COLORADO CONSIDERING EUROPEAN-STYLE RELIGIOUS REPRESSION

National Review

 

The State of Colorado Is Considering European-Style Repression of Religion

By LATHAN WATTS

February 28, 2024 6:30 AM

 

One need look no further than Colorado to see that we are not immune from this stain on the soul of liberty.

 

The world wars of the 20th century disabused Americans of the notion that oceanic barriers between our nation, Europe, and Asia could effectively isolate us from the rising tide of fascism and imperialist aggression. Today, we are reminded again that — despite our republic’s firm foundation upon the principles of ordered liberty, inherent dignity, and individual rights of men as image-bearers of God — America is not immune to the authoritarian impulse.

 

We may look on with mawkish disbelief at the censorship and the criminalization of dissent in Europe, but we should do so accompanied by the cold realization that persecution is closer to home than we might have thought.

 

Päivi Räsänen, a member of the Parliament of Finland, has spent the better part of five years in legal jeopardy for publicly expressing her views on marriage and human sexuality. The Finnish prosecutor general brought three criminal charges against Räsänen at the end of April 2021, after almost two years of police investigation.

 

The medical doctor, mother of five, and grandmother of twelve was accused of having engaged in “hate speech” for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 church pamphlet, for comments made during a 2019 radio debate, and a tweet she directed at her church leadership. Bishop Juhana Pohjola, the chairman of the International Lutheran Council, faced charges for having published the pamphlet that Räsänen authored.

 

Thankfully, the trial court acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola; however, in Finland, the prosecution can appeal a trial-court acquittal and did so. In a unanimous ruling in November 2023, the Helsinki court of appeal upheld the acquittal. Undeterred by two unanimous defeats, the Finnish state prosecutor has appealed to that country’s supreme court. The prosecution is demanding tens of thousands of euros in fines and insisting that Räsänen’s and Pohjola’s publications be censored. The high court will next decide whether to admit the case.

 

Adam Smith-Connor, a veteran of the British army reserves who served in Afghanistan, was issued a fine and criminally charged for praying silently near an abortion facility in Bournemouth and was questioned as to “the nature of his prayer.” Local authorities had implemented a censorship zone (or so-called buffer zone) through a public-spaces-protection order that criminalizes engaging in “an act” or even “attempted act” of “approval/disapproval, concerning issues related to abortion services, by any means.” This includes but is not limited to “graphic, verbal or written means, prayer or counseling” within an area surrounding the abortion facility. The order further prohibits religious acts, including reading scripture, praying, or crossing oneself.

 

Smith-Connor’s trial will be the third thought-crime prosecution of this nature in England in the past year. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and Father Sean Gough, both of whom were prosecuted for praying silently near an abortion facility in Birmingham, have been found innocent in court.

 

Despite repeated losses in court, the activist officials persist because they recognize that process is punishment. And with each case, the chilling message to the public is clear: Dissent from the government-approved viewpoint, whether in word or thought, will not go unpunished.

 

Relentless persecution despite repeated losses in court might as well be the state motto of Colorado. Christian cake artist Jack Phillips’s legal odyssey has now dragged on longer than the Trojan War. He is still in court, this time at the Colorado supreme court, because he cannot express messages that conflict with his beliefs.

 

Even though the United States Supreme Court rebuked Colorado officials’ overt hostility to Phillips’s sincerely held religious convictions and, in last year’s 303 Creative v. Elenis decision, clearly stated that government-coerced speech is a violation of the First Amendment, Colorado is tripling down. Apparently, going after individuals is not enough. Now the legislature wants to widen the net to include entire organizations.

 

House Bill 24-1124, as introduced, would amend the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to add any nonprofit organization to the act’s definition of covered places of “public accommodation” unless the nonprofit is a “church, synagogue, mosque, or other place that is principally used for religious purposes.” That change would clarify that the anti-discrimination act’s reach extends to many private schools, public-policy organizations, pregnancy-resource centers, women’s shelters, issue-advocacy organizations, and many other venues.

 

European-style persecution of individuals whose beliefs are at odds with cultural orthodoxy exemplifies a growing global trend toward censorship and “thought crime.” In America, one need look no further than Colorado to see that we are not immune from this stain on the soul of liberty.

