The following article is a supplement to the MRC Report: The Biden Administration Waged War on Free Speech with 57 Censorship Initiatives.
Initiative #41
The Censorship of Christians
Type of Censorship: Direct Action
Agencies Involved:
- Copyright Royalty Board (CRB)
- Department of Justice
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Summary:
The Biden administration’s efforts to censor religious speech were not limited to guidance letters and lobbying the U.S. Supreme Court. The administration also deployed more direct, immediate methods to silence Christians.
- Targeting Latin Mass
Many devout Catholics conduct portions of their service in the Latin language. Even though language choice is constitutionally protected speech, the Biden administration conducted a censorship campaign on these religious services via intimidation, surveillance and deception.
As reported by Catholic Vote and National Review, the FBI issued a secret memo claiming that the traditional Catholics who practiced Latin mass were “radicals” and identified as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The memo ordered surveillance of local Catholic churches.
After the scandal broke, FBI Director Christopher Wray appeared before Congress and insisted that local parishes were not being targeted and that the memo was “a single product by a single field office,” according to the National Catholic Register. It was later revealed that local parishes were targeted for surveillance and that multiple field offices were involved.
2. Censorship to Benefit NPR
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) set noncommercial royalty rates, which applied primarily to religious broadcasters, far higher than the rate it gave to National Public Radio. In its rulemaking process, the CRB disregarded required analysis for both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). RFRA requires the federal government to grant exceptions to laws that are unduly burdensome on religious activities. In the case Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, the U.S. Supreme Court held that it is a violation of the First Amendment to give preferential treatment to certain groups without also extending that treatment to their religious counterparts.
Key Individuals:
- Merrick Garland, Attorney General
- David Stickler, Administrative Law Judge / CRB Board Member
- Christopher Wray, FBI Director
