Justice Dept. Targets Discrimination Against Houses of Worship
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it was planning to ramp up efforts to bring more civil rights lawsuits against municipalities that try to discriminate against houses of worship.
The new initiative, outlined by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, marks the latest action in the Trump administration's efforts to prioritize protecting religious freedoms.
It was announced in conjunction with a new case filed against Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, over allegations it illegally denied zoning approval to an Orthodox Jewish congregation seeking to build a synagogue.
"In recent years, the cultural climate has become less hospitable to people of faith and to religious belief. Many Americans have felt that their freedom to practice their faith has been under attack," Sessions said, speaking before the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center's annual meeting in Washington, D.C...more..
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/justice-dept-targets-discrimination-against-houses-of-worship/ar-AAyAV0F
"This feeling is understandable. Religious Americans have heard themselves called deplorables. They’ve heard themselves called bitter clingers." Sessions has come under scrutiny by civil rights groups who say his focus on religious liberty could give individuals and private businesses leeway to discriminate against other groups, such as gay, lesbian and transgender people.
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