On Monday the State Department held a press conference, but, in spite of the first Amendment’s freedom of the press and the Establishment clause that prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion” and prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion, issued a “special informational call” to “faith-based media,” excluding all members of secular media outlets.
Considering that the State Department is the federal executive department that advises the President and conducts international relations, this is a little questionable.
What action is the executive branch planning that no one but religious groups can know about, or will be the first to learn of, especially when the following day Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to the Middle East visiting Israel, Kuwait, and Lebanon to push for action against Iran.
Did he tell them what he planned to discuss, or ask for their input?
The Freedom From Religion Foundation rote to Pompeo stating in part,
“Holding an informational media call that is open only to members of the media with your preferred religious viewpoint is anathema to your constitutional obligation to treat all Americans equally regardless of their religious affiliation. In addition, media that are not ‘faith-based’ have a right to be included in media calls or events that are open to their religious counterparts.”
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Since nothing can be done now that this religious presser is over, FFRF wants written assurances from the State Department that future media calls and events will not exclude nonreligious media or otherwise favor religion over non-religion, and has filed a formal Freedom of Information Act request to obtain public records related to the event.
“The State Department’s favoritism towards ‘religiously-based’ media should be appalling to all Americans regardless of their religious beliefs. Not only does it trample the core founding value of American democracy that is the freedom of the press, but it sends the message to the fast-growing number of nonreligious Americans that they are of secondary concern to their own government.”
The press conference was only discovered by mistake when a member of the non-faith based media was accidentally and then disinvited.
What was discussed, who was there, and what the criteria for being invited has not been released, and although it was a faith-based media event, only Christian and Jewish media were invited, and, even then, selectively and not universally.
While Trump and his allies decry an alleged “deep State” that lingers in the shadow, the State Department seems willing to create its own deep state government when it comes to religion.