Posted on 06/08/2017 7:35:20 PM PDT by ReformationFan
The U.S. Constitution prohibits the use of a “religious test” for any office or public trust. But Bernie Sanders got very close to doing just on Wednesday. It was during the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.
During Russell Vought’s confirmation hearing, Sanders took issue with an article Vought wrote for conservative website The Resurgent in January 2016, reported The Atlantic. In his article, Vought defended a Christian school that had fired a professor for expressing solidarity with Muslims. Sanders objected to Vought’s statement in the article: “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.”
Sanders objected. “In my view, the statement made by Mr. Vought is indefensible, it is hateful, it is Islamophobic, and it is an insult to over a billion Muslims throughout the world,” Sanders told the committee at the hearing. “This country, since its inception, has struggled, sometimes with great pain, to overcome discrimination of all forms … we must not go backwards.”
Later Sanders asked Vought, “Do you believe that statement is Islamophobic?” “Absolutely not, Senator,” said Vought. “I’m a Christian, and I believe in a Christian set of principles based on my faith.”
Sanders continued to berate and interrupt Vought. “I don’t know how many Muslims there are in America, I really don’t know, probably a couple million. Are you suggesting that all of those people stand condemned? What about Jews? Do they stand condemned too?” Vought replied that he was a Christian, but Sanders quickly cut him off. “I understand you are a Christian. But this country is made up of people who are not just — I understand that Christianity is the majority religion. But there are other people who have different religions in this country and around the world. In your judgment, do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?”
Vought tried to explain the concept of imago dei to Sanders. “As a Christian, I believe that all individuals are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect, regardless of their religious beliefs. I believe that as a Christian that’s how I should treat all individuals … .” Sanders cut him off again and asked Vought if his comments were respectful of other religions. Vought reminded Sanders that the article he wrote was as a Christian about a Christian university, which “has a statement of faith that speaks clearly with regard to the centrality of Jesus Christ in salvation.”
In response, Sanders told the committee: “I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who is what this country is supposed to be about. I will vote no.”
Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention responded to Sanders’ religious test in the hearing.
Senator Sanders’ comments are breathtakingly audacious and shockingly ignorant — both of the Constitution and of basic Christian doctrine. Even if one were to excuse Senator Sanders for not realizing that all Christians of every age have insisted that faith in Jesus Christ is the only pathway to salvation, it is inconceivable that Senator Sanders would cite religious beliefs as disqualifying an individual for public office in defiance of the United States Constitution. No religious test shall ever be required of those seeking public office. While no one expects Senator Sanders to be a theologian, we should expect far more from an elected official who has taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution.
Not surprised.
I heard some of Sanders’ inquisition earlier this evening. What a rude, foul, nasty human being.
Wow, who knew. Bernie Sanders is a Jewish bigot, full of hate for Christians.
Why did we let his grandparents and parents in to this country? He has nothing but hate for us and has made it his life to show that.
Run for President? This thief who would steal our property and country needs to be expelled.
Sanders likely does not even believe in God? Or he is applying a religious test that all candidates for public office must be universalists.
In other words, no faithful Christians.
He apparently slept through civics and American history class, in addition to sleeping through Econ 101.
Sanders is dancing for his muslim masters.
“Wow, who knew. Bernie Sanders is a Jewish bigot, full of hate for Christians.”
Anyone and everybody.
He’s an atheist communist bigot.
Muslims are actually called upon (therefore authorized) to act against unbelievers in THIS life, on this Earth, but Christians expect to let God do the judging.
Sanders is a commie. What do you expect?
Ah, the harsh moral criticism of an old Soviet era useful idiot....
Islam is, world wide, just about the most common expression of the spirit of antichrist as one may find. It was created out of the spirit of antichrist, advanced in the spirit of antichrist and continues in same to this very day.
Islam is inescapably Satanic.
As for what America was founded to be, it was to be nothing like you believe or hope for, Mr. Sanders.
That's the real issue hidden among the "defense" of Islam by crazy Bernie.
He's Jewish and he hates that he stands condemned.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. - Gal 4:25-31
islamist facilitator
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