Religion Offers No Break on Airport Screening

The Transportation Security Administration says airline passengers won't get out of body imaging screening or pat-downs based on their religious beliefs.

TSA chief John Pistole told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday that passengers who refuse to go through a whole-body scanner machine and get a pat-down will not be allowed on planes, even if they turned down the in-depth screening for religious reasons.

Civil rights groups contend the more intensive screening violates rights including freedom of religion. The issue is getting new attention after a man named John Tyner posted an item online saying he was thrown out of the San Diego airport for rejecting a full-body scan and pat-down groin check and insisting he go through a metal detector instead.

"The [body image scanning] technology is sent to the airports without the ability to save, transmit or print the images," said Greg Soule, TSA spokesman, in an interview with CBSNews.com. "At airports, the images are examined by a security officer in a remote location, and, once the image is cleared, they're deleted."

More on the new TSA airport screenings:

Passenger Refuses Groin Check, Full Body Scan
Should John Tyner Worry about More Than His Junk?
Poll: 4 in 5 Support Full-Body Airport Scanners
Naked Body Scan Images Never Saved, TSA Says
Poll: Do New TSA Airport Screens Go Too Far?

[babooph]

I worship the only true religion,& like all republicans ,I have not even seen myself naked-how can I let that heathen scanner...?

[formrusmcsgt]

Religion Offers No Break on Airport Screening
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No, but it does offer a break from reason.....

[formrusmcsgt]

I am fortunate that I've already traveled extensively.

Flying is something I no longer do. Getting crammed by a 400-pound herford in the next seat and listening to squaling babies for hours on end were enough to make me stop.

And now this.

They couldn't pay me to go on a flight now, much less me pay them....

[cosmicsquid]

The phrase "freedom of religion" only applies to certain religions to most people in the USA. Unfortunately it has been overplayed in many ways that those who push for it never expected. Until more people start freely thinking for themselves will reason and common sense prevail.

Praise Jesus and Allah Ackbar

[justwondering2]

Will Muslims get a religious pass?

[incog-nito]

You think the new procedures are no big deal, just wait until there's an attack attempt using stuff inserted inside the body (it's been done before, successfully). Then you might reconsider, especially when they bring out the latex gloves and the speculums.

[askagain]

Why not siomply tell whomever pats you down "I hope you got a good feel" and be done with it. Certainly there will be some abuses in the form of unwanted and unnessary touching. Hopefully, supervisors will be on the lookout for these abuses.

[Rodeo_Joe]

If you don't like it, take a train, a bus, a boat, or drive.

Quite whining, or walk.

[Cassarit]

All we have to do is tell those Israeli zhitheads and their treasonous Zionist buddies here in America to go to hell and we won't need to do any more of these screenings. I am sick of being used by those parasites.

[askagain]

Did your Jewish boss fire you? Did your Jewish girlfriend dump you? Did your Jewish landlord evict you? Let me guess, you came from a family that doesn't dislike people who are different than themselves. Say blacks, Catholics, immigrants, foreigners, or handicapped people. What a loser.

[askagain]

No, but one has to be a schmuck not to realize that Israel is an ally of ours and one of the friendliest nations in the Middle East toward the United States. The Muslim nations are diametrically opposed to our way of life. Nearly every hotspot in the world involes Muslims. The costs of securing the United States against the Muslims are astronomical economically and in terms of imconvenience to the American people.

[liselle3]

For all these people with rights... wish you could take your own unscreened fights. In the meantime people who are not namby pamby pee pee pants, we will get our screening and fly knowing we are safer. Bunch of whiners.

[gekkobear]

Right, because having minimum wage goons molesting children makes you SOOO much safer. you're good with having people molested if you get to feel safer... that's pretty much all I need to know about you.

[mchoward21]

gekkobear

Read the articles and do some freaking research before you run your mouth. TSA has said in numerous articles that the pat downs will only be used when someone refuses to pass through a scanner. And besides the fact that calling the TSA goons because you think you're above them socially doesn't back up your "argument". Use your brain, take a research class above the high school level and come back when you actually know what you're talking about.

In the mean time go bang a drum and complain about how "big brother" is watching us you paranoid pansy.