A Guest Blog

What would you think if a top ally of a candidate for a major government office said that he represents a major movement which is for Muslims only. What would be your reaction if he said, “We don’t want people who are nonbelievers. They don’t have to leave, they’re not going to be forced to convert. But you’re going to enjoy the fruits of living under a Muslim Society under Muslim laws and under a Muslim culture and you can thank us later.”?

Would it be any better if it were a Hindu society, with Hindu laws and Hindu culture?

Buddhist society, with Buddhist laws and Buddhist culture?

What if he said that we are living in an “explicitly” Jewish country?

An explicitly Atheist country?

I would think that you, like me, would be appalled. I should say, for the record, that I happen to be Jewish. And being told that I, a natural-born citizen of the United States of America, live in an explicitly Jewish country would send shivers of horror down my spine.

Of course, you say, no one has said that.

What Andrew Torba, major supporter of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Mastriano and founder of far-right social media site Gab, has said:

“We don’t want people who are Jewish. We don’t want people who are, you know, nonbelievers, agnostic, whatever. This is an explicitly Christian movement because this is an explicitly Christian country. We’re not saying we’re going to deport all these people or whatever. You’re free to stay here. You’re not going to be forced to convert or anything like this because that’s not biblical whatsoever. But you’re going to enjoy the fruits of living in a Christian society under Christian laws and under a Christian culture and you can thank us later.”

Explain to me how changing that to “Christian” instead of “Muslim” or “Jewish” or “Hindu” or “Buddhist” or anything else makes anything about that statement better. Makes anything about that statement right or acceptable in any way.

That’s the point of the United States, isn’t it? That we are a country that accepts ALL faiths? All creeds?

As the First Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

I would hope that those people who are so vocal about defending their interpretation of the Second Amendment would be equally vociferous in defense of the First Amendment.

I therefore extend a welcoming hand from the left to all those who still believe in ALL Amendments, not just the Second.