Lesson 2 in On Tyranny takes us to “Defend Institutions.”
It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need
our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you
make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not
protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is
defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you
care about—a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union—and
take its side.
What can we defend with a coup taking place?
Right now, the thing that comes to mind is the EO on “anti-Christian bias,” because this makes Christians the persecutors and anything else the oppressors, which we have seen in the past – first it was the Jews, then the Romani people, and then the gays.
In this specific lesson, we are looking at Executive Order “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,” signed on February 6, 2025. I am looking at its pitfalls, and they are bleak, to say the least.
What exactly is this executive order and why should we worry?
This EO was signed under the guise of “protecting” religious freedom and the perceived “anti-Christian biases” of the country. Now, this seems like a moot point when taking into consideration that the very first Amendment to the Bill of Rights (ratified in 1791, mind you) is the protection of religion. So the protection (and establishment of) religion is already a thing. It was further reinforced by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.
Now, the former administration (Biden) was accused of discriminating against Christians by the current administration (Trump) and various lackeys of his (MTG and Boebert). Trump’s administration claims to reverse these practices and uphold religious beliefs while preventing government discrimination against Christians.
As of a March 2024 Gallup poll 68% of adult Americans identify as Christians – 33% protestant, 22% Catholic, and 13% other (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Eastern Orthodoxy). Only 27% are “religiously unaffiliated,” and 6% are non-Christian (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc).
Establishment of A Task Force
This is a bit of a red flag because the establishment of a task force about the identification of “unlawful anti-Christian conduct” is reminiscent of Einstazstab Reichsleiter Rosenburg (ERR) or in English, Reichsleither Rosenburg TaskForce. It was 5 July 1940 when Adolf Hitler authorized the ERR to confiscate manuscripts and books from national libraries and cultural property belonging to Jews.
In Czechoslovakia, for instance, it is said that upwards of 700 thousand volumes were stolen from Charles University Library in Prague.
This “Faith Office” and the task force would recommend corrective actions to agencies and “identify legal and regulatory gaps that have enabled anti-Christian discrimination.” But that does beg the question – what is considered anti-Christian? Being told that you cannot discriminate against gays when they want cake for their wedding? Does that mean you can say you cannot serve Atheists? What if you don’t believe in unmarried couples living together? Does that mean you will not facilitate dates? Will your store not sell condoms?
The Task Force will operate with support from the DOJ – which is led by Pam Bondi (who is also the leader of the Faith Office overseeing the Task Force). Pam Bondi, if you do not recall was one of Trump’s lawyers in the first impeachment trial and was vocal about the claims of supposed election fraud in 2020.
Pam Bondi
Ms. Bondi is best known for being Trump’s lawyer in his impeachment trial. However, she is also well known for trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act’s ban on charging those with pre-existing conditions with higher premiums or outright denying them coverage.
She opposes medical marijuana – though hundreds of medical and scientific studies prove that there are benefits.
In 2016, she gave a speech at the RNC where she led “lock her up” chants directed at Mrs. Clinton.
Pam Bondi is against gay rights. She says that her defense of Amendment 2 (an amendment to the Florida Constitution banning same-sex marriage) does not reflect her own opinions, but she was “respecting the constitution.” Following the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in 2016, she was interviewed by Anderson Cooper where Mr. Cooper stated that Bondi was either mistaken or not telling the truth as her expression of support for the LGBT+ was at odds with her past record. Bondi said that Cooper was “fomenting anger and hate.” Sure, Pam.
But back to religion. Pam Bondi has had associations with Scientology and hosted many fundraisers that wealthy Scientologists have organized for her political campaigns. For the uninitiated, Scientology is one of the major cults in Florida and is situated in Clearwater, Florida.
Corruption Corruption Corruption
Let’s talk about Pam Bpndi’s allegations of Joe and Hunter Biden and corruption in Ukraine while Hunter was on the board of Burisma Holdings.
So as it turns out, regardless of Hunter’s doings of business and how much Joe may or may not have known, Ms. Bondi was meeting with Lev Parnas several times during her tenure as Florida Attorney General and several times after the fact. Why is that so important and who the hell is Lev Parnas?
Oh boy! Lev Parnas was born in Odesa, Ukraine in 1972 and at age 4, he was brought to the US via the US Refugee Resettlement Program. He studied at Brooklyn College and Baruch College before finding himself a job at Kings Highway Realty – selling Trump Organization co-ops.
He later would have ties to Rudy Guiliani (disgraced Mayor of NYC and former lawyer). He also is known as one go the key people in creating the Biden-Ukraine Conspiracy Theory because as anyone who took a Psych 101 course would know – projecting means you’re probably doing the thing.
Trump, after Parnas was indicted, claimed “I don’t know the guy!” As did former VP Mike Pence. Parnas says that Trump “knew exactly what was going on,” and various Trump appointees tried hard to distance themselves from the indicted man. He was arrested and convicted of illegally funneling money from Ukrainians and Russians to Republican politicians in Florida, where he resided.
Blind Spots Of The Order
Narrow Focus on Christianity
Meaning that other faiths have the potential to be excluded from protection. The order places a strong emphasis on protecting Christian religious freedom, which can be perceived as neglecting other rights and freedoms of individuals.
