Repudiating Romney's Religious Rights: Globe Needs Crash Course In Constitution

Boston Globe/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. The same kind of folks who professed to find a non-existent "right of privacy" in the Constitution providing for abortion on demand have "discovered" another imaginary constitutional provision. According to its editorial this morning:

"The First Amendment , with its injunction that Congress shall make no law restricting religion, carries an implied corollary that churches should not meddle in politics."

The context was the Globe's complaint that Mitt Romney is reaching out for support to his fellow BYU alums who - oh, the horror! - also happen to be his Mormon co-religionists. The Globe sternly warns Romney to "make sure that the church stays out of his nascent presidential campaign."

Let's start by making clear the Globe's profound misreading of the Constitution. The Establishment clause is a two-part provision. On the one hand, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The Founders wanted to ensure that there would be no state church comparable to the Church of England, from which most of them had come. But that same First Amendment equally prohibits Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion. And part of that freedom is the right to engage in the give-and-take of democracy.

But perhaps even more stunning than the Globe's misreading of our founding document is the paper's hypocrisy. Let's review some other examples of the religious involvement in the public square:

• The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., whose civil rights organization was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King described SCLC as "church-oriented because of the very structure" of the black community in the South."
• The Reverend Jesse Jackson, presidential candidate.
• The Reverend Al Sharpton, candidate for president and a number of state offices.
• Black churches and ministers nationwide, traditionally been a mainstay of the Democrats' GOTV efforts.
• The liberal mainline Protestant denominations, which have become active extensions of the left-wing of the DNC. It was the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), for example, that recently published a book claiming 9-11 was orchestrated by the U.S. government.

If the Globe has ever editorialized about the need for these religious folks to "stay out" of politics, it's news to me.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Boston Globe/NewsBusters First Amendment ping to Today show list.

[Lazamataz]

"The First Amendment , with its injunction that Congress shall make no law restricting religion, carries an implied corollary that churches should not meddle in politics."

Can't wait to hear the Glob come out against Islamic theocratic regimes.

What's that I hear? Crickets?

[Gorzaloon]

The context was the Globe's complaint that Mitt Romney is reaching out for support to his fellow BYU alums who - oh, the horror! - also happen to be his Mormon co-religionists

Why these hypocritcal "Bow Tied Bum Kissers".

Tell us about the JFK Campaign and Election, why don't you!!!!

Why not bring up the Boston Irish Catholics?

[maggief]

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Great work - thanks for posting.

[Mo1]

The Globe sternly warns Romney to "make sure that the church stays out of his nascent presidential campaign."

Democtats ... Thee name is Hypocrites

Clinton asks minorities to back Gore

Gore campaigns at black churches

[AliVeritas]

The attack of the secular humanists/moral relativists.

Paging Ken and Karl... this means they don't like religion again... video op.

First, get any quotes related to this from the dark side.

Video:

I think it should include Satan this time... trolling the abortion clinics (insert teenagers that don't need their parents permission), no religion in schools (except Islam), showing condoms at school, arguing cases against crosses, arguing against the Boy Scouts/fighting for gay scoutmasters and NAMBLA, arguing against military chaplins while winning the argument to build a mosque at West Point (the dark one is pleased), Xmas displays and you must show democratic candidates in their past church visits... don't forget the funeral rallies (Could be a series alone). Please intersperse all the misquoted scriptures they spout at every opportunity as well and don't forget the two incidents where Hillary fainted after quoting scripture... says it all.

May get some anti-America statements in as well... but that may be another vid. The contradictory statements with the voting records on values should do it though.

Next video... you should refresh memory and show who established churches and schools in this country.

[AliVeritas]

ROFL! Curious George goes to church.

[maggief]

Sen. John Kerry spoke to the congregation Oct. 10 at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami. Some of his advisers are pushing for him to make a major address on his religious faith in a high-profile Catholic setting.

[AliVeritas]

Let's all mail them copies of the Constitution... we should hit the hill too while we're at it.

[maggief]

Al Sharpton, right, leads a prayer in a Miami church with Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, left, and Jesse L. Jackson.

[AliVeritas]

Yep, dems picking that vote cotton... Copperheads all over again. Black folks need to wake up. They let the abomination of desolation right in the doors. Unclean! Unclean! LOL

[AliVeritas]

[AliVeritas]

If that top Clinton pic doesn't scream lightning, I don't know what does.

[G Larry]

And, "...carries an implied corollary that churches should not meddle in politics."

Well Globe, the Constitution carries no such implied corollary!

A critical role of religion is to define morals and promote behavior consistent with those morals.
If "politics" promotes the antithesis of those morals it is in fact the RESPONSIBILITY of that religion to address that gap!

[Condor51]

"The First Amendment , with its injunction that Congress shall make no law restricting religion, carries an implied corollary that churches should not meddle in politics."

That has to be the DUMBEST thing I've ever read.

Well at least since a NY Times article yesterday.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Can anyone find a still from Harold Ford's campaign ad set in his childhood church?

[Mo1]

Here ya go

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

[metesky]

46 years ago the Globe led the pack in denying that JFK was in thrall to the Vatican. JFK referred to Globe and NYT reporters as "pocket people".