Georgia Republican Says Muslims Aren’t Covered By First Amendment
A Republican running for Congress in Georgia fails to grasp a very important part of our Constitution.
“Although Islam has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology,” Rev. Jody Hice wrote in his 2012 book It’s Now Or Never, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It is a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.”
The House candidate also believes the Muslim Brotherhood is secretly infiltrating the United States in a plot to impose Sharia law on the entire country, a conspiracy theory he shares with Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX).
Hice tied Mike Collins in the Georgia Republican primary in May, with each candidate getting about 34 percent of the vote. The winner of the July 22 runoff election will face Democrat Ken Dious in November.
Maxx44 June 23rd, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Well, if Bachmann & Gomer thinks it’s happening, then it must be happening. I mean have those two ever been wrong?
abbyjo2001 June 23rd, 2014 at 1:57 pm
These people are starting to worry me, seriously!
arc99 June 23rd, 2014 at 2:19 pm
Although Protestantism has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology. It is a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection
http://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2006/11/28/america,_not_keith_ellison,_decides_what_book_a_congressman_takes_his_oath_on/page/full
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.
jasperjava June 23rd, 2014 at 7:21 pm
That’s one of the most unAmerican articles I’ve ever read. Completely contrary to the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
Dwendt44 June 23rd, 2014 at 10:13 pm
You could say the same thing about Jews. That culture is more than JUST a religion.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 2:44 am
Don’t confuse Judaism with Israel. And don’t confuse self imposed sharia with government imposed sharia. That was the point.
Thou shalt not murder is in the bible and is also a law in this country. Does that mean laws prohibiting murder must be unconstitutional because they violate the first amendment ?
Of course not.
If an Muslim woman freely chooses to wear a haajib that’s her choice. But when she is stoned to death for choosing not to wear it is where Muslim as religion crosses into the definition of an oppressive state. I don’t see Jews or Christians stoning those who refuse to believe.
arc99 June 24th, 2014 at 3:02 am
but as noted in the link I posted, you most certainly do see Christians flatly stating that only those who share their beliefs are fit to serve in elected office.
it is hardly a saving grace that capital punishment is not part of their desired treatment for non believers.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
Is it also just as offensive to the first amendment to state that only those with no religious sense of morality are fit to serve? I order to preserve power the communist Chinese are now tearing down crucifixes off of churches in the hopes of quelling any curiosity. The state as religion is a bad thing. Pol Pot Stalin Hitler Mao all squelched and persecuted those of religious faith because they could not be pursuaded to bend a knee to a lesser god.
arc99 June 24th, 2014 at 11:22 pm
fortunately our constitution prevents the Pol Pots, Stalins, Hitlers, Maos and Dennis Pragers of the world from imposing their beliefs on the rest of us.
Justin Volke V June 25th, 2014 at 4:20 am
Not if the president can choose not to obey the constitution and it’s laws.
So you really think Dennis Prager belongs in the same group? That if elected president he could or would order the extermination of half the population?
The only part of the constitution that prevents a dictator is the second amendment.
fahvel June 24th, 2014 at 4:31 am
nothing about “murder” in your book – it simply says – at least according to king james – thou shalt not kill.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
The Jewish word in the Hebrew bible is the word for murder. king James is a poor translation.
fahvel June 23rd, 2014 at 3:21 pm
one more example of someone completely out of their mind if they ever had one. I have such a difficult time understanding how such narrow no bodies can ever get to any kind of position of national recognition in the usa. It boggles the mind to think they walk free and alone on the streets without a keeper and a leash.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 2:33 am
Is that your definition of freedom? To control those you don’t agree with by putting them on a leash? Were you a slave owner in another life ?
Bunya June 23rd, 2014 at 3:25 pm
How does Hice know whether or not members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who are secretly infiltrating the United States in a plot to impose Sharia law on the entire country, wouldn’t be pretenting to be Christian in order to get elected?
But I’m sure his head is in the right place for a republican, that is, up his a$$.
Roctuna June 23rd, 2014 at 6:27 pm
We let the KKK speak, we let the Nazis speak, we let the fascists speak, heck we even let one of ’em run for president. They’re all political structures with religious overtones. Another self-home-schooled gohmert.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
We even elected a KKK member to congress for life.
JamesMMartin June 23rd, 2014 at 7:45 pm
He probably knows better, but by playing to the lowest of the low in his base — ignoramuses who never learned a thing about the Constitution — he is making things worse. Ignoramuses want to believe this crap because they are frightened about the turmoil in the Mideast, something the Republitards exacerbated under that yokel from Texas, GWB.
Dwendt44 June 23rd, 2014 at 10:12 pm
Fundamentalist christianity teaches that all other religions are ‘of the devil’, so the gullible accept this nonsense.
JamesMMartin June 23rd, 2014 at 10:19 pm
If only the understood that the devil is a bugaboo used to explain evil and keep congregants doing what the cleric say to do, keeping them in line.
Dwendt44 June 23rd, 2014 at 10:25 pm
Yes, but they won’t give up the devil because that might suggest that Yahweh might not be real as well.
