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Often times I peruse the American Family Association's "news" site to keep an eye on what that group is spouting on any particular day (and, well, some of the stuff they obsess over is hilarious). Today, they have a "news story" about how a Congressman from Idaho just doesn't think the Founding Fathers would have approved of a Hindu cleric giving a non-sectarian prayer before the Senate, and certainly would not approve of the voters electing a Muslim to Congress.
"We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes -- and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers," claims Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho). Oh really Congressman? I wonder what the Founders said about this when they wrote the Constitution? Well, lets look, shall we?
Article One, Section Two of the Constitution states, "No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen." Wait a sec. Those damn Founders left out the part that was supposed to read, "Also, no one can be elected if Bill Sali doesn't like what they think." Damn, that really sucks for Congressman Sali, as its gonna be hard for him to get that amendment though.
It is truly scary when people get elected who don't have the slightest clue about the Constitution or the details of its creation. If Rep. Sali would be so kind as to take a minute out of his crusade to make American into the world's next fundamentalist theocracy he might find that America wasn't founded by not only Christians, but Deists, Agnostics and Atheists. Had he done his research, Mr. Sali would have, most definitely, come across the following little tidbits:
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies." - Ben Franklin
"The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." - President John Adams in the Treaty of Tripoli
"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." - President Thomas Jefferson
"What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of liberty of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries." - President James Madison
Well, damn, I'm sorry, Bill, but it appears that you just might be an idiot. Maybe that's why the First Amendment separates religion and government. Next time brush up on history before spewing your bigotry. Of course, I'm sure you won't so long as the "fact-checkers" at One News Now are doing such a stellar job...
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