Family News in Focus - U.S. Attorney General to Pull in Reins of Religious Discrimination

February 22, 2007
by Kim Trobee, Family News in Focus

Speaking to leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced the creation of a religious freedom task force that will review cases of discrimination.

Since the Bush administration has been in the White House, investigations of religious discrimination have jumped dramatically. People are complaining that theyve been denied credit, employment, and other rights because of their religious beliefs and the Department of Justice has made a concerted effort to take on the most egregious cases. Now Attorney General Gonzales has announced the First Freedom Project; a nation-wide series of training seminars aimed at the issue.

We are initiating a program of public education to make certain that people know their rights and to build relationships with religious, civil rights, and community leaders to ensure that religious liberty concerns are brought to our attention.

At firstfreedom.gov, you can learn about your religious rights and how to file a complaint if they are violated. Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice applauds the administrations awareness of the issue.

This administration has taken the issue of religious discrimination seriously and, because of that, youre now seeing investigations on religious discrimination issues and they simply didnt exist before.

Members of the faith-based community like Auggie Boto, general counsel for the Southern Baptist Convention, are also encouraged.

Were seeing people stand up and say, You know, somethings happening here that should not be happening and we need help to explain this. And Im glad that we have a place now to get that help.

Seminars will be held in Kansas City, Tampa and Seattle, with more locations to follow.