The right wingers don't know the meaning of "religious liberty", but they love to tell atheists to leave the country.

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This Week in God
By Steve Benen, December 28, 2013

First up from the God Machine this week is a closer look at Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) apparent confusion over the meaning of religious liberty.

A&E announced late yesterday that Phil Robertson’s suspension over bigoted comments has ended and production will begin anew on the “Duck Dynasty” reality show. New episodes will begin filming in 2014. In response, Bobby Jindal described the news as a victory “for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.”

Perhaps now would be a good time for a refresher on Civil Liberties 101.

As we discussed last week, Phil Robertson’s free-speech rights were never in jeopardy – A&E is a private entity, and Robertson, as a private citizen, has always been free to say whatever he pleases about minority groups he doesn’t like. Whether Jindal understand this or not, the Constitution does not entitle Americans to their own cable reality shows – Americans’ freedom of speech does not mean Americans are entitled to have someone pay us for our speech.

But this applies equally to religious liberty. Americans’ ability to worship freely, or not, based on our beliefs and conscience is not dependent on paychecks from cable networks. Phil Robertson’s freedom of religion remains entirely intact whether or not he’s on A&E’s payroll.

Let me try to explain this another way:

1. You are not the star of your own televised reality show.

2. Your ability to worship and exercise your religious beliefs remains unaffected.

See how easy this was? Jindal and other conservatives have been eager to defend Robertson by arguing that religiously based contempt for minority groups is somehow more acceptable than garden-variety bigotry. They’re certainly welcome to believe that if they wish.

But what Jindal and his allies should not do is change the meaning of the First Amendment to suit a misguided culture-war agenda. The freedom of religion means something rather specific, and if the governor of Louisiana finds that confusing, it’s not too late for him to brush up on the basics.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* John Hagee, a prominent evangelical pastor who dabbles in Republican politics, argued this week, “[I]f atheists and humanists don’t like being wished a ‘Merry Christmas’ … well, they can just get out of the country.” [See more below.]

[snipped]

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Texas Pastor John Hagee Tells Atheists To Get On A Plane, 'Leave The Country'
By Shadee Ashtari, December 27, 2013

In a sermon on Sunday, Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee advised atheists and humanists to “take your Walkman and stuff it into your ears” or just “leave the country” if they don’t like hearing "Merry Christmas" or carols like "Joy to the World," according to a video of Hagee’s speech hosted on Right Wing Watch.

“Planes are leaving every hour on the hour. Get on one," Hagee added, speaking from his Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.

Sunday’s sermon was not the first time the televangelist suggested nonbelievers leave the country. In a June 2012 sermon, Hagee, who is also the CEO of Global Evangelism Television, told the “atheist watching this telecast” that “this country was not built for atheists nor by atheists.”

“It was built by Christian people who believed in the word of God. ... If our belief in God offends you, move,” Hagee said before informing atheists that "we don’t want you and we won’t miss you, I promise you.”

Hagee, who endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president in 2008, has also declared on multiple occasions that God sent Adolf Hitler as a "hunter" to kill Jewish people for “disobedience and rebellion.”

In a 2006 interview with NPR, he also claimed that Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people, was an “act of God” to punish a Gay Pride parade scheduled in New Orleans.

“And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades,” Hagee said. “I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment, sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.”

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