The separation of Church and State is a fundamental tenet of the U.S. Constitution. Increasingly policies that funnel taxpayer dollars into faith-based organizations challenge this important principle. This month on our June Pride episode, IN THE LIFE follows the money to expose some faith-based initiatives that sanction homophobia here and abroad.
DEMOCRACY OR THEOCRACY?
The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects religion from governmental interference, at the same time it ensures government is protected from religious influence. But faith leaders with close ties to Capitol Hill, target the LGBT community by using religion as a basis to deny our equality and blur the line distinguishing our democracy from a theocracy.
EXPORTING HATE
In 2009, the Ugandan Parliamentary proposed an anti-homosexuality bill that would impose the death penalty on serial offenders of homosexual acts. Inciting fear and sanctioning homophobia, the bill has caused LGBT Ugandans to be hunted in their communities and forced into exile. IN THE LIFE focuses on the man behind the bill and his supporters, and exposes the political and financial influence used by powerful conservatives in the U.S. to export their anti-gay agenda overseas.
Intersections of Church and State will begin airing June 1st. To find out when it airs in your local area, to stream or download it, go to the IN THE LIFE website: www.inthelifetv.org.
North Africa is a dying place. The rate of HIV-related deaths, encouraged now by Bush Administration’s bleeding tons of antiquated, ancient anti-virals to “help” Africans, is now at 2,500 deaths per DAY. From that great humanitarian fiasco comes new viral strains destined to wipe out millions who might have been saved. It is a place of superstition, violence, fear and the perfect breeding ground for the voodoo of America’s Religious Right. You are right to expose who “good American Christians” are exploiting the worst of Africa for their Sunday slideshows at home.
South Africa however, is a place where freedom and liberty have become real values–where violence was tried in courts and found to be unacceptable for the future of the nation. That’s the real example to us all. We can learn to live free and legalize freedom to move away from the darkness of violence and religiosity…or chose to die like North Africa is dying today.