WATSON — Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Watson, says she had no idea that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of the state’s educational system might mean taxpayer support of Muslim schools … ‘I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school,’ Hodges said. Hodges mistakenly assumed that ‘religious’ meant ‘Christian.’…. ‘Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion,’ Hodges said. ‘We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.’”
I know; ignorance and hyper-religiosity comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s certainly not limited to Christians. It’s just that there’s a segment of the Christian population that seems to revel in self-parody. And they seemingly have no problem with becoming objects of richly-deserved ridicule.
Yes, ‘tis better to be thought a fool and a bigot than to be Valarie Hodges and remove any lingering doubt. If it was just the stunning, world-class self-righteousness, that would be entertaining in and of itself, but Hodges takes it a step further in assuming that “religious” means “Christian.” This summa cum laude granulate of Louisiana’s fine public edumication system honestly seems to believe that her religious is the One, True, AND Only faith. Islam? Why, that’s the angry, hateful god that terrorists pray to, ain’t it?? And aren’t all “Islam schools” by definition radical, America-hating terrorist incubators dedicated to destroying Our Way of Life ©?
Granted, I’m well aware that I’m talking about a narrow minority of Christians who feel that their beliefs are superior to all lesser, “heathen” religions. What I fail to understand is why the decent, reasonable majority of Christians remain mute in the face of such self-righteous intolerance. Rep. Hodges is at best and ignoramus and at worst a bigot. Either way, shouldn’t we be able to expect that reasonable, tolerant Christians denounce the sort of self-righteousness promulgated by Hodges?
It’s one thing to be an intolerant bigot. It’s quite another to attempt to create public policy using your intolerance and bigotry as a yardstick by which you judge all other beliefs. “Religious” no more means “Christian” than “vegetarian” means “Sure, I’ll have a Porterhouse.”
I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools. I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school.
So, only Christianity, as the “Founding Father’s religion,” qualifies as “religion?” That would make beliefs systems like Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, ad infinitum, ad nauseum…what, invalid? Less worthy than Christianity? Surely, an allegedly thoughtful and lucid individual like Hodges could understand the inappropriateness of elevating her flavor of imaginary friend over that of someone else? Then again, if you subscribe to the “If you ain’t got Jesus, you ain’t $#!&” theory, any belief that doesn’t mesh with your own is by definition false and heathen.
As The Friendly Atheist points out, the brand of Christianity currently espoused by many in the religious right wing would be pretty unrecognizable to the Founding Fathers, who were pretty high on Deism and pretty low on Christian rock concerts/ talking about The Children’s collective virginity/ having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But whatever. Facts are immaterial at this point.
Perhaps Rep. Hodges would do well to recognize that as a public servant, she represents a wide variety of races, colors, and creeds. She could also stand to be reminded that this is NOT a Christian nation; it’s a secular nation with a Christian majority. BIG difference, no?
Islam, as odious as it might seem to a unrepentant bigot like Hodges, is a religion that enjoys the same Constitutional protection as Christianity…or Judaism…or Buddhism…or Zoroastrianism…or…well, you get the point, right? In our SECULAR form of government, Christianity is no more (or less) valued and protected than any other religion. That’s why it’s called “freedom of religion” and not “freedom to practice any religion that’s Christianity.” There’s no official state religion, no is the government allowed to advance the interests of the majority religion to the detriment of those who practice other religions. Perhaps someone should buy Rep. Hodges a copy of the Constitution; it’s pretty clear she hasn’t read it lately.
Then again, this is Louisiana we’re talking about, where the separation of Church and State is for losers and Liberals….
Thank GOD for brave Christian patriots like Valarie Hodges. Without her selflessness and sacrifice, Louisiana would be infested with a thousand Muslims schools sucking at the public teat as they teach students to hate America and plot our demise so they can enslave our children. Without her protecting the sanctity and primacy of Christianity in Louisiana’s public edumication system, the Sportsmen’s Paradise just might become the next Jihadi Paradise, no?
