Americans United Criticizes Smithsonian For Caving In To Religious Right Pressure On Art Exhibit
A video that was part of an art exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., should not have been pulled at the behest of government officials and aggressive religious groups, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United criticized U.S. Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Eric Cantor (R-Va.) – who will likely be speaker of the House and majority leader next year – for demanding that the Smithsonian Institution remove the video. “Boehner and Cantor aren’t even in control of the House yet, and already they’re kowtowing to the Religious Right,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “This is religiously based censorship, pure and simple – and it’s reprehensible.” Among the organizations leading the campaign against the video is the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, a New York City-based group that promotes an ultra-conservative version of Catholicism rejected by most American Catholics. The vid...