Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of a “religious liberty task force” to stop all the discrimination that’s happening to religious people when the government stops them from exercising their religious right to discriminate.

The goal is to protect religious groups from persecution. Unless, of course, one of your religious beliefs is nondiscrimination.

“The promise of freedom of conscience brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, the Catholics to Maryland, the Quakers to Pennsylvania, the Scot-Presbyterians to the middle colonies, and Roger Williams to Rhode Island,” Sessions said in his July 30 announcement, oddly using the example of immigrants escaping persecution in other countries and coming to this country to justify his “task force.”

“A dangerous movement, undetected by many, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom,” Sessions said. “There can be no doubt. This is no little matter. It must be confronted and defeated.”

Speaking of the principle of religious freedom, Sessions said, “It arose in large part from the principals delineated in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom — and its effective advocates: Madison and Jefferson.”

Isn’t it interesting that the two biggest defenders of religious freedom — Jefferson and Madison — maintained no religious affiliation.

Here’s how Sessions suggested we exercise you religious freedom:

“They include the principle that government shouldn’t impugn people’s motives or beliefs.”

Agreed.

“We don’t give up our rights when we go to work, start a business, talk about politics, or interact with the government.”

Agreed. So if your religion says it’s OK for you to marry and you do, just because your employer doesn’t like it is no reason for you keep from putting up pictures of your spouse, if that’s what everyone else in your office does. And the government will protect that. Because Sessions is talking about protecting all religious beliefs, I’m sure. Not just his own.

David Taffet