Showing posts with label bigotry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bigotry. Show all posts

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Weekly Roundup: The 8-Week Plan to Delegitimize the Midterms Between Election Day and January 3 (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

The midterms are Tuesday. The fight over whether they count may start the moment polls close.

Between Election Day and January 3, 2027, when the new Congress is sworn in, there are eight weeks. Right-wing media and political operatives are already building two narratives to fill that time: 
  • “Non-citizens voted.” Hundreds of right-wing accounts and outlets have published thousands of statements questioning the election’s integrity, and the focus has shifted to non-citizen voting. The initial claims are huge. When the numbers are actually checked, they shrink dramatically, but the corrections rarely reach the audience that heard the big number. 
  • “Some winners can’t be seated.” Trump, Sen. Bernie Moreno, and Rep. Keith Self have each argued that certain elected Democrats, including Muslim candidates and DSA-aligned candidates, are ineligible to serve. The same idea appears in Center for Renewing America materials tied to Russ Vought. 
Why it matters: a religious test for office isn’t just an insult to the people targeted. If this plan works, voters’ choices get overridden, and Muslims and others get branded as unfit to hold office.

In this video, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller walk through the evidence, show what’s being said in public, and explain what to watch for between November 3 and January 3. 

Chapters:

  • 0:00 Intro
  • 2:09 What to expect on Tuesday
  • 5:55 The “non-citizens voted” campaign
  • 10:24 Why the courts may respond faster this time
  • 19:00 The plan not to seat Democrats
  • 22:16 Trump, Moreno, and Keith Self on who can serve
  • 29:00 Sen. Chris Murphy on CNN
  • 41:00 Hegseth’s spiritual advisor
  • 49:00 Netanyahu’s election fraud claims
  • 51:00 Trump and men’s bodies
  • 1:01:00 Reasons for hope

Saturday, October 31, 2026

The Final Countdown: MAGA’s Racist Blitz and Trump’s Next Big Lie – Mother Jones

As this episode shows, the GOP—from Donald Trump to JD Vance to Cabinet secretaries to senators and representatives—has made hateful bigotry a central element of its final midterms push. 

Those assaults have primarily targeted Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, with Vance calling him a “cancer” with “zero attachment” to America’s land or history; Sen. Ted Cruz falsely labeling El-Sayed a “theocratic zealot” and lifelong Muslim Brotherhood supporter; and Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno declaring El-Sayed doesn’t belong in Washington, DC, because he doesn’t believe “Jesus came here for our salvation”. Pointing out that Moreno appeared to be establishing a religious test for service in Congress, David says, “That’s not what the Constitution says. That is what Christian nationalists say.” The race-baiting doesn’t stop there: Donald Trump warned that El-Sayed and Democrats will invite “hordes of jihadists” until Americans “cannot even have a Christmas.” …

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/maga-campaign-midterms-racism-stress-test-black-voters-podcast-video/

 

Maya Wiley: the enduring influence of white ethno-Christian nationalism (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

Maya Wiley, a prominent civil rights attorney and activist, recieves our Champion of Human Rights Award. 

In her acceptance speech, Wiley reflects on the enduring influence of white ethno-Christian nationalism in the United States, highlighting its historical roots in racial segregation, genocide, and slavery. 

She discusses how this ideology has resurfaced, manifesting in alarming ways, including recruitment and participation of extremists in the military post-January 6th. 

Wiley emphasizes the importance of unity and coalition-building among diverse groups to combat this resurgence and protect civil liberties, including the freedom of religion and non-religion.
Interview: 


Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Satanic Invocations Provoke Backlash (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #657)

— Texas school district cancels “Little Shop of Horrors” after girl is cast as Seymour. (0:15)

— The “pro-life” pastors who want America to watch a live-streamed execution. (19:22)

— Satanic invocation sends Iowa city council meeting into chaos. (34:48)

— A city overtaken by Christians wanted invocations. It got “Hail Satan” instead. (46:36)

— A pastor in an interracial marriage says he won’t let his daughter marry a Black man. (57:23)

— A Tennessee school board is putting Christian Nationalism ahead of students. (1:09:12)
Interview: 

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Friendly Atheist News Roundup 9/24/2026 (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #654)

