Freedom of Religion is Still In Our Constitution
Republican State Central Committee member Fredy Burgos has some ‘splainin’ to do.
Burgos, at least on his Twitter feed, is so extreme and nonsensical that he has likely achieved his 15 minutes of fame.
Burgos is an RPV SCC member from the 11th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D).
The district, which ranges from Reston to Quantico, should be considered reasonable and progressive. But if you listen to Burgos, you’d think that “thar be witches!”
You’d also think that George Will – yes, ~THAT~ George Will – is a conservative apostate.
He should be booted out of Republican Party events. Rats not allowed. https://t.co/HFNFnnyFBu
— Fredy Burgos (@fredyburgos70) June 23, 2016
Will might deserve some venom from time-to-time; after all, what pundit doesn’t? But Burgos’ screed (and, yes, I hate sharing it to repeat it, but you have to see it to believe it and understand it’s ridiculousness) is so beyond the pale that one cannot fathom his retention as a member of the GOP leadership:
The Koran.Have you heard of it?The one that the “prophet” is a murderer,pedophile, war lord.Correct me if I’m wrong https://t.co/C7p4r0kGkP
— Fredy Burgos (@fredyburgos70) June 23, 2016
Even if you convince yourself that WBC (Westboro Baptist Church) are “Christians”, how many people have they killed in the name of Jesus?Think https://t.co/7cuvLB4MD4
— Fredy Burgos (@fredyburgos70) June 22, 2016
WBC are not Christian.
Islam is not a religion of peace but an ideolgy. Equivalency to Nazism with a false God added https://t.co/7cuvLB4MD4— Fredy Burgos (@fredyburgos70) June 22, 2016
DUDE!
What are you thinking?
Here’s the deal: we have this thing called the first amendment. You know, the right to assemble? No establishment of religion? No impediment of its free exercise?
ICYMI, here’s the clause:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Burgos, of course, is not calling for Congress to abolish Islam. But his comparison of the religion to the National Socialists is meant to have the same effect on the public psyche: It’s a derisive and intentional attack on faith that really has no room in our modern conversation.
And, yes, I know all about Nazis and Wahabbists; so, spare me.
Quite frankly, if you are a true person of faith, you have, well…faith. And believe in free will.
If you’re Christian, you know from Thessalonians that we put “on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” What this simply means is that God gives us the freedom to believe and exercise our faith.
Faith is not something to be foisted on another. It’s not a mandate. It’s something between each individual and their creator – not only as called by their creator, but guaranteed by our Constitution.
The bottom-line is that we don’t need this kind of distraction as conservatives and certainly don’t need this kind of Draconian thought in the Republican Party leadership.
Mr. Burgos … go away.
Jim Hoeft is a contributor to Bearing Drift.
@jrhoeft