Americans were fortunate among people of the Earth to have lived in a nation that, for 236 years, avoided being taken over and controlled by religious extremists. It is a sad commentary, but now that the Republican Party has been taken over by evangelical fundamentalists as a result of Republican demigod Ronald Reagan giving the religious right the keys to government, that 236 year secular run is apparently nearly ended. Most Americans likely never believed that government officials would have the authority, or audacity, to terminate a state employee for not complying with the “official state religion,” but they also probably never imagined the Supreme Court would legalize an employer’s control over women’s reproductive health choices.
A former Kansas state employee has filed a federal wrongful termination lawsuit targeting Kansas’ Secretary of State and assistant secretary of state, Eric Rucker. The lawsuit alleges that the employee’s dismissal was founded on her refusal to attend bible and prayer services in Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office. It is important to note that the evangelical church services in Secretary of State Kobach’s office were officiated by, a voluntary minister with Capitol Commission, David DePue, whose ministry focuses solely on evangelizing Kansas’ government leaders.