0:00 Intro
0:20 Jehovah’s Witnesses just gutted their deadly blood transfusion policy.
18:32 Trump’s “Top 250 Victories for People of Faith” collapse under scrutiny.
36:50 An Alabama church says God made a paraplegic man walk again. There’s a better explanation.
52:00 Nearly half of people raised Mormon have left the LDS Church.
1:02:53 James Talarico’s pastor welcomes atheists. Conservatives think that’s a scandal.
Interview: 

Sunday, September 20, 2026

Karl Rove Announces He Will Vote Democrat In Fiery Rebuke Of GOP: 'I'll Have No Part Of It'

"The GOP has a growing number of Bo Frenches—and not only in Texas," wrote Rove. "Conservativism and the party it dominates have an increasing number of bigoted advocates of a 'heritage America' composed of white descendants of the original European settlers." 

He continued, "There are 'just asking questions' Jew-haters, misogynists who worship hypermasculinity, conspiracy nuts seeking clicks for profit, and religious bigots who won't differentiate between Muslim terrorists and Muslim American patriots."

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/karl-rove-announces-vote-democrat-150338309.html


 

Have they read the bible?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5OFK_ImGmKg

 

Sunday, September 13, 2026

Can White Evangelicals Be Defended? (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #652)

— Bonnie Kristian’s “Defense of Evangelicalism” avoids the real problem. (0:17)

— Christian missionaries were not kicked out of Burning Man for preaching the Gospel. (38:04)

— The Supreme Court could let Catholic preschools discriminate on the taxpayers’ dime. (46:19)

— Here are the openly non-religious candidates for state/federal office in 2026. (56:30)
Interview: 

Sunday, August 16, 2026

Friendly Atheist News Roundup 8/13/2026 -- Christian Beauty Queen Loses Crown Over Racist Posts (VIDEO Podcast Ep. 648)

0:00 Intro
1:34 Miss North Carolina USA said she lost her crown due to her faith. Then the racist posts surfaced.
10:55 Virginia school district sued after repeatedly changing rules to block LGBTQ student club.
23:10 School officials face charges after trans wrestler controversy fueled by the religious right.
35:15 An anti-trans Christian activist is furious that a reporter quoted her accurately.
43:00 Trump is trying to change childhood vaccine recommendations.
54:30 Oklahoma candidate James Taylor has turned his classroom into a Christian campaign studio.
Interview: 

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Weekly Roundup: The Odyssey, Christian Nationalism, and the Invention of “Western Civilization” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad Onishi and Dan Miller explore the American right’s furious reaction to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and what the controversy reveals about race, representation, gender, sexuality, and the politics of “Western civilization.” From outrage over Black actors and queer representation in contemporary adaptations to the right’s insistence that certain stories, traditions, and cultural identities belong exclusively to white people, the conversation examines why the boundaries of “the West” are constantly being defended—and who gets pushed outside them.

The discussion then turns to the rise of civilizational populism and its growing influence on the American right. Brad and Dan unpack how appeals to “Western Christian civilization” are being used to unite Christian nationalists, technocrats, billionaires, and authoritarian political actors around a shared vision of cultural hierarchy and social order. They connect the backlash over The Odyssey to Marco Rubio’s foreign policy, the politics of Venezuela, the disputed results of a national civics competition, and the broader question of who gets to represent the future of America.
Interview: 


Sunday, July 19, 2026

Christian Momfluencer Wants White Babies (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #644)

— Christian influencer brags that she had six kids to “help the white race.” (0:41)
— Lindsey Graham was an opponent of church/state separation. (16:28)
— Pastor files discrimination lawsuit after losing library job over pronouns. (21:51)
— A pro-Trump activist is raising money to install a giant Christian cross on the moon. (33:45)
— Indiana’s Lt. Gov. says Muslims shouldn’t be allowed to have “public calls to prayer.” (45:35)
— Evangelical GOP candidate Rod Joseph: “You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible.” (53:27)
— Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Monty Fritts is trying to out-Christian Marsha Blackburn. (1:03:59)
Interview: 

Without Jessica:

Monday, July 6, 2026

Hundreds of masked white nationalists march in Washington on Fourth of July (Guardian)

The group appeared to be led by Thomas Rousseau, founder of the neo-fascist, white supremacist organization Patriot Front. Members of the group wore white masks and gathered in front of DC’s Union Station. They later marched towards Capitol Hill, WTOP reported...

