Posted on 06/20/2005 3:32:30 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - A Republican congressman accused Democrats on Monday of "denigrating and demonizing Christians" by concluding there was religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
During debate on a proposal by Democrats that would put Congress on record against "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing" at the academy, Rep. John Hostettler (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., criticized Reps. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and David Obey, D-Wis.
"Like a moth to a flame, Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians," Hostettler said.
Democrats leapt to their feet and demanded Hostettler be censured for his remarks. After a half-hour's worth of wrangling, Hostettler retracted his comments.
The imbroglio broke out as the House conducted an otherwise sleepy debate on a spending bill to fund the Pentagon and provide an additional $45.3 billion for the war in Iraq.
At issue is how Congress should respond to allegations of proselytizing and favoritism for Christians at the Air Force Academy.
Obey had succeeded during committee debate in attaching a provision condemning Air Force Academy officers for creating a climate where non-Christians were discriminated against.
The Air Force is investigating numerous allegations of inappropriate actions by academy officials, including a professor who required cadets to pray before taking his test and a Protestant chaplain who warned anyone not proselytizing would "burn in the fires of hell."
Obey said a senior chaplain at the academy was transferred to Japan after criticizing what she saw as proselytizing.
Republicans offered softer language requiring an Air Force report to Congress on the steps it was taking to promote religious tolerance. They said they did not want to jump to conclusions before the investigation was complete.
Democrats criticized Hostettler's remarks, which began, "The long war on Christianity in America continues today on the floor of the United States House of Representatives."
Obey said Hostettler's "outburst ... is perhaps the perfect example of why we need to pass the language in my amendment."
Hostettler, a Christian and social conservative, made headlines last year when he was caught carrying a loaded handgun in a carry-on bag in the Louisville, Ky., airport. He pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and received a 60-day sentence, which he will not have to serve unless he has other criminal troubles before August 2006.
What a sad display.
Why they call 'em 'Rats.
he shoudl have read some passages from the Book of Dean :-p that would have pissed them off even more.
Republicans = pro-Christs
Demoncraps = Anti-Christs
Why? Two things Democrats and liberal judges have shown utter contempt and hatred are anything Judeao-Christian in foundation and anything showing the best of Americana. It's time conservatives stopped shrinking from confronting this.
I have only two words for the dims and the second is you.
Nope.
Why retract? It isn't his fault the dems are apoplectic at the Truth being told.
There are Christophobes on both sides.
As a practising Christian and a life long Republican, I relish being scorned and denigrated by secular Democrats. Let the games begin
He should not have retracted this statement. It's provable and factual. In fact, their party leader (Howard Dean) is exhibit A.
What else would you expect? For Democrats, their only god is the nanny-state, bigger is better, federal government.
They leapt to their feet for this? But for one of their own Senators to compare this country and our troops to Nazis, and compare Gitmo to the Soviet Gulags, and the Pol Pot regime, that they don't get all hot and bothered about?
I thought that they could no longer surprise me..but they have yet again. They really do have no shame.
Don't let RINOs off the hook.
Religious tolerance is one of the fundemental foundations of this country. A person can worship anyway that he/she believes. When we lose that right, we are on our way to becoming a Theocracy - just like the Muslim countries. Were do you or anyone have the right to tell someone he/she can't worship in his/her on way, whether they are Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Buddist, Muslim or Pagan?
I am tired of being told that if I don't believe a certain way that I will go to Hades. My relationship with GOD is mine and not yours or anyone elses.
What about freedom of speech? Anyone has the right to tell anyone else that they are or aren't going to hell~
this is for all America good persons please read
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1426836/posts?page=10#10
please read you do not need to write thank you all
They claim to be Christian because they "care" when their policies are all about enslaving their constituents as an effort to achieve and maintain power. They'd rather feed a starving man than teach him how to fish.
It's easy to understand the Democrat position if you understand their language.
Extracted from The Liberal Lexicon:
|
Christians: The Liberals' greatest competition for the heart and soul of the World. Without a doubt, Third Way Sociologist Parliamentary Utopianism is a secular humanist political religion. It has it's own saints (like FDR, Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, Karl Marx), it's own miracles (Food Stamps and Welfare which parallel the Loaves and Fishes; The famous Liberal Bleeding Heart parallels the Christian Stigmata); it has its own beatified celebrities (Princess Diana and JFK Jr.), and most importantly it has its own apostles (like the Leftist media writer-pundit types and the Teachers' Unions) who spread the Gospel of Liberalism every day in every informational venue.
Conservatives: The meanest, most evil, ignorant, arrogant, selfish, vicious, spiteful, hypocritical, greedy, brutal, immoral, mean spirited, negative bastards ever to walk the Earth. They hate everyone and everything. Completely without value or Compassion, willing tools of the International Business Community, they exploit and ruin everything they touch. They'd force people to live by working, force women to bear and raise inconvenient children, force old people out onto the streets to starve. They would turn back the course of history and create a worldwide medieval fiefdom with Rich Fat Cats lording it over a polluted planet of serfs. They'd put criminals in jail, or execute them just for fun. They want to see burning piles of homosexuals in the public square. They want to re-enslave Women and Minorities. Conservatives are murderous, destructive Nazis. Extremists: Anyone who disagrees with the Democrats in any way. The Democratic cause (International Parliamentary Sociologist Redistributionism) is such a perfect, noble, almost holy goal that anyone who opposes it in any way is certainly a monster. These monsters include: Gun owners and gun advocates; Fat Cat rich people; International Businessfolk; the Military; White Protestant Christians; Anti-Abortionists; Heterosexual Activists; the Boy Scouts; International Corporations; Republicans and Conservatives; the Business Community; Morality-based ethics; Achievement-based Elitism; Selfishness, Greed, and a whole host of erroneous notions based on the success of the individual instead of the success of the Sociologist Government. Those who oppose Liberalism are evil, they must be destroyed. |
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.