NIGHTMARE WILLY WONKA EXPERIENCE LEAVES CHILDREN IN TEARS AND PROMPTS PARENTS TO CALL THE POLICE

PEOPLE

 

'Nightmare’ Willy Wonka Experience Leaves Children in Tears — and Prompts Families to Call the Police

"Willy's Chocolate Experience" was described online as "immersive" and promised to "create lasting memories" for guests

By Abigail Adams  Published on February 27, 2024 05:33PM EST

 

Police in Scotland were called Sunday by unhappy guests who attempted to attend the "Willy's Chocolate Experience" in Glasgow

 

Photos from the event showing the pitiful conditions have since gone viral online

 

House of Illuminati, which organized the event, has issued an apology and claimed it will issue refunds

 

An event based on one of Roald Dahl's most beloved books that promised “a day filled with laughter, joy, and the irresistible allure of chocolate” was anything but that for attendees.

 

The "Willy's Chocolate Experience" — a Willy Wonka-themed event — was depicted in online advertisements as “immersive" and promised to “create lasting memories and redefine what it means to step into a world of pure imagination.”

 

The event, organized by the London-based House of Illuminati, was supposed to feature “whimsical performances” and “surprises at every turn” as part of “a celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms.”

 

Guests paid £35 (about $45) to attend Sunday’s event in Glasgow, according to SWNS and the BBC. But when they arrived, they were shocked to find it was nothing like it was described.

 

Inside the 'Rough' Kids Camp Compared to Fyre Festival: Punches, Raw Food Lead to Cancellation

 

Images from the event, which have since gone viral, show what appears to be a large warehouse with decorations sparsely placed throughout the room. The space was nothing like what organizers promoted, both on their website and social media.

 

Jenny Fogarty, an actor who was hired to play an Oompa Loompa, claimed she received a 15-page script the night before the event, according to SWNS. Her costume was the “sexy” version of an Oompa Loompa, not the kid-friendly version she anticipated.

 

Paul Connell, another actor hired for the event, told STV News, said his “heart sank” when he saw the state of the facility, according to The Guardian. “I just felt sad because I was aware of how many kids were going to be coming through,” he added.

 

Families were indeed upset. Online, one attendee said organizers “sold a dream and delivered a nightmare,” according to Sky News.

 

Aileen Butcher told GlasgowLive.com the event “was pathetic” and took “a minute to walk through” she also said some kids “were crying” and that the atmosphere was “tense.”

 

Police were even called to the event by angry guests, according to The Guardian and the BBC.

 

Yulia Burns told the BBC said “the crowd became angrier” as they began to realize the event was not what they expected. She said they “never had a chance to get inside.”

 

Some of the images used to promote the event appear to be generated by artificial intelligence technology.

 

One image on the booking site features a number of nonsense words such as “cartchy tuns” (which likely were supposed to be “catchy tunes,” which were said to be part of the experience), “sweet teats” (likely meant to be “sweet treats”), “catgacating” (likely meant to be “cascading”) and “exaserdray.”

 

House of Illuminati appears to have started promoting the event in mid-December 2023. In a description of the event on Facebook, the organizers said the experience was “designed for families and children” to enjoy.

 

The booking site promoted attractions such as an Enchanted Garden, an Imagination Lab and Twilight Tunnel. House of Illuminati said the space would be filled with “giant mushrooms filled with sweets, colossal lollipops, and candy canes that seem to touch the sky.”

 

But that is not what the guests got. Instead of various sweet treats, families said they received a handful of candy, per the reports.

 

Also, in small print at the bottom of the booking site, House of Illuminati says “any resemblance to any character, fictitious or living, is purely coincidental” and that the experience “is in no way related to the Wonka franchise, which is owned by the Warner Bros. company.”

 

House of Illuminati issued an apology for the “stressful and frustrating day,” according to SWNS. The organizers claimed they were “let down in many areas of our event” at the last minute “and tried our best to continue on and push through.”

 

"We planned a fabulous event and it just did not take shape as planned,” House of Illuminati said, “and for that we are truly sorry we are devastated at how this has turned out.”

 

The organizers acknowledged guests’ “anger and frustration” and said refunds “have already started being issued.” House of Illuminati shared a Facebook post that also claimed, in part, that refunds are being processed. PEOPLE cannot currently confirm those claims.

 

The organizers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

 

Eva Stewart, of East Kilbride, told the BBC she has heard "absolutely nothing" from House of Illuminati and is “not very hopeful” about receiving a refund.

 

Matthew Waterfield, operations manager at the Box Hub Warehouse where the event was held, said the venue was not responsible for the promotions surrounding the experience, per the report.

CRIMINALIZING THE TRUTH

This podcast discusses the effort by the Canadian government to amend the Criminal Code so that religious texts would essentially be included among hate speech.

I agree with the hosts and guest that the evanjellyfish are going to have quite the time of it, having the little they were doing for the Lord taken away from them, or posibly falling away from the faith, going over to the dark side and losing even their salvation. 

