Survey Questions Politicians On Jesus

[Mark E. Smith]

Courier-Journal Louisville KY 3/3

Jeff Sharp, county attorney for Barren County, and a church youth group are surveying all Kentucky legislators and legislative candidates with a single question: "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?"

Fifteen have replied so far -- all answering yes -- but Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, filed a resolution yestreday asking her collegues to disregard the survey and all "theocratic tendencies."

Stein, who is Jewish, called the survey an "intimidating, bullying letter. This is doing what the constitution prohibits, and that is offering a religious test for public officials," she said. "That's the long and short of it."

Sharp disagreed. "Anybody can vote for whoever they want to," he said. "You can't restrict us from participating."

He said he was "shocked that all this is going on over a simple little survey."

Sharp said he sent out the survey Saturday and used his own time and money. He said he had two goals -- to get people thinking about whether to accept Jesus, and to let candidates know "we're watching them and watching their votes on things."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060303/NEWS0101/603030397/1008/NEWS01

[ComerPerro]

1. Hey, morons! Republicans lie! Duh!

"Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?"

"Yes, I have. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a hooker coming over in five minutes. We will have kinky sex on my desk, near pictures of my wife and kids, and I will probably do a line of cocaine off her chest. Then we will drink, and drive drunk to a casino, where I will spend my thousands of dollars in bribe money on a few hours of gambling, cheap liquor, and cheep women. Finally, I will go to bed so I can wake up and pass legislation that will further the gap between the rich and poor, and make the lives of the poor and elderly even more difficult while ensuring profits and good lives for me and my elitist buddies."

"Thank you, sir. Its nice to meet a true Christain. At least you aren't afraid to admit loud and proud that you love Jesus!"

"Yes, thank you. Now, please fuck off and die. Get out of my office, you religious freak!"

"Thanks again! I love you! And I love President Bush!"

[Selatius]

2. There is serious risk of such a survey becoming a litmus test.

What if such a survey is circulated every year? Will the answers a politician gives be publicized and used as a means of chastisement if the politician does not answer in a manner that may please Sharp?

[bluesbassman]

3. A simple little survey - right!

So Jeff Sharp, who happens to be a county attorney, is "shocked that all this is going on over a simple little survey." Well I'm shocked that he admitted what his true motives were; "to let candidates know we're watching them and watching their votes on things." Rep. Stein is correct in that this "survey" is at best a litmus test for fundies and at worst an intimidating, bullying letter. If If Mr. Sharp's true intention was to "get people thinking about whether to accept Jesus", then he needs to do as the Bible instructs and go out and witness. IMO this is not witnessing but rather politicizing the faith.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

4. Correct me if I'm wrong,

But isn't the law that it's unconstitutional for the state to apply a religious test for public office, not that it's forbidden for voters to do so.

While I disagree with Mr Sharp and his ilk, I think they're perfectly within their rights to ask candidates what their religious views are and to publicise the results, provided they're doing so as private citizens.

[SaveElmer]

7. The ACLU agrees there is nothing legally wrong about this...

As repugnant as it is...it is not illegal for one citizen to ask another citizen where he stands on something.

So you are correct!~

[realFedUp]

5. I have real discomfort with this "survey" nt

[Radical Activist]

6. I would like to ask those who sent the letter a question

Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself, even if your neighbor is gay, Jewish, black, atheist, pagan, Hispanic, Mormon, a woman who had an abortion or anyone else who isn't a white, self-righteous fundamentalist like you?

[noonwitch]

8. It's definitely wrong for the county attorney to be involved in this

However, the youth group's activities are protected by the first amendment. They can ask whatever question they like, as long as they are prepared for the answers they could get.