Georgia Congressional candidate, Baptist pastor, and right-wing radio host Jody B. Hice supports total hardline conservative Christianization of the United States society and government, while simultaneously arguing that main problem with Islam is its (purported) totalitarian control of territory and the political system.
“Most people think Islam is a religion,” Hice argued in a 2011 speech. “It’s not. It’s a totalitarian way of life with a religious component.” He expanded in his book: “It is a complete geo-political structure, and as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.”
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In 2012, Hice published It’s Now Or Never: A Call to Reclaim America via WestBow Press, a Christian self-publishing house. In the book, he made the dubious claim that the “Constitutional form of government that is the great American experiment is a distinctly Christian society,” To “reclaim America,” he argues, the nation must end abortion, prevent same-sex marriage, repeal hate-crime protections…
Does anyone have recommendations on a lawyer who can help me sue him for whiplash?
And before anyone clambers onto their high horse about “crazy Republicans,” let’s just remember that irrational U.S. anti-Muslim bigotry like this is virtually boundless, cross-partisan, and intense.
Muslims are the most disliked major religious group in the United States. They’re even less liked on average than atheists, who routinely circle the drain of public opinion in this aggressively god-fearing nation.
When asked to rate each group on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100 – where 0 reflects the coldest, most negative possible rating and 100 the warmest, most positive rating […] The public views atheists and Muslims more coldly; atheists receive an average rating of 41, and Muslims an average rating of 40. Fully 41% of the public rates Muslims in the coldest part of the thermometer (33 or below), and 40% rate atheists in the coldest part.
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When asked about other non-Christian groups, evangelicals tend to express more negative views. White evangelicals assign Buddhists an average rating of 39, Hindus 38, Muslims 30 and atheists 25.
Democrats put Muslims at 47 on a scale of 100 (still below the middle point and not much higher than the overall average), while Republicans put Muslims at 33 on the scale.
With the declining ability (politically and geographically) of Republicans to use anti-gay ballot initiatives to drive turnout, Muslim-punching campaigns are becoming much more prominent. Rev. Hice is merely a symptom.
This bigotry is a scourge in our country that we all need to fight. These are our fellow citizens being openly maligned.
