chairman James E. “Trey” Trainor III is as much a stupid fool as Donald Trump. Denying separation of church & state goes against the founding fathers & The United States Constitution.

.One other sentence...."The United States Constitution Is The Supreme Law of The Land."

[lastlib]

21. Article VI, U.S. Constitution:

...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

I guess this idjit never heard of this rule, either....

[DENVERPOPS]

28. To better understand this

read ANIMAL FARM. When you read it, it will look like a play book for the RepubliCONs and the current administration.....

[patphil]

13. It's a spiritual war alright.

A war between those Catholics and Christians who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, and those who say they do, but act like they follow the path of darkness.

Hint: If Jesus were alive today, his teachings would identify him as a Liberal.

Imagine, Jesus is a libtard as defined by right wing CINO's (Catholics/Christians in name only).

Actions always speak louder than words. You can claim to follow Jesus, but what you do will be the ultimate tell as to whether or not you actually do follow him.

[AZ8theist]

33. He'd also be an antifa agitator guilty of sedition

[Beartracks]

14. Sorry, Trump's EO doesn't trump the Constitution.

He's only a President, and a lousy one at that. He's not the king he thinks he is, no matter how much his lackeys and sycophants kiss up to him.

=============

[azureblue]

15. I'm Ok with

it, as long as the state does what Christ teaches - Matthew 25 : 31-46 is a summary - take care or the poor the sick the elderly let strangers in, also the rich give their wealth to the poor. Do unto others.

Face it, if Matthew 25 :31- 46 is the rule then all repubs are going to hell.

[mr_lebowski]

18. Holy fuck I hate these fucking people SO FUCKING MUCH ...

[PaulRevere08]

22. The catholic integralists, like Barr, are a very scary bunch. A noted

one is teaching constitutional law at Harvard.

Integralism
A convert to Catholicism, Vermeule has become an advocate of integralism, a form of modern political thought originating in historically Catholic-dominant societies and opposed to the liberal ideal of division between church and state. Integralism in practice gives rise to state order (identifiable as theocratic) in which a religiously-conceived "Highest Good" has precedence over individual autonomy, the value prioritized by liberal democracy. Rather than electoral politics, the path to confessional political order in integralist theory is “strategic ralliement,” or transformation within institutions and bureaucracies, that lays the groundwork for a realized integralist regime to succeed a liberal democratic order it assumes to be dying. The new state would "exercise coercion over baptized citizens in a manner different from non-baptized citizens".[10][11][12]

To achieve this end, Vermeule has suggested giving confirmed Catholics priority in immigration, allowing them to "jump immediately to the head of the queue". Vermeule describes this as being essential to "the eventual formation of the Empire of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and ultimately the world government required by natural law".[13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Vermeule

[mahatmakanejeeves]

23. Another link, which includes a video of the interview

FEC Chairman: Church/State Separation Is A “Fallacy”
September 18, 2020

{snip}

{snip}

[Yeehah]

24. Four months and two days until these corrupt Trump appointees are history

and the investigations into their crimes begins.

[hvn_nbr_2]

26. Thank you to the OP for a thoughtful post

You thoughtfully considered how to snip the article down to four paragraphs and selected four paragraphs that tell me what it's about. I get so tired of posts that, after I read them, I have little or no idea what it's about, when sometimes the key words of the subject get no mention in the post and I wonder what the post has to do with the subject.

So thank you for taking the time and making the effort to actually *communicate*.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

27. Thank you. Usually when someone writes, it's to tell me that I'm a troll, so when someone writes to

say that he likes what I've done, it comes as a surprise.

A pleasant surprise.

Please enjoy the weekend, and thank you again.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. This spells danger for the election

He is parroting the worst of the Republican crap, and there's no way he can do his job impartially. He is a thread to the USA and its democracy.