Unsurprisingly, yet horrifyingly, Jeff Sessions uses the Bible to justify separating immigrant parents from their children:

Persons who violate the law of our nation are subject to prosecution. I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order. Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.

Sarah Sanders, a noted biblical scholar (cough cough cough retch) says it’s “very biblical to enforce the law,” (and we all want to be “very biblical,” right?) and tells CNN’s Jim Acosta that he has problems understanding even short sentences. Because I think shitty sarcasm is also biblical, ‘cuz why not.

Notably, American history professor John Fea says Sessions’ reference has come up before:

In the 1840s and 1850s … Romans 13 is invoked by defenders of the South or defenders of slavery to ward off abolitionists who believed that slavery is wrong. I mean, this is the same argument that Southern slaveholders and the advocates of a Southern way of life made.

Classy.

All of this happens after we criticized Sessions for a new DOJ initiative that encourages—not just allows but encourages—churches to seek to exempt themselves from zoning laws. We said:

This announcement makes it unmistakably clear that Attorney General Sessions views the Justice Department as the legal arm of the religious right. This initiative frames the separation of church and state not as a constitutional protection, but as an obstacle to religious privilege to be overcome.

Pope Francis reminds us that, yes, blasphemy is the worst thing you can possibly do, “the only unpardonable sin”—not, like, genocide or something—”…because it starts from a closure of the heart to the mercy of God acting in Jesus.” Sounds like a low bar for the worst of all possible things. And weirdly, it kind of sounds like he’s talking more about gossiping than actual blasphemy:

All those who accept the word of Jesus are sons of God and brothers among themselves. Welcoming the word of Jesus makes us brothers among us, makes us the family of Jesus. … [But] gossiping about others … makes us the family of the devil.

The U.S. may very well quit the U.N. Human Rights Council, apparently because other countries are too mean to Israel and because it’s too hard to give the boot to countries that really don’t belong there. Wouldn’t that be something, if the U.S. quits the council, but the Center for Inquiry is still a consulting NGO. “Sorry about that, but our country said it had better things to do.”

Humanists UK patron and LGBTQ activist Peter Tatchell was detained in Moscow by police for taking part in a protest against the country’s free speech crackdown. So I guess Russia just proved his point for him. Anyway, he’s now been released.

Anti-GMO folks lie about an FDA study on “golden rice,” and the agency is forced to respond. Steven Novella makes an example of this exchange:

Typically the side with the weaker position, or the one that is more ideological and less science-based, will display common characteristic behaviors. They will misrepresent primary sources – say, by citing a study to support a claim, when it doesn’t, or blatantly misrepresenting what the study shows. They will also cherry pick evidence, ignoring solid evidence that seems to contradict their position. When firmly challenged on one point, they may simply shift over to a separate point, without ever responding to or acknowledging the challenge. And – they will lie.

Religious people apparently live, on average, four years longer than atheists. Figures.

Your heroes will always disappoint you. In a sort of puff-piece-primer on homeopathy, UK’s Mirror tells me that among the fans of this snake oil is none other than Sir Paul McCartney, who has said, “I can’t manage without homeopathy. I never go anywhere without homeopathic remedies. I use them often.” Why, oh Fab-namesake? When I find myself in times of trouble, NO ONE COMES TO ME.

Alex Berezow of the American Council on Science and Health lists examples of how the New York Times is really blowing it with science/pseudoscience coverage.

This book might be relevant to your interests: Women v. Religion: The Case Against Faith―and for Freedom by Karen Garst.

Be sure to avoid anti-vax “hotspots,” places where getting non-medical exemptions from vaccines is easy, where outbreaks of various epidemics are likely to begin.

According to some computer-generated amalgamation of what Christians think God looks like, the Supreme Being strongly resembles Josh Duggar (Hemant says Jimmy Fallon, which might be worse).

The Liberty Council wants to defend the right of children to be forced into choose to receive fraudulent gay-conversion therapy.

After Stephen Hawkings’ ashes are interred along with Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin at Westminster Abbey, the European Space Agency will beam a recorded speech by Hawking into a black hole. Coincidentally, that’s where all my work goes, too.

Quote of the Day

Amy Poehler answers some fluffy questions from the Hollywood Reporter in her own way: “Who cares? The whole world is on fire.”

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