Give Kevin Stitt some credit.
Now that he’s a lame-duck governor stuck on a political cul-de-sac where the only person who will listen to him is himself, he’s suddenly become more direct and honest.
Well, kind of.
For example, Stitt – a fan of irony – announced on April Fools’ Day, of all occasions, that he has issued an executive order calling for the open religious grifting of taxpayer dollars.
Via the Governor’s taxpayer-funded government propaganda team:
Today, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an Executive Order positioning Oklahoma as the nation’s strongest defender of religious liberty.
The Executive Order directs all state agencies to root out laws, regulations, and policies that exclude religious individuals or institutions from public programs, funds, or benefits…
Yep, despite the fact that churches, religious organizations, and other cults don’t have to pay taxes, he wants to make sure they get their unwarranted cut of "public programs, funds, or benefits." Seems fair!
Here's what the Governor had to say:
“Religious freedom is foundational to our way of life in Oklahoma. It’s not a privilege handed out by the government—it’s a God-given right that the government must protect,” said Stitt.
Unlike Stitt, I wasn’t indoctrinated into the cult of Christian fanatical conservatism as a child. I didn’t go to church, and the religious stuff I was primarily exposed to – my dad’s a recovering Catholic who has a life-sized sculpture of his Indian guru in his “meditation room” – was a bit outside the mainstream.
But – as a guy who came of age in the Nazarene–Baptist ganglands of Bethany, where the rivalries between churches and denominations were more intense but less violent than that of the Bloods and Crips – I have to say that I think Oklahoma’s already doing a good job protecting “religious freedom," especially if you’re a Christian!
Seriously, what’s next? Stitt issuing an executive order to protect our right to eat fast food?
I always mention this, but when I drive around town – passing through little neighborhoods, off interstates, and through the heart of our entertainment hubs – the last thing I find myself saying is, “Man, we really need to protect and prioritize religion in Oklahoma. It’s struggling.”
If anything, we’re the state to go to where Christianity shines and grows unhinged!
From small rural branches where the pastors dress in drag and wear blackface to mega-churches where the pastors wear blush and designer jeans, we are a Top 10 State in Most Churches per capita.
Plus, we’re the home of Hobby Lobby – one of the world's greatest testaments to Christian capitalism – and get treated to car commercials like these:
All that being said, this just looks like an open Christian cash grab.
As Mickey Dollens noted, Stitt wants the state to fund all sorts of religious projects, including things like historic preservation and public art.
In all honesty, I could probably get behind the opening up of public art funding to Christian… err… conservative… err… “religious groups.”
This is for three key reasons:
1. Access to public funds will finally get conservatives to stop cutting arts funding!
Sure, churches will get a big share of that money, but a rising tide lifts all ships, right?
2. We can get a giant cross on the big hill at Scissortail Park!
The City could then do cool stuff like recreate the resurrection with the OKC Ballet and Philharmonic for an Easter Mimosa Brunch on the lawn.
3. Maybe we’ll get more Jesus dick abdomen paintings!
Unlike the cross on the hill, that pic is real!
Then again, although the justifications for my unconstitutional idea are great, what do I know?
I’m just a guy on the Internet who’s looking for bad taxpayer-funded public religious art to mock and ridicule! You see, just like Stitt, I’m biased and protecting my own self-interests — except for totally different reasons.
Anyway, the separation between church and state is one of the bedrock principles of the American political system. It’s faced numerous legal challenges over the years by religious fanatics who want to chip away at it or blow it up, and that’s what appears to be the case here.
Fortunately, Stitt’s order has a tough hill to climb to become actual policy.
At least for now, we have an Attorney General who seems opposed to handing out taxpayer money to religious groups, and he’s a slight favorite to be our next Governor.
Plus, the right-wing Christo-fascists haven’t stacked the state Supreme Court with plant judges… yet. I’ll give them a few more years before they make that happen.
So, this renewed effort by radicalized Christian grifters to get access to taxpayer funding probably won’t work. It’s just another psycho, insane, and bad idea — but, once again, at least Stitt’s kind of being honest... for once.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
