Folks at Fox News are angry that Madison, Wisconsin now prohibits discrimination against atheists, because “there’s a lot of reasons why Christians or Jews might not want to hire an atheist.”

After Fox & Friends host Tucker Carlson reported that the city of Madison, Wisconsin is now including atheists as a protected class, his co-host Anna Kooiman asked GOP activist and former DOJ attorney J Christian Adams the following rhetorically loaded question:

Where does this hostility come from?

The assumption being that atheists seeking protection against discrimination is an expression of “hostility.”

In response to the loaded question, Adams attacked the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), the Madison, Wisconsin based group that campaigned in favor of the ordinance protecting atheists from discrimination.

Adams described the FFRF as “a bunch of angry atheists” that “hectors governments to pass anti-Christian, anti-religious ordinances. They team up with government, for example, they were behind getting the IRS to monitor sermons and homilies by Christian pastors.”

About the FFRF Adams said:

This is a group that’s filled with hostility toward people of faith.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson agreed with Adams’ slanderous assessment of the FFRF, noting:

That’s right. It’s never just about tolerating their views, it’s about attacking other people’s views.

Carlson went on to quote Madison City Councilwoman Anita Weier, who said that the protections are “only fair,” because “if we protect religion, in all its varieties, we should also protect non-religion from discrimination.

Carlson seemed to agree with Weier before asking the guest yet another leading question:

That does, in some sense, seem fair. But that’s not exactly their aim, is it?

Adams replied:

No, and it never works out that way. Not only does it bring in lawsuits, but don’t forget — this is a local ordinance, Tucker. That means that a whole body of bureaucrats will spring up [and be] tasked with hectoring people of faith, badgering people of faith in Wisconsin who might not want to hire somebody.

Adams went on to explain why “Christians or Jews” should have the right to discriminate against atheists:

There’s a lot of reasons why Christians or Jews might not want to hire an atheist. In fact, it’s in the New Testament. It says things like avoid them and disassociate with them. You might have a job, for example, where you want someone who believes in a higher power. For example, maybe you’re an airline and hiring pilots who you prefer they maybe believe in Hell. To tell people that you can’t only hire people of faith intrudes on their free exercise of faith.

In all, the conversation was what one might expect from Fox: a disappointing display of ignorance and bigotry towards atheists. However, the good news is that the panel seemed to agree that the civil rights protections provided for atheists in Madison will soon be replicated across the country. Let us hope so.

(H/T Crooks And Liars)