Defenders of genuine religious freedom have grown deeply frustrated by the mainstream media’s dismissal of the motives and impact of the Religious Right, especially as those forces have come to dominate the Trump Administration. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast, we’ll shine a spotlight on the impact of the Religious Right at the EPA.

Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber will join host Rev. Welton Gaddy to reveal the implementation of a deeply theocratic agenda at our nation’s environmental watchdog. She’s the author of the startling new article, Scott Pruitt is Using the Bible as His Guide for Reorganizing EPA’s Science Boards.

Lawyers in Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, better known as the gay wedding cake case, will soon argue their sides before the Supreme Court. The religious voice in the case is routinely portrayed as supporting anti-LGBT discrimination, but 1,300 religious leaders representing half a million congregants signed a brief supporting public accommodation for all, irrespective of the personal religious beliefs of owners. Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, will speak with Welton about the case and why the religious leaders are speaking out.

It’s been heartbreaking, infuriating and profoundly depressing to watch the ongoing accusations of sexual harassment and assault against a growing list of prominent and powerful men in society. While this kind of abhorrent behavior is as old as time, the sheer number of charges – and that they’re finally being taken seriously – is new. Power and influence are key drivers of this behavior, and both are abundantly present in religious communities. Rev. Marie Alford-Harkey, president of the Religious Institute, will be on to discuss how sexual harassment and assault play out in a religious context.

And we’ll wrap up with a Word from Welton about the need for organized religion to take a different approach to sexuality in general to reduce the incidents of harassment and abuse we see in religious contexts.

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