President Donald J. Trump, a Christian, has been hosting Bible studies inside the White House each week.
While conservatives and Evangelicals loved the surprising announcement, atheists are outraged.
A major anti-religion group is calling the prayer group disturbing, and even “illegal!”
As The Washington Times explains:
For months, secular organizations say they have unsuccessfully lobbied the president to make an effort to reach out to America’s nonreligious community. Now, revelations of a weekly Bible study group in the Trump White House, regularly attended by high-ranking Cabinet members, has free thinkers up in arms.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling the Bible study group disturbing, scary and maybe even an illegal use of taxpayer funds.
“If those officials want privacy, the solution is pretty damn simple: Study the Bible in your private capacity, not in your official capacity and at your government desk,” the secular group said in a statement Thursday. “Do it on your time, not the taxpayers’. In short, get off your knees and get to work.”
The Bible study group was started by Ralph Drollinger, founder of Capitol Ministries, which aims to spread the Gospel at the seats of power. Mr. Drollinger has established similar programs in the House and Senate, and 40 state capitals and 24 foreign countries.
And they are not happy about the impact the Bible study is having on top leaders, such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo… all of whom attend frequently:
Drollinger has already noticed the influence the Bible study has had on some administration officials. He told CBN News that Sessions will “go out the same day I teach him something, and I’ll see him do it on camera, and I just think, ‘Wow, these guys are faithful, available, and teachable, and they’re at Bible study every week they’re in town.'”
The FFRF argues that members of the Trump administration cannot keep their religion separate from their official duties.
“Each week, these pious politicians spend their time — your time, dear taxpayer — perusing a book that condones child sacrifice, slavery, misogyny, and the subjugation of women, genocide, and eternal torture for those who believe differently,” the group said. “If ever there were a book that government officials ought not to follow, it’s the Bible.”
The FFRF also has taken issue with Drollinger’s past comments.
“That Drollinger has unfettered access to the highest levels of our government is scary and raises serious state-church concerns,” the group said. “For instance, all these messages have a direct impact on public policy, including on LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, the social safety net, the right to choose, environmental issues, and global climate change.”
They claim it raises a “serious state-and-church concern.” And this group is not afraid to use litigation to demand Christians stay silent in schools and government buildings.
But should Christians lose their 1st Amendment rights simply by entering the White House? That hardly seems like what the Founding Fathers intended.
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