Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Republican from North Carolina, has put out the most disgusting ad of this entire election season, and that's saying something considering what has come out of the McCain campaign. She accused her Democratic rival, Kay Hagan, of being "godless" and taking "godless money" because she attended a fundraiser that was sponsored, in part, by someone associated with the Godless Americans PAC, an atheist group who works toward separation of church and state (because we sure don't have it now, even though we should). The insinuation, of course, is that someone who is an atheist is someone she would never associate herself with. Godless, therefore, is to Sen. Dole disqualifying.
For her part, Dole is getting desperate to hang onto a seat she has no business occupying. She has done virtually nothing for North Carolina, is ranked as one of the most ineffective Senators in Congress, and has spent virtually no time in the state. Her ads have almost universally been negative and misleading. Now she apparently has decided that the Constitution has no place in her political world. Like many evangelicals, she wants to try to subvert the Constitution and turn this country into a "Christian nation."
Let's review what the Constitution says about religion, shall we?
Article XI says in part: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
Just in case you didn't understand that, Senator Dole, the First Amendment should make it pretty clear: "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."
There is no mention of God, Christianity or Jesus in the Constitution. To the contrary, the framers of this document make it clear that this nation is founded on religious freedom.
Senator Dole -- you are supposed to represent all your constituents, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu or non-believer. This is NOT a "Christian nation." If you don't like that, you are free to leave.
But I'm not letting Kay Hagan entirely off the hook, either. In response to Sen. Dole's ad, Ms. Hagan found it necessary to stress her religious beliefs and assert that she was not, in fact, godless. The correct response should have been that she herself was a Christian, but that the United States of America is a democracy founded on religious freedom, that this is guaranteed by the Constitution, and that she intends to be a senator for ALL North Carolinians, regardless of their beliefs.
I for one hope that someday our politicians actually read the Constitution before running for office.
