Bible Probe a Testament to HUD's Priorities

October 13, 2020

On Facebook, Wilhoit Properties says, "It is our sincere desire to do everything possible to make your stay here a long and happy one." Unless, older residents found out, that stay includes the Bible. In Oklahoma, one of the 16 states where Wilhoit runs a senior living facility, a controversy has been brewing since March, when one of the tenants said all of the religious material in the common areas disappeared. A resident had complained about an angel decoration at Christmas, and that was apparently enough to scrub 116 properties clean of anything remotely religious. At least until Secretary Ben Carson got involved.

"Religious liberty is at the core of our nation's identity and will be upheld under the Fair Housing Act," Secretary Carson warned on Friday. "Barring religious materials infringes upon this right, and the Trump administration will not stand for discrimination against any group for practicing their religious traditions." Wilhoit, along with Vintage Housing, Inc., will be the subject of a HUD investigation, Dr. Carson announced, after receiving complaints from residents who have been angry at the purging of Christian literature.

"If this isn't stopped," a family member said to a reporter back in March, "it will escalate…there is power in numbers. All I want is for this to be reversed and the books to be returned to the empty shelves." According to the resident, books, puzzles, and decorations were all stripped from the libraries and gathering places. If that's true, Carson's team says, and there is obvious religious discrimination in this case, then they'll demand a resolution -- or refer the charges to the Department of Justice.

Either way, it's refreshing to see Secretary Carson go to bat for religious liberty. With just 21 days until the election, it's also another important reminder of what November 3rd is all about. What's at stake is nothing less than our First Freedom. And we all need to ask ourselves: will it be safer under President Trump or Joe Biden? Read our platform comparison to find out.