Congressman Decides To Take Oath On Koran; Conservatives Pissed

[ord0g]

I don't see the problem. In Australia when you perform a civil service such a jury duty you can take an oath on the bible or whatever you want. There's like 40 or so different alternatives.

 

[comicgirl]

This makes me sick, what was worse was listening to Hannity compare the Koran to Mein Kaumf ("if a Nazi wanted to use Mien Kaumf, would you be okay with it?" - Hannity)

He's a pig with a microphone

 

[raybia]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]November 28, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=+1]A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath[/SIZE][/FONT]
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What book will America base it's values on, the Bible or the Koran?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Please take a moment to read the following TownHall.com column by Dennis Prager, who is a Jew. After reading the column, take the suggest action at the bottom of this email. After you have read it, please forward it to your friends and family.

America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.

First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism -- my culture trumps America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.

Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison's favorite book is. 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. In your personal life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison, America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath.

Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?

Of course, Ellison's defenders argue that Ellison is merely being honest; since he believes in the Koran and not in the Bible, he should be allowed, even encouraged, to put his hand on the book he believes in. But for all of American history, Jews elected to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not believe in the New Testament, and the many secular elected officials have not believed in the Old Testament either. Yet those secular officials did not demand to take their oaths of office on, say, the collected works of Voltaire or on a volume of New York Times editorials, writings far more significant to some liberal members of Congress than the Bible. Nor has one Mormon official demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon. And it is hard to imagine a scientologist being allowed to take his oath of office on a copy of "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard.

So why are we allowing Keith Ellison to do what no other member of Congress has ever done -- choose his own most revered book for his oath?

The answer is obvious -- Ellison is a Muslim. And whoever decides these matters, not to mention virtually every editorial page in America, is not going to offend a Muslim. In fact, many of these people argue it will be a good thing because Muslims around the world will see what an open society America is and how much Americans honor Muslims and the Koran.

This argument appeals to all those who believe that one of the greatest goals of America is to be loved by the world, and especially by Muslims because then fewer Muslims will hate us (and therefore fewer will bomb us).

But these naive people do not appreciate that America will not change the attitude of a single American-hating Muslim by allowing Ellison to substitute the Koran for the Bible. In fact, the opposite is more likely: Ellison's doing so will embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones, as Islamists, rightly or wrongly, see the first sign of the realization of their greatest goal -- the Islamicization of America.

When all elected officials take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization. If Keith Ellison is allowed to change that, he will be doing more damage to the unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the terrorists of 9-11. It is hard to believe that this is the legacy most Muslim Americans want to bequeath to America. But if it is, it is not only Europe that is in trouble. (End Commentary)
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Take Action

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]1. Send an email asking your U.S. Representative and Senators to pass a law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of Representatives and Senators.

2. Forward this email to your friends and family today! [/SIZE][/FONT]
Write your Representative and Senators Now!


If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift?</B> Thank you for caring enough to get involved.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Sincerely,[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]P.S. Please print this and share with others.[/SIZE][/FONT]

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http://www.afa.net/aa112806_2.asp

And here's a video clip of nutjob Glenn Beck all but accusing this poor guy of being a terrorist. As per usual though, Beck's comments are unwarranted and simply brought out for the sake of creating controversy. Pathetic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJymFAeKfBI

Awww, poor baby. Want some cheese with that wine?

Well, this by no means upsets me. In fact, I take great satisfaction that there things happening in both our country and world that are exposing the truth about our society and the people in them.

This guy has exposed himself for the bigot that he is, but thats not his biggest problem. The problem that he has and people like him is that the America that he knows and loves is slowly slipping through his fingers.

They see that its changing and they cannot stop it in spite of all of their efforts.

They are scared because that know that when its all said and done, America will be a society that doesn't have a place for them.

Like it or not, America is in the process of a transformation and whether he wants to acknowledge it or not multi-culturalism is America's culture.

Its also hiliarious that Prager, fights to retain the use of a book to be sweared into that he himself does not believe it. That suggest to me, that its not Christianity that he's defending but its what he is trying to deny.

This guy's spitting into the wind.

 

[Armand Z Trip]

When I was sworn in as a congressman, I took my oath while holding a copy of the December 1999 Playboy, the one with the Naomi Campbell pictures. I had just finished reading Wynton Marsalis' piece on Duke Eliington and was called to swear the oath just as I was beginning to read the Ben Affleck interview. Nobody seemed to mind, and I as far as I know American culture and civilization are still around.

 

[samurai black]

This uproar shows that no matter how far we think we've come as a society, we are still years away from being a society that respects each other differences and doesn't feel the need to force one's views upon another.

 

[Memphis Slim]

I saw this coming when Ellison was elected.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

so....um...I don't get it, aren't People in the us afraid of evil Muslims because they want to "convert" them, but they would uh.....make a Muslim take an oath on a bible? isn't that kinda sorta......strange?

man, this modern world confuses the **** out of me.