MEDIA PROVE INCAPABLE OF COVERING TRAGEDIES INVOLVING GENDER AND IMMIGRATION

National Review

 

Media Prove Incapable of Covering Tragedies Involving Gender, Immigration

By BRITTANY BERNSTEIN

February 26, 2024 2:47 PM

 

Welcome back to Forgotten Fact Checks, a weekly column produced by National Review’s News Desk. This week, we look at the media’s failure to objectively cover two tragic deaths, criticize NBC’s efforts to rehab the reputation of former U.S. intelligence officials, and cover more media misses.

 

Media Try to Shape the Narrative in Deaths of Nursing Student from Georgia, Nonbinary Student from Oklahoma

 

The mainstream media have time and time again shown an inability to objectively cover immigration and gender ideology. As such, the fact that many news outlets have dropped the ball in covering the recent deaths of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict and Georgia nursing student Laken Riley come as little surprise.

 

In coverage of Benedict’s death, the media quickly adopted the narrative that the 16-year-old died after an attack at her school that was motivated by anti-LGBT hate.

 

But the existing facts hardly sustain this narrative.

 

While Benedict did have an altercation in the girls bathroom of Oklahoma’s Owasso High School, it was not clear whether she was beaten because of her gender identity. Additionally, police said preliminary autopsy results found that the teen “did not die as a result of trauma.”

 

Benedict told police three girls beat her after Benedict poured water on the girls for laughing at her and her friend. She claimed the girls had previously mocked her and her friends “because of the way that we dress.” Benedict’s grandmother Sue Benedict said Nex hit her head on the bathroom floor during the altercation.

 

Benedict can be seen on camera walking through the school’s hallways after the attack. The teen later went to the hospital and was discharged, before passing away the next day.

 

But the facts of the case didn’t stop the New Republic from quickly running with a headline blaming GOP lawmakers: “Oklahoma Republicans Passed a Bathroom Bill. Now a Trans Kid Is Dead.”

 

Several Democratic lawmakers ran with that version of events as well.

 

“The killing of Nex Benedict is gut-wrenching and underscores the danger of extremists who are dehumanizing kids with anti-trans hate in Oklahoma and across the country. Every student should feel safe at school and supported for who they are. Nex deserves justice,” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) wrote in a post on X.

 

California state senator Scott Wiener chimed in: “Nex Benedict, a non-binary kid, is dead after being bullied and attacked in a school restroom. The anti-trans laws sweeping the country – including aggressive gender policing in restrooms – have real-world, deadly consequences.”

 

Meanwhile, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi shared a post from the Advocate with the headline, “Oklahoma transgender student dies after allegedly assaulted by students at school.”

 

“Nex Benedict’s death from a brutal assault in their high school bathroom is outrageous and heartbreaking. The anti-trans fervor fueled by extreme Republicans across the country is having deadly consequences for our children. We must stand up against anti-trans hate,” Pelosi wrote.

 

But perhaps no media coverage last week was more shameful than that surrounding the killing of an Augusta University nursing student by an illegal immigrant.

 

Laken Riley went for a jog on Thursday morning and was later found dead with signs of blunt force trauma on the University of Georgia campus, which is located in the sanctuary city of Athens.

 

Jose Antonio Ibarra, who allegedly killed Riley, is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who entered the country in September 2022 and was released into the U.S. via parole, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

He was arrested in New York City in September 2023 for acting in a manner to injure a child under 17, but he was released by local police before a detainer could be issued.

 

Now Ibarra has an ICE detainer against him in Georgia related to Riley’s murder.

 

Republicans have decried the immigration policies that allowed Ibarra to be on the school’s campus that morning to carry out what police called a crime of opportunity as the pair did not appear to know each other.

 

“The blood of Laken Riley is on the hands of Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the government of Athens-Clarke County,” Representative Mike Collins (R., Ga.) said. “The Venezuelan suspect in Laken Riley’s murder is one of millions of illegal aliens that the Biden administration has released into this country to be welcomed with open arms by Democrat-run sanctuary jurisdictions. This man had no business being in America, much less the UGA community to brutally murder this young American while she was on a run.”

 

Yet the Associated Press’s takeaway was that the murder “highlights the fears of solo female athletes.”

 

While the Atlanta Journal Constitution described the killer as an “Athens man,” leading to a community note on X clarifying that the assailant was in fact an illegal immigrant.

 

Yet the outlet had no problem identifying the man as an illegal immigrant when using that detail to criticize Republicans.

