Katherine Harris says failure to elect Christians will `legislate sin'

KRT Wire ^ | 8/25/2006 | Jim Stratton

[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."

[John 6.66=Mark of the Beast?]

I'm not sure what you are asking. my posts were in the first 250 there is over 500 now.

[Clintonfatigued]

Well, you mentioned a number of times of how the world is going to get worse before it gets better. I don't see how this pertains to Katherine Harris's gaffe-prone campaign.

[John 6.66=Mark of the Beast?]

It may of been in relation to not voting a certain way would be sin. I attempted to point out that the world needs to be in the same spiritual and civil breakdown as in the days of the Noe for the Lord to return. So saying to vote one a way or another is a sin could be looked at from two opposite perspectives.

[Kuksool]

Attention all Christians. Vote for Katherine Harris. GOD COMMANDS IT!!!!!

Failure to vote for Katherine Harris will result in endless Hurricanes for the next six years. DO GOD'S BIDDING. VOTE KATHERINE HARRIS!!!

- Katherine Harris Fan Club Rant

[MplsSteve]

You're right.

The usual Kool-Aid drinkers haven't been anywhere near this thread. Even Extremely Extreme Extremist gave up early on this thread.

As much as I trash KH for her lack of campaign (and personal) skills, it is disappointing to see a campaign turn into such a farce as hers. I expected more. All of us did and so far, she's been a no-show.

With each stupid campaign move and verbal bout of diarrhea, she sinks further and further.

[ChessExpert]

Thanks for the link to the video.

This isn't what I thought we were talking about, her interview with the Florida Baptist Witness. The link you provided was to her appearance on Hannity and Colmes. I guess one sees what one sees. You saw her as "three sheets to the wind." To me she was animated. She did what so many politicians do, somewhat to my annoyance, she stayed on message. It is a shame that whenever one gets off-message, one risks being savaged for any untested utterances that can be misconstrued. This whole thread is an example. Again, I suggest that any objective reader simply read the interview reproduced in post 503 to hear Harris in her own words. That is fair. Will atheists be happy? Probably not. Though she is really no threat to them. Will people of faith find something positive? Perhaps yes. It's up to the voters to decide. My complaint is that selective filters and hyper drive engines get between the individual voter and the candidates.

[BigSkyFreeper]

This isn't what I thought we were talking about, her interview with the Florida Baptist Witness. The link you provided was to her appearance on Hannity and Colmes.

I wasn't referring to the interview she granted to the Florida Baptist Witness magazine. I was referring to the interview she did on H&C.

[MplsSteve]

LOL!

[Clintonfatigued]

This latest gaffe is a real mindbender.

[RobFromGa]

She is the only candidate in this race that can beat Nelson

Maybe at this late date she has the best hope, but that hope relies on the unlikely circumstance of Sen. Nelson being caught conspiring with Osama bin Laden to blow up Sen. Nelson's gay lover's boyfriend for stealing their heroin stash.

The time to act was six months ago, and KH should have benn able to do the right thing and leave the race to others. The fact that she didn't will be something she has to live with. She could still do it now, and get behind McBride and MAYBE we'd have a better chance.

[MindBender26]

I notice you used the generic small "m" and a small "b"!

:~)

I love her dearly, but this is not a woman in control of her actions or words.

[zbigreddogz]

I'm starting to think the abuse wasn't unfair.

[okstate]

Strategic Vision has her down 43 points now. She should just back out and let someone, anyone, take a shot at Nelson instead. Nothing about her numbers is getting any better at all.