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Oolong tea for Eczema
Qadhafi Calls for 'Jihad' Against Switzerland
Yesterday I wrote about how the rightist Tea Party movement often exhibits a totalitarian streak and has a fundamental misunderstanding of the oft-touted Constitution and the obligations of a citizenry in a democracy.
But their ignorance on the Constitution extends beyond that and includes the ideal of the separation of church and state. It is true that the term 'separation of church and state' does not appear in the founding document, but the First Amendment explicitly states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
Again: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
It could not be more clear: Congress simply cannot respect, meaning recognize or favor, any religion. Congress shall make no law which recognizes a religion. Could not be more straightforward and these are the very first words in the Constitution. This is known as the 'Establishment Clause' of the First Amendment, meaning Congress shall not establish a religion.
Clear, no? Well not if you're a Tea Party fan. Sarah Palin refudiates the Constitution and tell us, without reference to any founding documents, that American law should be based on the Bible. So stoning for working on the Sabbath.
Christine O'Donnell expresses shock and befuddlement that there is such a thing as a 'separation of church and state' in the Constitution.
And now this guy:
Colorado Republican Senate candidate and Tea Party favorite Ken Buck last year said he "strongly" disagrees with one of the bedrock principles of American society: the separation of church and state.
"I disagree strongly with the concept of separation of church and state," said Buck at a forum for GOP Senate candidates last year. "It was not written into the Constitution. While we have a Constitution that is very strong in the sense that we are not gonna have a religion that's sanctioned by the government, it doesn't mean that we need to have a separation between government and religion. And so that, that concerns me a great deal.
This is nitpicking in the name of religious dogma.
