, Atlanta Atheism Examiner
December 19, 2011
The Republican hyper-emphasis on "Christian Values" recently took a
sharp turn and landed squarely on fascist police state. Leading
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich promised reporters in
as many words that if elected, he would arrest judges who didn't abide
by Christian ideals.
In a half-hour phone call with reporters yesterday, GOP presidential
contender Newt Gingrich warned that as president he would abolish
courts whose judges make decisions that are out of step with
fundamentalist Christian views.
Despite an outcry over the remarks, Gingrich reiterated them this
morning during an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation," saying the
president could send federal law enforcement authorities to arrest
judges who make controversial rulings in order to compel them to
justify their decisions before Congress.
When host Bob Schieffer asked how he would force federal judges to
comply with congressional subpoenas, Gingrich said he would send the
U.S. Capitol Police or U.S. Marshals to arrest the judges and force
them to testify. (LINK)
What can we say about this? Is there anything a candidate could say
that would disqualify him from office any more concretely? He has
personally vowed to ignore the constitution and to enforce his own
religious views as the law of the land.
In no uncertain terms, Gingrich has made it clear that his respect for
the American government extends only as far as his loyalty to Jesus.
The presidential oath is clear: I, <name>, do solemnly swear (or
affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the
United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect
and defend the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution
explicitly states that there shall be no religious test for public
office -- including judge.
Just to make sure we're clear on this: The leading Republican
candidate for the president of the United States has stated loudly and
clearly, on the record, that as president, he would completely ignore
the U.S. Constitution in favor of his own religious views.
The Republican Party has gone off the rails. As the extreme nature of
their position has been consistently exposed through social media like
Facebook and Reddit, they have become increasingly frenzied in their
efforts to become "more Christian." To appeal to the increasingly
hostile Fundamentalist constituency that was instrumental in winning
the House of Representatives, they've held openly religious meetings
in the heart of Iowa, where each candidate tried to "out-Christian"
the others on topics like abortion rights. (LINK)
This is also not the first time that a highly influential Christian
politician has trampled on the Constitution publicly. Supreme Court
Justice Antonin Scalia recently proclaimed his own disdain for the
rule of law:
"The Rule of Law is second only to the Rule of Love. The here and
now is less important than the hereafter." -- Antonin Scalia, Supreme
Court Justice. (LINK)
The sanctity of the U.S. government is in perhaps the most peril in
our history. Without exaggerating, one can begin by pointing to the
2004 "irregularities" in voting machines, and the subsequent
appointment of a Republican Christian candidate to the presidency...
by the Supreme Court. With the taking of the House in the last
Congressional elections, the Republican party has embarked on a take-
no-prisoners campaign to legislate Christian values -- discrimination
against gays, ending women's rights, and inexplicably, not helping the
poor at all.
In this election, Christianity has been almost the exclusive focus of
all the major candidates, whose opinions on abortion are far more
relevant to voters than their economic records, or their success in
previous political endeavors. Beginning with the reality show farce
that was Sarah Palin, the GOP has trotted out one evangelical after
another, and done nothing to quell the rising tide of ecumenical
screeching from the political pulpit. With one openly anti-
Constitutional judge already sitting, and the House controlled by
zealots, one can only imagine how quickly America would descend into
Iran-like theocracy with a president whose campaign promises included
nothing less than ignoring the Constitution in favor of religious
legislation at all levels of justice!
Let's make sure we understand the gravity of this: On the record,
with no apologies, the leading Republican presidential candidate has
vowed to ignore the constitution in favor of his religious beliefs in
the courts that decide our laws. Newt Gingrich has vowed to break the
presidential oath. Newt Gingrich has, without question, disqualified
himself from the office. He is an aspiring traitor. He is anti-
American. He has voiced his intention to destroy everything that
America was founded on. In as many words, he would go on the
offensive against the "steady encroachment of secularism through the
courts to redefine America as a nonreligious country." (LINK)
This statement goes beyond "zany" or volatile. This goes straight to
treasonous. Let's make sure we understand: no religious test shall
ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust
under the United States. Article VI, paragraph 3, United States
Constitution. (LINK) There is no reasonable way to interpret
Gingrich's statement except as a religious qualifier for judgeship in
the United States. That is blatantly and irreconcilably
unconstitutional.
Nothing short of withdrawal from the race is suitable. Gingrich has
disqualified himself, and has no business running for any public
office until and unless he demonstrates a thorough understanding of
the separation of church and state, and a consistent record of
supporting that wall.
--
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