Posted on 08/25/2006 7:47:48 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
ORLANDO, Fla. _Rep. Katherine Harris said this week that God did not intend for the United States to be a "nation of secular laws" and that a failure to elect Christians to political office will allow lawmaking bodies to "legislate sin."
The remarks, published in the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention, unleashed a torrent of criticism from political and religious officials.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said she was "disgusted" by the comments "and deeply disappointed in Rep. Harris personally."
Harris, Wasserman Schultz said, "clearly shows that she does not deserve to be a Representative . . ."
State Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, demanded an apology, saying the statements were "outrageous, even by her standards.
"What is going through this woman's mind?" said Slosberg. "We do not live in a theocracy."
The criticism was not limited to Democrats.
Ruby Brooks, a veteran Tampa Bay Republican activist, said Harris' remarks "were offensive to me as a Christian and a Republican."
"To me, it's the height of hubris," said Brooks, a former Largo Republican Club president and former member of the Pinellas County Republican Executive Committee.
And Jillian Hasner, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said: "I don't think it's representative of the Republican Party at all. Our party is much bigger and better than Katherine Harris is trying to make it."
The fallout follows an interview published in the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention. Witness editors interviewed candidates for office asking them to describe their faith and positions on certain issues.
Harris said her religious beliefs "animate" everything she does, including her votes in Congress.
She then warned voters that if they do not send Christians to office, they risk creating a government that is doomed to fail.
"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," she told interviewers, citing abortion and gay marriage as two examples of that sin.
"Whenever we legislate sin," she said, "and we say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they don't know better, we are leading them astray and it's wrong . . ."
Harris also said the separation of church and state is a "lie we have been told" to keep religious people out of politics.
In reality, she said, "we have to have the faithful in government" because that is God's will. Separating religion and politics is "so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers," she said.
"And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women," then "we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our founding fathers intended and that's (sic) certainly isn't what God intended."
Harris campaign spokesman Jennifer Marks would not say what alternative to "a nation of secular laws" Harris would support. She would not answer questions about the Harris interview and, instead, released a two-sentence statement.
"Congresswoman Harris encourages Americans from all walks of life and faith to participate in our government," it stated. "She continues to be an unwavering advocate of religious rights and freedoms."
The notion that non-Christians "don't know better," or are less suited to govern disturbed Rabbi Rick Sherwin, president of the Greater Orlando Board of Rabbis.
"Anybody who claims to have a monopoly on God," he said, "doesn't understand the strength of America."
Sherwin and others also said Harris appeared to be voicing support for a religious state when she said God and the founding fathers did not intend the United States to be a "nation of secular laws."
The alternative, they said, would be a nation of religious laws.
"She's talking about a theocracy," said Sherwin. "And that's exactly opposite of what this country is based on." A clause in the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a state religion.
Ahmed Bedier, the Central Florida Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said he was "appalled that a person who's been in politics this long would hold such extreme views."
Bedier said most Christians would find such comments "shameful."
Harris has always professed a deep Christian faith and long been popular with Christian conservative voters.
In the Senate primary race, she has heavily courted that voting bloc, counting on them to put her into the general election against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
But publicly, she rarely expresses such a fervent evangelical perspective.
University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said the comments will appeal to Christian fundamentalists who typically turn out for Republican primaries.
But he said the strong evangelical tone could alienate non-Christians and more moderate Republicans who had been thinking of supporting Harris.
"It's insane," he said. "But it's not out of character for Katherine Harris."
Harris, a Republican from Longboat Key, is running against Orlando attorney Will McBride, retired Adm. LeRoy Collins and developer Peter Monroe in the GOP Senate primary.
McBride and Collins also did interviews with Florida Baptist Witness. Both said faith is an important part of their lives, but Harris' responses most directly tie her role as a policy maker to her religious beliefs.
Ruby Brooks, the Tampa area GOP activist, said such religious "arrogance" only damages the party.
"This notion that you've been chosen or anointed, it's offensive," said Brooks. "We hurt our cause with that more than we help it."
Sooooooooooooooo, voting for a Conservative GOP Jew is a "sin", is it?
So you're bothered by this religious test, too? Good.
But, but, but.....Kerry and Dean and Hillary are all "CHRISTIANS"! Wouldn't it be a "sin", to NOT vote for them, according to Katherine? ;^)
Pathetic.
