GOP admits to mailers suggesting Bible ban
Courtesy of The Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi-brea ... -5544r.htm
New York, NY, Sep. 24 (UPI) -- The Republican National Committee says it mailed fliers to voters in two states suggesting liberals want to ban the Bible, the New York Times reported.
The mailings include images of a Bible labeled "banned" and of a gay marriage proposal labeled "allowed." A mailing to Arkansas residents warns: "This will be Arkansas if you don't vote." A similar mailing was sent to West Virginians.
RNC spokesman Christine Iverson said the party sent the mail, which aroused the ire of the liberal Interfaith Alliance, which called them "despicable."
"When the Massachusetts Supreme Court sanctioned same-sex marriage and people in other states realized they could be compelled to recognize those laws, same-sex marriage became an issue," Iverson said. "These same activist judges also want to remove the words 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance."
"There is no question that this is where some people want to go, that reading from the Bible could be hate speech," the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land said, adding the language and images used by the GOP was "probably stretching it a bit."
The mailings are part of the GOP's effort to mobilize support for President Bush among conservative religious voters.
My comments:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
This is the text of the first amendment to our Bill of Rights. It is often that this text is misinterpreted to grant a basis for separation of church and state. You will fail to find anything specifically requiring such a separation anywhere within the founding documents of the United States.
It appears to me that rather than calling for separation of church and state, the first amendment grants us the right to exercise our religious beliefs freely, without hindrance from the government. So why are people arguing that their rights are infringed upon when others exercise their own rights? Why is it necessary to remove the words "in God we trust" from our currency? Does this really threaten those with different beliefs? Do they realize that the very amendment they're using to strike down the Bible is the same amendment that grants them the freedom to voice their opinions?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
This excerpt from the Declaration of Independence clearly shows that our nation was founded on Christian beliefs. Our own Constitution is signed using the phrase "in the Year of our Lord." Our laws have been founded on Christian beliefs, and our justice system is modeled after that in the Bible.
If you're going to run for President of the United States, at least respect the beliefs on which our nation was built, as well as the freedoms which were established by our founding fathers.
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1 (NIV)