JamesMMartin June 23rd, 2014 at 10:33 pm
Both Judaism, to a lesser degree, and Christianity depend upon the devil because they are essentially dualist in their conception. They’re nothing but solar phallic cults owing a great deal to Zoroastrian dualist belief. The “modern” monotheisms know that an omniscient good god would not tolerate evil in the world, and if he did it could only mean that he is not omnipotent or he is not worthy of faith, or both. The Priesthood (by which I mean all clerical organizations) cannot operate without a bugaboo: Satan, Lucifer, &c.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 2:31 am
Such misinformed trash. The God of the Bible does not allow evil or bad to exist. Man was given free will. It is man that chooses evil over good. God is merely there to sort out the worthy souls from the unworthy of heaven.
But don’t worry. You are safe. You have to have a soul in order for it to be saved.
fahvel June 24th, 2014 at 4:28 am
you sure diminished that god of yours – like he’s a school yard monitor and gives gold stars or red X’s. Keep him/it to yourself.
Shades June 24th, 2014 at 9:03 am
Exactly. Why bother to pray if all he’s going to do is “sort them out.”
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 3:06 pm
Eternal reward or punishment isn’t gold stars. I will still pray for your soul and hope one day you will know Him.
How sad and empty your life must be without hope or faith or reason to choose good over evil that is outside your self. To not believe in something greater than life is just a sexually transmitted disease with a 100% mortality rate.
May God have mercy on your soul.
JamesMMartin June 24th, 2014 at 8:36 am
If God gave man free will and man chooses evil, why didn’t God make sure man would always choose good? God is either impotent or evil. Either way, not worthy of belief much less worship. The only god there is is the one between your ears. And by the way, I don’t need or want a soul. There is no such thing as a soul. You cannot prove there is. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof and you have none. Period.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 2:19 pm
If God made sure people would always choose good it wouldn’t be free will would it?
You cannot prove there is no such thing as a soul. In fact your curiosity about the world and your wish to understand the meaning of the universe is proof of a soul. Endo ilmenite is the ability to wonder. It is why only man among the animals builds telescopes and microscopes and atom smashers. It is too seek the answers that no other animal wonders about. Since God created the universe and us on His image our scientific quest to find those answers is our need to know His universe and to know it is to know God. If you have any curiosity at all about anything you have a soul even if you refuse to accept it. I will pray for your soul.
JamesMMartin June 24th, 2014 at 9:33 pm
You prove only that there is no point arguing with a dogmatic.
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 11:03 pm
I was getting that feeling. Thanks for admitting you’re that dogmatic.
Shades June 24th, 2014 at 9:02 am
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?
Epicurus (c. 341 – c. 270 BC)
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 2:59 pm
BC? I thought you didn’t believe in Christianity.
Shades June 24th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
You truly have no clue how ignorant that statement is, do you?
Justin Volke V June 24th, 2014 at 5:56 pm
B.C. Before Christ? Maybe you prefer BCE AND ACE? (Before and after Christ entered)?
fahvel June 24th, 2014 at 4:27 am
careful there – their god, the dude who made it all may have his own definition of good n evil. Also he might have one hell of a sense of humor – why suppose that a god of any kind really cares about people – just one more group a scared animals scurrying around the globe.
SteveD June 23rd, 2014 at 9:59 pm
Run off is on August 10, 2014, not July 22.
Elliot J. Stamler June 24th, 2014 at 12:03 am
The great majority of religious Americans are not fundamentalists or extremists and you condescending atheists who mock and insult all faith and all believers trying to paint all as bible-thumping nuts are as bad AS the bible-thumping nuts. You are so arrogant and stupid you don’t realize the reactive hatred that you stimulate in people by your aggressive and insulting attitude.
jasperjava June 24th, 2014 at 2:13 am
“The great majority of religious Americans are not fundamentalists or extremists”
Who said they were?
” you condescending atheists who mock and insult all faith and all
believers trying to paint all as bible-thumping nuts are as bad AS the
bible-thumping nuts.”
It’s not the atheists who are twisting the arms of right-wing religious freaks and forcing them to say horrible, despicable things. Atheists are not holding a gun to their heads.
It’s not the atheists who are giving Christianity a bad name. Sure, some atheists often paint with a broad brush, smearing all people of faith as if they were all these religious-right snake oil salesmen. But the ones who are giving Christians a bad name are the so-called “conservative Christians” themselves, who preach the Gospel of ignorance and hate. Reserve your vitriol for them.
A “conservative Christian” is a contradiction in terms. It’s up to Christians themselves to denounce them and their twisted ideology.
Elliot J. Stamler June 24th, 2014 at 11:31 am
It is glaringly apparent from many of the comments herein and elsewhere that there are many militant atheists who display exactly what I have said: a smarmy, condescension toward religion and believers. They do paint with a very broad brush…if you want a very public example, one would be Bill Maher. I made very clear in my remarks my intense dislike of the religious right which I fully share with you–for the reasons you wrote–but it is blindness not to recognize the same kind of fanaticism and nastiness on the part of a good portion of atheists. A “good portion” – not all. I have personally no problem with atheists per se; I do not agree with them; I actually feel sorry for them but they have every right to their views. One last point: I am not a political conservative but the term “conservative Christian” isn’t, I think, automatically self-contradictory as I know of Christians who are relatively conservative theologically but NOT conservative in their social and political views.
fahvel June 24th, 2014 at 4:23 am
I assume if one asked this dim wit what Sharia law was he’d be able to explain it with accuracy eh?