Perceived Political Bias
The order heavily criticizes the Biden Administration. It states it wishes to rectify perceived injustices, but it could be seen as overly politically charged. Then again, Trump does like undoing everything he does not agree with.
Task Force Recommendations
While the Task Force is tasked with identifying violations, there are no clear enforcement mechanisms mentioned. The order is largely relying on voluntary compliance from agencies, which means there may be uneven implementation or delays in correcting identified issues.
That means there may be resistance from other agencies, as we have seen from various agencies that have had DOGE in their midst. However, Trump has already gutted EEOC measures and DEI measures, so women, veterans, non-Christians, and non-whites are now fair game. It would be a good thing if there was an overstep or some type of unfair implementation that agencies resist.
Legal/Constitutional Questions
The order advocates for religious freedoms but doesn’t address the potential conflicts between religious expression and other civil rights – I believe this is intentional. After all, this means that discriminating against anyone who doesn’t fit the mold of what is “Christian” can be seen as “the enemy within,” to quote President Trump.
Impact
Women
The emphasis on Christian religious freedom could potentially support/legitimize policies or practices that align with the “traditional gender roles” that many conservative Christians hold. This means that it will limit women’s opportunities in life – like employment, healthcare, and education.
Women seeking reproductive healthcare services could be directly affected by the policies that restrict access to abortion, birth control, and reproductive healthcare under the guise of religious freedom – meaning if you go to a Catholic hospital, you cannot receive these things.
Furthermore, the discrimination women might face in workplaces, schools, or universities if these practices are used to justify policies is concerning. Things such as dress codes, restrictions on reproductive rights (free condoms and sex education in colleges?), or even a lack of accommodations for pregnant women.
LGBT+ People
As per the usual suspects being targeted, LGBT+ people also are getting screwed. These religious freedoms might be used to justify discrimination in religious institutions (gay religious people exist), businesses, or schools will claim they do not have to comply with anti-discrimination policies that protect LGBT+ people.
And the favorite boogeyman of the Conservatives has entered the chat: transgender people. This means that those same discriminations can be brought to transgender people, and the order does mention the “potential conflict” between the religious beliefs and affirmation of transgender rights – especially concerning gender identity and gender expression.
Religious freedom could also empower people or organizations to oppose same-sex marriage and deny LGBT+ couples access to services like adoption, housing, or healthcare based on religious convictions. I know that in many states it is still legal to discriminate against two dudes renting an apartment together because they might be gay in Oklahoma. My cousin and our friend were denied an apartment in our town because they were not blood-related.
Non-Christians
When there is a focus on Christianity, there is a change that will further marginalize people of other faiths. These minorities could find themselves at the hands of more scrutiny or discrimination. Similar to the Islamophobia boom right after 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This means that public institutions and workplaces may adopt policies that cater to religious practices and beliefs but not accommodate other religious practices. Meaning they can willingly ignore a Muslim needing to pray, dietary restrictions (many religions have these), or holidays to be overlooked. This would create a prime environment of discrimination or exclusion.
Non-Caucasians
The intersection of race and religion could complicate the matter. The order’s focus on Christians may implicitly prioritize a predominantly white, conservative, Christian identity – leaving very little room for religious and racial diversity. After all, Fox News had a segment where anchor Megyn Kelly told the viewers “Santa and Jesus are white.”
If these policies supported by this order disproportionately favor white Christians, they may perpetrate racial inequalities in areas such as education, employment ,or public policy. It wasn’t too long ago when African-Americans were seen as having different diseases than us so we could not share bathrooms with them, there is even a scene in the movie The Help where Hilly refuses to use the bathroom because “the Help” might use the owner’s bathroom and not just the guest bathroom.
Cultural and Social Ramifications
The social climate could become even more polarized than it already is. Right now, transgender rights are the greatest talking point because the conservatives have seen the numbers on abortion. They needed a new boogeyman and they went back to the drawing board and were like “Transgender people! That’s it! That’s the one!” This means that as these issues are brought up, we will see more discrimination and more restrictions on these people (like we have already seen with reproductive healthcare for women).
This also brings back the stigmatization of certain groups as “others” or “less deserving” of equal treatment. Women seeking reproductive healthcare, for example, will be labeled as immoral or in conflict with “Christian values.”
Defending The Institution
The institution we need to defend is the institution of the First Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights. This means all of the First Amendment: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition.
Freedom of Speech: The right to express oneself
Freedom of Religion: The right to practice one’s religion without government interference
Freedom of the Press: The right to publish and distribute information
Freedom of Assembly: The right to gather with others for a variety of reasons
Freedom of Petition: The right to the government for a redress of grievances
Many people in the Right Wing of the two political parties state that nowhere in the First Amendment does it say there is a separation of church and state, however, the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
It is this clause that acts as security – prohibiting the control of government by religion and the political control of religion by government. It was based on several precedents, such as the Bill of Rights of 1689, the Constitutions of Claredon, and the constitutions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
This must be protected as it was considered one of the more important amendments – after all, it was written first.
It is not just the first amendment though. Amendments 1-27 (and we can exclude the 2nd because the conservatives LOVE their second amendment more than anything else) are all at risk. The Constitution, itself, is at risk. It is through the defense of these documents that we can hope to push back the hardest as they were there at the beginning of our country.
If there is an institution to defend, I can think of no better one than the one that protects our civil liberties.