Keith Ellison and the Right's Version of Religious Liberty

[ck4829]

On the web site of the American Center for Law and Justice, the Pat Robertson-founded legal group where Jay Sekulow serves as chief counsel, Sekulow describes himself as a “nationally recognized and respected defender of religious freedom.” On last night’s “Hannity & Colmes” on Fox News, Sekulow perhaps elaborated on what he means by “religious freedom” when he said that a freshman Muslim lawmaker “should have just abstained from” using the Koran in a ceremonial photo op following his official swearing in as a member of Congress. Sekulow, although aware of the constitutional prohibition of religious tests for office, insisted that such a use of the Koran represented a "danger" to the country and its "Judeo-Christian tradition."

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) has been a target of some on the Right since an article by radio talker Dennis Prager wrote that he “should not be allowed” to be photographed with the Koran, calling the use of the Bible “essential to the continuity of a civilization.” Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Virginia) pushed the “controversy” into the headlines when he wrote a letter to his constituents warning that, “if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.” Goode later invoked the terrorists attacks of September 11 as justification for his concerns about immigrants.

Apart from Goode’s tirade against immigrants, Sekulow is the most prominent figure to embrace this attack on religious liberty. Sekulow has made a name for himself as a right-wing superlawyer, defending violent anti-abortion activists before the Supreme Court and advising the president on judicial nominees, all while pulling down an impressive salary.

While Sekulow was clearly aware of the ban on religious tests – he told Sean Hannity that Ellison didn’t have to actually hold the Bible – he insisted that Ellison’s use of the Koran (the copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson, architect of religious liberty) represented a “danger” to the country.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/01/keith_ellison_a.html

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. The insecurity of the religious right knows no limits.

Someones trying to hurt them
Someones trying to stop their praying
Someones going to turn their wife, son, daughter into a homosexual or even worse...a democrat
Someones trying to change their lifestyle
Someone is going to take away their control fetish
Someones going to make them read
Someones going to educate their children
On and on and on............ad infinitum................

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. For such as him, it is not a matter of insecurity -

it is a path to power, and wielded with mind-boggling cynicism.

[Clark2008]

3. These people are insane.

Quick: if you had to give a one sentence answer as to WHY the United States was founded to begin with, wouldn't you say, "Freedom of religion."

Most people would - and most people would be accurate.

What do people like Goode and Sekulow and their minions NOT get?

[HockeyMom]

4. Dump swearing on ANY Religous Text

If you have to swear at all, be it on your HONOR as an American Citizen.