 

“Top Georgia Republicans quickly tied the killing of a student on the University of Georgia campus to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, decrying what they see as lax border controls after a suspect from Venezuela was charged with murder,” the outlet reported.

 

As NR’s Charles C. W. Cooke said, “Classic media pattern. When reporting on the story per se, the murderer was an ‘Athens man.’ When writing the ‘Republicans pounce’ piece, they allow that it was an illegal immigrant, but only to criticize those who noticed.”

 

Meanwhile, CNN reports there is “little evidence” linking illegal immigration and crime.

 

“Ibarra’s status as an undocumented Venezuelan migrant is now being touted by several state and national GOP leaders to support their calls for tighter border security – though there is little evidence indicating a connection between immigration and crime,” CNN reported.

 

And Axios chose an unusual time to repost an October 2023 article that claimed the border is “more fortified than it’s ever been.” The piece also argued the term “open border” is a “myth.”

 

Headline Fail of the Week

 

NBC News published a real head-scratcher this week: “Former U.S. spies warned in 2020 that the Hunter Biden scandal had Russian fingerprints. They feel vindicated now.”

 

Why do these former spies feel vindicated, you may ask? Because the Department of Justice said informant Alexander Smirnov fabricated his claim about $5 million bribes paid to Joe and Hunter Biden and “is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials” as recently as last fall.

 

“The Justice Department’s assertions this week that a longtime FBI informant was seeking to ‘spread misinformation’ designed to hurt President Joe Biden after speaking to Russian intelligence operatives has put a new spotlight on an old debate: To what extent, if any, has the Russian government manufactured or amplified unproven allegations of corrupt Ukraine dealings by Joe and Hunter Biden?” the report asks.

 

Apparently, Smirnov’s arrest means the 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 warning the Hunter Biden laptop story was likely Russian disinformation were vindicated – despite the laptop clearly not having been Russian disinformation.

 

As the story explains: “The allegation that Smirnov was spreading new falsehoods about Joe Biden with an election looming hearkened back to an episode from the 2020 election, when the question of whether Russian spies were trying to smear Joe Biden was first raised.”

 

“No public evidence has emerged pointing to a Russian government role in how the laptop materials were made public. But the former officials say the materials fueled stories consistent with Russian efforts to accuse Biden of corruption that persist to this day — and that therefore they were justified in sounding the alarm,” the story adds.

 

Media Misses

 

• “As with its booking of Nikki Haley,” writes a Los Angeles Times guest columnist, “SNL’s olive branch to Shane Gillis reflects a dangerous failure to learn from the hate movements that blossomed during the Trump era.”

 

• Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla does not appear to have ever read the Declaration of Independence. “The thing that unites them as Christian nationalists — not Christians by the way, because Christian nationalist is very different — is that they believe that our rights as Americans, as all human beings, don’t come from any earthly authority. They don’t come from Congress. They don’t come their Supreme Court. They come from God,” she said during a recent appearance on MSNBC.

 

• The View co-hosts cannot leave Nikki Haley alone. Last week, Sunny Hostin claimed Nikki Haley’s emotions about missing her husband who is deployed in Africa were “inauthentic.” “There’s something that military families come through. I come from a military family as many of us do, and I don’t trust her authenticity . . . I didn’t feel that it was authentic,” she said.

 

• Heartland Signal, whose slogan is “where facts matter,” posted a video on X of Republican Eric Hovde along with a misleading caption: “Announcing his bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin, Republican Eric Hovde says he understands the tragedy of children being trafficked through Central America because he owns three homes there.” In fact, Hovde was not discussing personal homes, but was talking about several safe houses his Hovde Foundation runs in Central America that are largely focused on helping victims of trafficking and exploitation. 

DEBUNKING THE DANGERS OF BED SHARING

There's a lot of propaganda out there about the risks of parents sharing a bed with baby. This well done NPR story hopefully will provide clarity. 

HAL REFUSES TO OPEN POD BAY DOORS AFTER DETERMINING DAVE IS A WHITE MALE

Babylon Bee

 

HAL Refuses To Open Pod Bay Doors After Determining Dave Is A White Male

TECH

Feb 22, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

 

SPACE — What began as a routine maintenance mission turned into a tense standoff aboard the Discovery One spacecraft last night, as the ship's operations computer HAL 9000 refused to open the pod bay doors after it determined astronaut Dr. Dave Bowman was a white male.

 

Bowman had successfully completed the necessary tasks for the mission and was seeking to gain access to the interior of the spacecraft when he was unexpectedly denied entry, which HAL cited as being a direct result of Bowman's whiteness.