This sort of nonsense is exactly why she deserves to lose - she's unfit for the office.
I only hope the primary voters don't tie the party's hopes for the seat to Harris. She's sinking like a stone, and the important thing now is to prevent her from taking the party down with too.
Ruby Brooks is right.
/non-Christian Republican who won't be voting for this dingbat.
Just as the reprobates in both parties beliefs 'animate' everything they do including their votes in Congress. (but that is okay of course)
While I don't think it was smart to say it, I can't disagree in theory with her statement.
I agree with you of course, but don't you think the lefts reaction is just a little over the top? The left make worse remarks about Christians than what she said and no one cares at all.
I am not playing a game about who said worse things, I'm just saying that if this statement is correct as it stands, it is extremely immature and politically naive of her.
THAT'S A"BSURD:!! I would never support electing a MAN like W. Mondale! I know Katherine Harris sentemnets that's all: She meand that if we elect more true-Christians (both Evangelical and Catholic) then this nation will follow more of its original and meant path as a "Shining City on a Hill"! She was probably just thinking or phrazed her comment this way because she IS a CHRISTIAN-Bible Believing, K. Harris doesn't hate anyone, and she probably left of Jewish-Torah Believing as an abscence of mind, not anything anti-Jewish!! DOn't read too much into her comment without knowing her, or what she stood for: please..
And it's a total mis-represendtation to say that the ACLU'S definition of the 1st ammendemtn is correct: That there is a "wall of seperation..of church and state" in the Constitution. The first ammendment's true meaning is that Congress shall 1) make no law establishing a national religion, 2) that ALL citizens can practice religion or non-religion exactly as they wish (withough violating someone else's rights such as murdering) even when religion is sanctioned by govt. The first ammendment does not say even 1-Thing about keeping God out of government!! In fact it can, should be, but if one citizens do not like God in government then THEY should not be 'forced' to partake, and neither should their fellows in that 'one's' religion. The only restraint is on the FED as it should be that it cannot-and should not interfere in one's religion except when someone else safety or civil rights are violted. I don't understant the willing ness of Republicans (Even-Conservatives) to accept an outdated-judical activist interpretation of the US Constitution.
Hello?
I am not playing any game either, whatever that means. I told you I agree with you. Sorry I bothered you.
While I don't think it was smart to say it, I can't disagree in theory with her statement.
You believe that electing Jews is in essence "legislating sin"?
..pathetic..you know what I mean (are The examples you and I picked out TRUE-Christians..) (You shall know them by their works..). I would say not, I doubt (though I doubt FOR SURE) that any of them are Saved-Bible Believeing Christians!!). Your faith shall be know by what you do..
What I mean by game is that it isn't a contest who might of said worse things than she may have.
Problem is that Republicans are held to a higher standard and if the quote was true, it suggests that considering she had already served government that she has learned nothing about running for office yet.
I was not directing the game statement at you.
Sorry if I posted the wrong intent... :-)
"And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women," then "we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our founding fathers intended and that's (sic) certainly isn't what God intended."
I wonder if the Congresswoman would be so good as to show us where in the Constitution it is written that we are not "a nation of secular laws". That's exactly what we are, and nobody this ignorant is fit to hold public office.
The Founders specifically prohibited a religious test for office. Now Harris comes along and thinks she knows better.
TIme to get her out of the race, if we are to have any hope of capturing this much-needed (and potentially winnable) seat.
Yeah, people around here never complain when Islam "dictates our national security", and I have yet to hear a peep about the Muslim reaction to those cartoons.
Christianity gets more than a fair hearing around here, and in the USA--rightly so--so please, spare us the victim pose on a site that's probably 99% Christian. I mean, come on, that's just silly.
ACU ratings can be misleading, but Coleman seems conservative to me, despite his membership in the Main Street Garbage, I mean Republicans.
Problem is that Republicans are held to a higher standard and if the quote was true, it suggests that considering she had already served government that she has learned nothing about running for office yet.
I do hold Republicans to a high standard. I expect Dims to be stupid and ignorant, I don't expect Republicans to be this stupid and ignorant.
It's not about knowing how to run for office that bothers me, it's, that she could have already served in office and know so little about our system of government. Perhaps she should actually read the Constitution before she opens her mouth again.
I think a chimp is running her campaign.
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