 

Sunday, May 31, 2026

The Bait & Switch Complex (Conspirituality podcast) #310

In the early 20th century, some retailers would advertise a product at an attractively low price to lure customers into the store, claim the item was out of stock or of poor quality then pressure customers to buy a more expensive alternative. The practice became known in the public vernacular as "bait and switch" in the 1920s.

This week, we look at three modern bait and switches pertinent to our beat. First, Julian looks at “free speech patriot” Chud the Builder’s slimy social media tactics. Then Derek investigates RFK Jr’s SNAP benefits now you see them, now you don’t. Finally, Matthew looks at how Mark Carney is bait and switching the Canadian political body.
Interview: 
https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/310-bait-and-switch-complex


Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Texas Senate runoff sees surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign ads

“Every time it’s an election year, this is one of the favorite cards that the GOP plays to get votes,” said Shehla Faizi, a Texas Muslim running for state comptroller as a member of the Green party. “We have a boogeyman, the boogeyman are Muslims, and we’re going to use that to make people afraid and force them to vote for us.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/texas-senate-runoff-anti-muslim-ad


 

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Weekly Roundup: The Death of Voting Rights: SCOTUS, Alito, and the Colorblind Myth (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this week's solo roundup, Dan Miller deconstructs a series of aggressive maneuvers by the 47th administration designed to codify Christian nationalism into federal policy. The centerpiece is the newly released report from the Anti-Christian Bias Task Force, an entity Dan argues serves less as a shield for religious freedom and more as a sword against civil rights. By framing standard anti-discrimination protections as inherent attacks on the faith, the administration is effectively creating a legal "red meat" pipeline for its base. 

This ideological shift is mirrored in the judicial branch, where the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Calle effectively "guts" the remains of the Voting Rights Act. Dan traces the lineage of Justice Alito's "colorblind" rhetoric back to the Roberts Court, highlighting how the judicial insistence on ignoring race is being weaponized to dismantle Black political representation and broader DEI initiatives.

The episode further explores the chilling effect of "MAGA-style" free speech, highlighting the selective weaponization of federal agencies against cultural and political critics. From the FCC's retaliatory pressure on ABC following a Jimmy Kimmel monologue to the surreal indictment of James Comey over a seashell photo, Miller illustrates a pattern of using law enforcement as a tool for personal grievance. 

On the border, the administration continues its push for a "White America" through restrictive new visa affirmations and a cynical rebranding of ICE to "NICE"—a move Dan describes as a superficial mask for an agency defined by family separations and systemic harm. 

However, the episode closes on a note of strategic optimism: as the 2026 midterm elections loom, the GOP's fixation on cultural grievances over economic affordability suggests a political vulnerability that could shift the national tide.
Interview: 


Sunday, March 29, 2026

Why Christianity Hates Indigenous People (Drew McCoy/Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)

No Piraha has ever been converted to Christianity, despite 242 years of missions. 

Join FFRF to protect separation of church and state: https://ffrf.org/misc-for-landing-pages/join-ffrf-today/ 

The indigenous critique of Christianity was one of the most influential factors in the development of the European Enlightenment.
Interview: 

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Black Freethinkers of the Harlem Renaissance | Freethought Radio: In Studio

Historian Chris Cameron explores the overlooked tradition of Black freethought during the Harlem Renaissance. From W.E.B. Du Bois’s sharp critiques of the church to Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston’s personal breaks from faith, the talk connects secularism to struggles against racism, violence and hypocrisy.
Interview: 

Saturday, February 21, 2026

History Minute (100): A literacy test to vote

As mentioned earlier, Jim Crow laws in various states required that Black people pass a specially created literacy test in order to vote. This test was waived for White people, or they had a separate simpler one.

See here an example of a literacy test used in 1960 in the state of Louisiana: https://www.treeoflogic.com/literacy_test.htm

And here’s what Alabama used in 1965: https://secure.splcenter.org/page/67431/survey/1?locale=en-US

How well did you do on the tests?







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