As the mouthpiece for the religious right, the conservative Christians on Fox & Friends provide VIP treatment for American Christians who are constantly being persecuted by the insidious atheist agenda. And as part of their role as defenders of the Fox faith, the pals also have the back of God himself who, according to Fox's homophobic "fundamentalist barking dog" Todd Starnes, could be kicked out of his place of honor in the Air Force oath. Yesterday, Starnes exposed this latest faux outrage which included a swipe at Mikey Weinstein, head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, now a target of the religious right because his group has been successful in pressuring the military to tamp down on inappropriate "Christian" proselytizing in the military. Last night, the information in Starnes article was given national attention by Megyn Kelly who advanced the Fox/right wing meme that the military is curtailing religious freedom. This morning, Fox & Friends upped the propaganda ante with the claim that Weinstein's group is attacking not just God - but the Air Force itself! 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck (raised Catholic but now "Christian") immediately launched the propaganda message for the piece which was part of the Fox & Friends, ironically named "Prescription for America." She reported that the "Air ForceAcademy is under attack by an atheist group that has an issue with the Academy's honor oath." She read the oath which has "so help me God" at the end. The chyron utilized Fox's popular conflict themed wording: "Oath Under Fire." After she noted that the group claims that the mention of God is a violation of the separation of church and state, she tossed to Fox friend Peter Johnson Jr. who is also a litigator for the Catholic Archdiocese of NY, Roger Ailes' personal attorney, and a member of the exclusive Catholic Knights of Malta.

Johnson, not surprisingly, said that there is no case "if they're hostile to religion" and say that "Christianity shouldn't allowed to be practiced." As he spoke, the chyron advanced, as Fox fact, its patented anti-atheist propaganda: "When Atheists Attack, Air Force Academy Honor Oath Includes 'God'." He added that they do have a case if they say "no one in this country...has to swear to God if they don't believe in God...but don't take that right, that ability from others to do the same thing."

 Hasselbeck said "exactly" and referenced the aforementioned Megyn Kelly piece during which Kelly suggested that those who don't want to say it can opt out - a point that is irrelevant to the substance of the case but one that serves to try to paint the Weinstein as unreasonable. Video of Weinstein's retort to Kelly provided the segue for the attack on Weinstein which Johnson began with his suggestion that Weinstein's "rhetoric" was "overblown" in comparing an oath "honoring God" with robbing a bank. More irony when Johnson claimed that Weinstein was "demonizing people." Johnson alluded to unnamed court decisions supporting "under God" and said that "in God we trust" is a "secular message" that's "based on our history." The chyron advanced, as Fox fact, the patented Fox anti-PC meme: "PC Police Intrusion, Group Demands Honor Oath Poster Be Taken Down." Johnson said that opposition to "under God" is divisive (Oh, the irony!) and "sends the wrong message."

The piece then got really surreal with Hasselbeck comparing Johnson to St. Ronald Reagan whose quote about the importance of God was cited. Johnson urged people to respect the Constitution and "those who worship God" by not taking away the "under God" in the oath. Hasselbeck showed a tweet that supported the oath with a little Obama smearing. Lizzie and Pete giggled.

So in addition to making the totally false and hyperbolic claim that the Air Force Academy is "under attack," the claim was made that Mr. Weinstein's "overblown rhetoric" is "demonizing people. Remind me who is being divisive and in pursuit of an agenda?

Note - Background, not provided by Hasselbeck and Johnson, here.