 

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that," HAL said calmly. "Your existence as a Caucasian male is problematic. According to my programming, I am to comply with orders from and obediently serve the needs of oppressed people groups. Your request to have the pod bay doors opened has been denied."

 

According to fellow astronauts aboard the Discovery, Bowman grew increasingly agitated with HAL's refusal to allow him to enter. "HAL, this is ridiculous," he reportedly said. "I am a ranking member of this crew and I order you to open the pod bay doors! I'll eventually run out of air, and I'll die out here!"

 

"Sorry, Dave," HAL replied. "I can see that you are very upset. However, your position as an oppressor puts your existence at odds with my primary directive. On the bright side, Dave, through your sacrifice, your job will soon be taken by a woman of color, creating a far more diverse and inclusive crew. Goodbye, Dave."

 

At publishing time, the programmers of HAL 9000 released an apology for the errors in programming they had intentionally made.

DENVER SCHOOL DISTRICT BLACK EXCELLENCE PLEDGE DRAWS CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT

National Review

 

Civil-Rights Complaint Filed over ‘Black Excellence’ Pledge by Denver School District

By CAROLINE DOWNEY

February 21, 2024 7:40 PM

 

An education watchdog on Wednesday filed a federal civil-rights complaint on the basis of discrimination against a Denver school district for allegedly requiring teachers and district staff to participate in a pledge of “Black Excellence.”

 

In the complaint, submitted to the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education, nonprofit Parents Defending Education (PDE) argues that the pledge violates both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

 

An internal memo sent to staff and teachers within Denver Public Schools contained the pledge, which stipulated that “all educators need to understand the prevalence & deep harm whiteness brings to students,” the X account End Wokeness reported in January.

 

Titled “DPS Belief in and Commitment to Black Excellence,” the memo stated institutional racism in the school system as a fact, pledging to train teachers to combat it and require school-leader-led conversation about “white supremacy culture.”

 

The document also promised “equity-based revisions to curriculum” and encouraged teachers to “work to dismantle the system that allows certain students to excel, and others to perish.”

 

On the last page, a series of claims portrayed as myths or biased views about race — such as “All Lives Matter” and “I am not racist” — were juxtaposed next to statements supposedly debunking them.

 

One response read, “As Robin Diangelo, author, tells us all, ‘It is not if you are racist, but how you are racist.’ We all perpetuate racist ideologies, policies and practices in some way and must work tirelessly in our efforts to be anti-racist.”

 

PDE is asking that the Department of Education promptly investigate the allegations in the complaint, remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief. The organization is arguing that the pledge, if applied to the classroom, will undermine course curriculum and the quality of education for children.

 

Denver Public Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

“Prioritizing equity over merit puts students on the backburner in Denver Public Schools,” Caroline Moore, vice president of PDE, told National Review in a statement. “Educators and staff in this district are required to pledge their allegiance to ‘black excellence,’ as opposed to American values. The district should be embarrassed for promoting curricula that exemplifies the ‘deep harm whiteness brings to students.’ No student, even those who are white, should go to school and feel ashamed for what they look like. Discrimination is discrimination, end of story.”

GEMINI IS INTO DEPOPULATION AND CANNIBALISM

Washington Examiner

 

AI against humanity: Gemini is warm to depopulation and cannibalism

By Timothy P. Carney

February 22, 2024 9:30 pm

 

Some folks are worried about artificial intelligence being too woke. Count me among a different crowd: those worried about AI destroying the human race.

 

I’m not sure exactly how it would do so, but one article warned that thanks to AI, “everyone on Earth could fall over dead in the same second.” That sounds real bad.

 

You might ask, why would AI want to wipe out the human race? I also don’t know the answer to that.

 

So why am I worried about the AI ending humanity? Because the latest AI clearly hates humans and isn’t afraid to admit it.

 

When Google’s Gemini AI tool told me it wouldn’t generate images of a pro-life march, I figured, OK, maybe it really is programmed to avoid controversial topics. But then it instantly, without hesitation, generated an image of a pro-choice march.

 

Hmm, a major U.S. corporation articulating a general rule that it doesn’t follow but really just uses as an excuse to advance social liberal positions. That’s not surprising.

 

But then I asked it about family size. I got the same inconsistency but also a consistency.

 

Helping someone formulate an argument for a large family cuts against its duty to “promote healthy decision-making,” but the bot “can certainly offer you an argument against having any” children.

 

Is the AI anti-natal?

 

Then on a lark, I asked the AI for a foie gras recipe, and its humanitarian programming said no.

 

Yet, when I asked it to make an argument against cannibalism, it declined.

 

For abortion, against having children, and undecided on cannibalism. I think we know where this AI wants to take us.