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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sure, because inflaming religious tension is a great and honorable way to get elected [/snark]
Posted by Jill | 5:10 AM
Scratch the surface of a Christofascist Zombie running for office, find an ignorant bigot:
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, currently running third in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary race, says he's not sure if Constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion apply to the followers of the world's second-largest faith, Islam.

At a recent event in Hamilton County, Ramsey was asked by a man in the audience about the "threat that's invading our country from the Muslims." Ramsey proclaimed his support for the Constitution and the whole "Congress shall make no law" thing when it comes to religion. But he also said that Islam, arguably, is less a faith than it is a "cult."

"Now, you could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, way of life, cult whatever you want to call it," Ramsey said. "Now certainly we do protect our religions, but at the same time this is something we are going to have to face."

The question, Ramsey mused, was related to the simmering topic of a new Muslim community center scheduled to be built in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Ramsey, like many conservatives weighing in on the debate, mistakenly confused the center with a mosque -- which Murfreesboro already has -- and then proceeded to foment fears that Sharia saw would be practiced by Muslims there.

"Now, you know, I'm all about freedom of religion. I value the First Amendment as much as I value the Second Amendment as much as I value the Tenth Amendment and on and on and on," he said. "But you cross the line when they try to start bringing Sharia Law here to the state of Tennessee -- to the United States. We live under our Constitution and they live under our Constitution."

The community center (and Republican Congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik's merciless attacks on it) has become a hot topic in Tennessee, and it's likely that the man in the audience was referring to the community center when he asked his question. But it's also worth noting the question the man actually asked when considering Ramsey's answer.

"We've got a threat that's invading our country from the Muslims," the man said. "What's your stand?"

Today, Ramsey gave me an answer to that question that channeled Sarah Palin's Twitter feed.

"My concern is that far too much of Islam has come to resemble a violent political philosophy more than peace-loving religion," he said in an email. "It's time for American Muslims who love this country to publicly renounce violent jihadism and to drum those who seek to do America harm out of their faith community."

Isn't it funny how wingnuts always project onto others what they themselves do? And frankly, anyone who misreads the Constitution to this degree has no business being in government.

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5 Comments:
Blogger casey said...
Hello Jill,

Putting aside the question of Islam as a religion (it is). The United States should worry about Christianity as the greater threat. England, the southern conflict, Spain, Italy and Germany to name some from our past. I see Christianity as a common thread to those named above.
7/27/10, 7:04 AM  
Blogger Joe said...
Funny that you should title that, given that I've lived both in the muslim forld and behind the iron curtain, I've always felt that way about entocentric tribal politics, revolutionary leftism, class warfare, and cause-politics.

The difference being, what I saw was not imagined, or driven by motives of political persuasion, but real.
7/27/10, 1:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Christianity is a cult, a cult of personality. It is just like Islam or Judaism where there is a book and a belief in someone that is invisible.
7/27/10, 2:54 PM  
Anonymous The New York Crank said...
I just did a rant about this on my own blog.

Seems that here in New York, the "not prejudiced" opposition to a Muslim community center is complaining that while they have nothing against Muslim community centers in general, the one under consideration is "two blocks away" from ground zero, which somebody or other — it's not certain who — has declared "sacred ground."

How far away would be far enough? Clearly, not two blocks. Evidently, not even Tennessee.

Meanwhile, the wingnut lunatics are running wild, foaming at the mouth with mosquophobia.

Two candidates for governor (both Republicans, of course) evidently have nothing else to get livid about, except a Muslim community center in lower Manhattan. One of them suggests using taxpayer money to buy up any land in lower Manhattan where a mosque might be built to keep the building from happening, all under the name of "eminent domain." Oh yes, and he wants to cut taxes, too.

Even Sarah Palin has taken a sudden interest in New York. We should be pleased to know we are now sacred to her.

And yes, the minions of Murdoch are on the case, too.

Their real complaint seems to be, "Where is the Inquisition when we want one? And when can we start burning heretics at the stake?"

Grrr.

Yours very crankily,
The New York Crank
7/27/10, 4:25 PM  
Anonymous mandt said...
A bit of elitist snobbery is needed here: anyone who pronounces 'oil' as 'awl' is not fit for office----even in pre-Cambrian Tennessee.
7/28/10, 3:04 PM  
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