 

[Badger]

I don't understand what all the fuss is about; they are going to let him take the oath on the Koran, right? Just because some dumbass with a pen and a piece of paper doesn't like it, so what? We will never get rid of the crazy right-wing bible thumping fascists, and never should. The same 'Rights' the congressman is using to take his oath on the Koran, are the same this 'Rights' this derelict is using.

 

[Manic]

I don't understand what all the fuss is about; they are going to let him take the oath on the Koran, right? Just because some dumbass with a pen and a piece of paper doesn't like it, so what? We will never get rid of the crazy right-wing bible thumping fascists, and never should. The same 'Rights' the congressman is using to take his oath on the Koran, are the same this 'Rights' this derelict is using.

We're not saying that this Neo-Con idiot should have his right to irrationally complain stripped from him. We're saying he's an idiot, and he's making the rest of us Americans look bad.

 

[Darren Daring]

Noone makes you look bad but you.

 

[Addendum]

Article 6 of the Constitution- The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Four presidents have been inaugurated without swearing an oath on the Bible. Franklin Pierce was affirmed, and swore no oath, Rutherford Hayes initially had a private ceremony with no Bible before his public ceremony, Theodore Roosevelt had no Bible at his ceremony, and Lyndon Johnson used a missal during his first term.

Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii, took the oath of office on a Torah in 2001. Madeleine Kunin, a Jewish Immigrant and Governor of Vermont "rested her left hand on a stack of old prayer books that had belonged to her mother, grandparents, and great grandfather" as "a physical expression of the weight of Jewish history."

I guess the guy who wrote that article wasn't that good in history classes

 

[kainedamo]

Is this actually for real??

See, this is why! This is why people look down on America. This just wouldn't happen in Britain.

When I was sworn in as a juror, I had the choice of the Bible, any other religious book, or just affirming. I chose to affirm, since I don't believe in God. If I had sworn on the Bible, I would have been a liar and a hypocrite.

If this Muslim guy had sworn on the Bible, he would have been a liar and a hypocrite. What the **** is the point in swearing on the Bible if you don't mean it???

 

[raybia]

Article 6 of the Constitution- The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Four presidents have been inaugurated without swearing an oath on the Bible. Franklin Pierce was affirmed, and swore no oath, Rutherford Hayes initially had a private ceremony with no Bible before his public ceremony, Theodore Roosevelt had no Bible at his ceremony, and Lyndon Johnson used a missal during his first term.

Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii, took the oath of office on a Torah in 2001. Madeleine Kunin, a Jewish Immigrant and Governor of Vermont "rested her left hand on a stack of old prayer books that had belonged to her mother, grandparents, and great grandfather" as "a physical expression of the weight of Jewish history."

I guess the guy who wrote that article wasn't that good in history classes

Maybe, but I suspect this wouldn't matter to him. But the same rights that allow Ellison to use the Qur'an to take his oath, is the same rights that he is using to express him opinion.

So, I think the best way to deal with this guy is to just ignore him, because he made this statement in order to create an uproar.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Is this actually for real??
See, this is why! This is why people look down on America. This just wouldn't happen in Britain.

dude It SOOOO would, It would happen anywhere actually.
it's just accentuated in the US.

 

[raybia]

Is this actually for real??


If this Muslim guy had sworn on the Bible, he would have been a liar and a hypocrite. What the **** is the point in swearing on the Bible if you don't mean it???

Actually no. Al-Islam teaches us to believe in the revelation of the Torah and the Gospel, and Psalms. So we are taught to believe in the bible and taking an oath on it wouldn't be hypocrital but it would make more sense to use the Qur'an as a Muslim since that book is what are life is bound to.

 

[Manic]

Noone makes you look bad but you.

Care to clarify? Because to imply that there are not idiots out there dumb enough to generalize Americans based on the words and actions of the misguided few is just plain naive.

 

[Darren Daring]

Care to clarify? Because to imply that there are not idiots out there dumb enough to generalize Americans based on the words and actions of the misguided few is just plain naive.

Well, Only an idiot would take the word of those idiots. And that Seocnd idiot isn't someone I want to be socializing with

 

[Mister Sinister]

Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?

If there was a Nazi in congress, what they take the oath in should be the LEAST of America's worries.

 

[Addendum]

And in North Carolina, the Notary Public has a written code for swearing in: "A person taking an oath should place one hand on the Holy Scriptures. This book will vary depending on the person's religious beliefs: Christians should use the New Testament or the Bible; Jews, the Torah or the Old Testament; Moslems, the Koran; Hindus, the Bhagavad-Gita; etc."

 

[Darthphere]

I think we should swear on this:

 

[Darren Daring]

Is that Donal Logue?

 

[raybia]

And in North Carolina, the Notary Public has a written code for swearing in: "A person taking an oath should place one hand on the Holy Scriptures. This book will vary depending on the person's religious beliefs: Christians should use the New Testament or the Bible; Jews, the Torah or the Old Testament; Moslems, the Koran; Hindus, the Bhagavad-Gita; etc."

So this yahoo either wants to take this right away from the states or just the rights for Muslims to use the Qu'ran to take an oath. Either way, if this guy had his way, America would be an Tyrant.

 

[Darthphere]

Is that Donal Logue?

Sadly no.