The latest to advance the idea that Islam is not a religion is Republican candidate Jody Hice, running for a US House of Representatives seat in Georgia. He claims that it is, instead, “a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.” - See more at: forwardprogressives/glass-houses-stones-religious-right-vs-islam/#sthash.oMUSZLHD.dpuf ........I would lie and say this is an interesting point of view, but it isn’t. It’s rampantly stupid, and smacks of ....“I don’t like it, thus it couldn’t be anything like my cherished religion”, which is specious at best and childish and bigoted at worst. It also neatly undermines their own goals, which generally involve a greater role for Christian ideals and strictures in American life. You see, if Islam isn’t a religion, then neither is Christianity. - ........The first is that Christianity and Islam come from the same source, Abraham. Islam even reveres Jesus as a prophet. To negate one is to negate the other. - ........The efforts to use US power to push Christian interests abroad, to use legislative power to make Christian doctrine part of the law of the land, to ensure that only Christian attitudes are welcomed in our military, these all point to an imperial faith that seeks to fuse itself to the state, and the intent of the Founders be damned. For a group of people who decry the supposed insinuation of Sharia law into the US, they are awfully cozy with the idea of the Christian version, laws requiring even the nonbeliever to toe the religious line. Maybe it’s just that they don’t want any competition. - ........I doubt that Mr. Hice has put that much thought into his statements; he is likely simply seeking to foment religious hatred and strife to buoy his chances of taking a House seat by riling up his red-state constituency. Reality is inconvenient to his purpose; hyperbole and hatred are much more electorally valuable to him than the truth. After all, isn’t getting elected ever so much more important than living up the American ideal of freedom of religion? But I guess, in his mind, you DO have freedom of religion… as long as it’s the right one. - See more at: forwardprogressives/glass-houses-stones-religious-right-vs-islam/#sthash.oMUSZLHD.dpuf
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:57:49 +0000
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