Southwest will appeal judge's ruling requiring 'religious liberty training', Reuters, By Daniel Wiessner, August 8, 2023,

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-orders-southwest-lawyers-undergo-religious-liberty-training-2023-08-08/#:~:text=Aug%208%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Southwest,prominent%20conservative%20Christian%20legal%20group.


The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.33.3 featuring Helen Greene, The Well-Known Skeptic, Aaron Jensen and"Jimmy Jr"

Southwest is appealing a judge's ruling that requires religious liberty training for three of its senior lawyers. This was in response to Southwest not meeting the judge’s previous ruling.
They had been ordered to inform their employees of the judges previous order, in their notice to employees they said, “Southwest does not discriminate against our employees”. The judge had previously said, “may not” instead of “does not”.
In his decision, Starr said, “Some of those entities laudably provide training free of charge for those who have struggled to respect religious liberties in the manner federal law requires.” And his selection? The Judge chose to assign training from a Christian group called the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Why do they always seem to include freedom or liberty in their name?
The ADF has been designated as an anti-LGBT hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center. They are arguably the most influential anti-LGBT group and also spearheaded the previous administration's attack on LGBT rights.
They oppose same-sex marriage. they want to criminalize same-sex activity, they oppose anti-discrimination laws, they have opposed contraception, and are the group behind the current effort to remove FDA approval for Mifepristone. They have also taken an active role in writing anti-transgender bills for State legislatures.
The legal memorandum opinion and Order granting sanctions that the judge from Texas, not Florida for once. But as before, we are seeing these efforts across the country. U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr is another example of a judge using their authority to prop up Christian values in blatant violation of the Constitution.
The judge is retaliating against Southwest Airlines for penalizing a Christian, he is using the legal system to infuse his own religious ideology. It's a dangerous precedent, not only for atheists but for Christians, everyone could face efforts of indoctrination as a penalty for an act that conflicts with somebody's values.
There's a reason we need to keep religion out of government, when you come together as a society you have to agree on a common framework of how we're all going to live together.
If one chooses religion, those religious beliefs are frequently very oppressive to other groups. Often the same people historically as victims of religious groups. They tend to inflict serious harm on groups of people that they don't like.
As skeptics, the danger of religion in government is clear. We're all subject to laws, we want laws to help us get along, and to help create equality. Introducing the creep of religion into our laws and our government slowly erodes away all of our liberties and freedoms.

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