December 2, 2006 7:10 AM

Another DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener

A first for America…The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath: What book will America base it’s values on, the Bible or the Koran?

Newly elected Muslim lawmaker under fire

America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on

DUMB@$$ AWARD wieners #486: Dennis Prager

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran. He should not be allowed to do so — not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization. First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism — my culture trumps America’s culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book. Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison’s favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress.

Uh, forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what hypocritical, self-righteous trolls like Dennis Prager happens to think or what his favorite book is. How incredibly arrogant do you have to be in order to think that your beliefs, and your beliefs alone, are the only true and right ones for a particular occasion? Where does it say that a Congressman is required to use a Bible while taking the oath of office?

Clearly, this situation has never arisen before, since Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress. As a Muslim, he should be, and is, well within his rights to be sworn in using a Koran; it is, after all, the Holy Book of his religion. America is not, despite Prager’s bleatings to the contrary, a Christian nation. Yes, America was founded by Christians fleeing persecution, but America is officially a secular nation. Unless Prager slept through his Government classes during his days as a schoolboy, our government officially endorses no religion. Prager and his fellow cretins do, and that’s fine. This is a free country, and they are free to worship as they choose. What they are NOT free to do is to require that others worship as they do.

And how exactly does Ellison’s using the Koran “undermine American civilization”? Ellison ran, and was elected, to represent his Minnesota district in Congress. There has been no indication or evidence that he plans to do anything except exactly that. And as far as using the Bible goes, it’s not as if Christian Republicans have been doing such a bang-up job (et tu, Tom DeLay, Rick Santorum, etc.?) these days….

“America is interested in only one book, the Bible….” Uh, no, Dennis Prager and his fellow self-righteous knuckle-draggers may be interested in only one book. I refuse to believe that Americans in general, sheeplike though they may be, are as narrow, judgmental, and intellectually and morally shallow as Prager is. Remember the whole “America is a melting pot” thing we all learned about in school? Well, this is EXACTLY what that phrase refers to. America is a collection of races, creeds, philosophies…all tossed together in one big dysfunctional country. No one religion should be taken as “official” or “appropriate” simply because a DUMB@$$ and intellectual reprobate like Dennis Prager says so.

What’s even more disturbing about Prager’s ignorant, religio-centric ramblings is that he’s a Jew…albeit an apparently extremely Conservative one. Being a member of a religion that has historically suffered the slings and arrows of hatred and oppression, you’d think that he’d be amenable to the idea that America is a place that (pre-9.11, at least) welcomed religious diversity.

The post generated nearly 800 comments on Townhall.com and sparked a tempest in the conservative blogosphere. Many who posted comments called the United States a Christian country and said Muslims are beginning to gain too much influence. Others wrote about the separation of church and state and said the Constitution protects all religions.

Yeah, better to be thought a bigot and a fool than leave a comment on Townhall.com and remove all doubt. I never cease to be amazed at the degree of ignorance, hatred, and bigotry that a certain, knuckle-dragging segment of the population is capable of. it’s just too bad that they seem unable to use that energy for a more positive purpose than hating Muslims.

Then again, there seems to be nothing these loons enjoy more than a good Three-Minute Hate.

Dave Colling, Ellison’s spokesman, said he was unavailable for comment. Earlier, Ellison told the online Minnesota Monitor, “The Constitution guarantees for everyone to take the oath of office on whichever book they prefer. And that’s what the freedom of religion is all about.”

Colling said Ellison’s office has received hundreds of “very bigoted and racist” e-mails and phone calls since Prager’s column appeared. “The vast majority said, ‘You should resign from office if you’re not willing to use the book our country was founded on,’ ” Colling said.

Gee…wasn’t this country founded by people fleeing religious persecution? And weren’t these freedom seekers Christians? Now their descendants seem all too willing to demonstrate that they know nothing of this nation’s history, and even less of religious tolerance. Truth be told, intolerance and hatred seems to be the stock in trade of Christian Conservatives.

Interesting, isn’t it, that these ignorant troglodytes seem completely oblivious to the concept of “Christian charity”? Perhaps they could trying cracking their Bible every now and then. It’s all right their in their Good Book…if they’d ever bother to pay attention to the actual teachings of jesus Christ.

“Requiring somebody to take an oath of office on a religious text that’s not his” violates the Constitution, said Kevin Hasson, president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Members of the House of Representatives traditionally raise their right hands and are sworn in together on the floor of the chamber. The ritual sometimes seen as the swearing-in is actually a ceremonial photo op with the speaker of the House that usually involves a Bible.

“They can bring in whatever they want,” says Fred Beuttler, deputy historian of the House.

Prager, who is Jewish, wrote that no Mormon elected official has “demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon.” But Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon, carried a volume of Mormon scriptures that included the Bible and the Book of Mormon at his swearing-in ceremony in 1997.

The reality that Prager and his fellow knuckle-draggers seem not to understand, or have completely ignored because it doesn’t fit their narrow agenda, is that using a Bible is not a requirement. Yes, if a Congressman wanted to take the oath on a stack of Captain America comic books or a Victoria’s Secret catalog, he or she could do just that.

And if I’m ever elected to Congress, I pledge to be the first public servant ever to be swore in on a stack of Captain America comic books…. After all, it’s Captain AMERICA; what could be more reliably American than that?

It would be nice if Prager could find an issue that didn’t give free reign to his hatred for all things Muslim. It would be nice if he could recognize that all his post did is display his willingness to let his stunning, seemingly boundless ignorance and hatred run free.

It would be nice if Prager would just go pound sand….

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on December 2, 2006 7:10 AM.

In Bushworld, if you don't like reality...well, you can create your own was the previous entry in this blog.

Man, why do I only find out AFTER the fact?? is the next entry in this blog.

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