{"id":2039018,"date":"2023-09-20T16:10:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T20:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-decries-accusations-of-discrimination-against-catholics-so-absurd\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T16:14:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T20:14:41","slug":"merrick-garland-decries-accusations-of-discrimination-against-catholics-so-absurd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-decries-accusations-of-discrimination-against-catholics-so-absurd\/","title":{"rendered":"Merrick Garland dismisses discrimination claims against Catholics as &#8216;absurd&#8217;."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmerrick-garland-decries-accusations-of-discrimination-against-catholics-so-absurd%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2039018&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Attorney General \u2062Merrick Garland Rejects\u2063 Claims of Discrimination Against Catholics<\/h2>\n<p>During a hearing on Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland vehemently dismissed allegations that the Department of Justice\u200d has\u200d discriminated \u2063against\u2064 certain Catholics, describing the idea as &#8220;absurd.&#8221; \u200bHis response\u2064 came after Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) raised concerns about an internal FBI\u200c memo that targeted &#8220;radical-traditionalist Catholics.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Unanswered \u200dQuestions for Merrick Garland \u200cAbout the Biden Investigations<\/h3>\n<p>Van Drew asked\u200d Garland directly,\u2062 &#8220;Do you agree that \u200dtraditional Catholics are violent extremists, yes or no?&#8221; \u200cPrior to\u2062 this\u200c question, Van Drew expressed his grievances\u200d about perceived\u200d political bias within\u200d the DOJ,\u200d to\u200c which\u2062 Garland attempted to \u200crespond before addressing the\u200c issue regarding Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>Garland responded \u200cto Van\u200c Drew, saying,\u200c &#8220;I have no idea what &#8216;traditional&#8217; means \u200din this context.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The \u200dcontroversial memo contained a definition provided by an unspecified \u200canalyst for &#8220;radical-traditionalist Catholics.&#8221; It described them \u200das a &#8220;small minority of overall\u200b Roman Catholic adherents&#8221; who hold &#8220;disdain&#8221; for\u2064 popes elected after the Second\u200d Vatican Council and frequently \u2063adhere \u2062to ideologies such as anti-Semitism, anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ, and white supremacy.<\/p>\n<p>When \u2064pressed further by Van\u2063 Drew, Garland expressed \u200chis outrage, stating, &#8220;The idea that\u200d someone with my \u200dfamily background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous, so absurd, it&#8217;s \u200bhard to even answer your question.&#8221; He began the hearing by sharing that \u2063his grandmother fled religious persecution in Europe and emphasized the importance of religious freedom\u200c in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Van Drew continued to highlight the Richmond memo, which outlined opportunities for the FBI to \u200daddress threats of violent extremism\u200b from individuals \u2063subscribing to the &#8220;radical-traditionalist\u2062 Catholic&#8221; ideology. This included engaging with church leaders and potentially enlisting them as &#8220;tripwires&#8221; to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fh-97a-chinas-new-loyal-wingman-looks-like-a-stealth-fighter\/\" title=\"FH-97A: China\u2019s New \"Loyal Wingman\" Looks Like a Stealth Fighter\">detect potential threats<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The memo received widespread criticism \u200bfrom advocates of religious freedom, who argued that it infringed\u2063 upon First Amendment \u2062rights. FBI Director Christopher Wray \u2062retracted the \u2064memo and\u2064 initiated an investigation into its origins. The current status\u2064 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-spy-balloon-chapter-should-be-closed-blinken-says\/\" title=\"Blinken urges closure of Chinese spy balloon chapter.\">investigation remains undisclosed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Van Drew confronted Garland, stating, &#8220;It was your FBI that did this. It was your FBI \u200cthat\u2063 was sending\u200d undercover agents into Catholic churches.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Garland responded, &#8220;Both I and the director of\u2063 the FBI have expressed our\u2062 dismay regarding that memo.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In response \u2064to further questioning from Van Drew, Garland affirmed, &#8220;Catholics are not extremists.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click here to read \u2064more from The Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What does \u200bAttorney General Garland&#8217;s firm rejection of discrimination against Catholics\u2063 reflect about \u2062the department&#8217;s commitment to fairness and equality \u2062under \u200dthe law<\/h2>\n<p><span>  To Van Drew&#8217;s question by saying, &#8220;Absolutely not.\u200b No. And I would never characterize traditional Catholics, per se, as violent extremists. I can&#8217;t imagine circumstances in which I would do that.&#8221; He emphasized that the \u2063FBI memo in question was\u2062 an internal document that does not reflect the department&#8217;s official view. Garland further stated, &#8220;It is essential that we not inappropriately apply labels to entire \u200dgroups of people based on the actions \u200dof a few.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Garland&#8217;s remarks come in the wake of concerns raised\u2062 by Republican\u2062 lawmakers about potential bias within the Department of Justice under the Biden administration. They argue that certain religious groups, including Catholics, may be targeted unfairly. <\/p>\n<p>However, Garland emphasized the importance of \u200cconsidering each specific case individually and not \u200bmaking \u2063broad generalizations. \u200cHe assured the committee that the department is \u2064committed to upholding civil \u200brights and religious freedom, stating, &#8220;We will not tolerate bias, discrimination, or targeted enforcement against any individual or group based on their faith or religious beliefs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Attorney General&#8217;s firm\u200b rejection of discrimination against Catholics reflects the department&#8217;s commitment \u2064to fairness and equality under the law. It is crucial to address any \u2062potential biases or concerns regarding \u200dreligious discrimination within the justice system promptly and transparently.<\/p>\n<p>This exchange highlights the ongoing \u200ddebate about the role of political bias in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">law enforcement agencies<\/a> and the\u2062 need for accountability. While it is essential to guard against any potential \u200ddiscrimination, it is equally\u2062 important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-decries-accusations-of-discrimination-against-catholics-so-absurd\/\" title=\"Merrick Garland dismisses discrimination claims against Catholics as 'absurd'.\">avoid making sweeping accusations based<\/a> on isolated incidents or internal communications.<\/p>\n<p>As the head of the Department of\u2064 Justice, Garland is tasked \u200dwith ensuring that the law is applied equally to all\u2062 individuals, regardless of their religious beliefs. His strong denial of discrimination against Catholics demonstrates the\u2062 commitment of the department to impartiality and the protection of individual rights.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u200cAttorney General Merrick Garland&#8217;s rejection of claims of discrimination \u2064against \u200bCatholics is a clear message that the\u200c Department of Justice is committed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-school-district-must-reinstate-christian-club-federal-appeals-court-rules\/\" title=\"Federal appeals court orders California school district to reinstate Christian club.\">upholding religious freedom<\/a>\u2062 and ensuring\u2063 equal treatment under the law for all \u200dindividuals. It is important \u200cto address \u2062any concerns or\u2062 allegations of bias promptly and transparently to maintain the public&#8217;s trust in the justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Attorney General Merrick Garland dismissed allegations of discrimination against Catholics by the Department of Justice as &#8220;absurd.&#8221; He responded to Rep. Jeff Van Drew&#8217;s inquiries regarding an FBI memo during a hearing, stating that the notion was baseless. The memo, initially shared by the Richmond Field Office, was discussed during the session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2039019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2039018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2039018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2039019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2039018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2039018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2039018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}