Thursday, December 6, 2007
News Tolerance, Republican style
Posted by Andisheh Nouraee on Thu, Dec 6, 2007 at 7:48 PM
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave a speech this morning begging Republican voters not to hold his Mormonism against him.
It was billed as a pro-tolerance speech. It was the opposite.
Romney didn't ask voters not to discriminate against candidates based on their religion. He instead asked religious-bigot voters to let Mormons into their gang so, together, they could make common cause against atheists and people who believe government has no business promoting religion.
Romney's "fuck you" to atheists:
"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom."
Romney's "fuck you" to people who believe government and religion should be separate:
"It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism."
I find Romney's words deeply disturbing. As a nonbelieving secularist, I'm quite used to being told by so-called religious and political leaders that my personal beliefs somehow constitute a threat to morality. But I can't really recall a middle-of-the-road, mainstream Republican political candidate so openly suggesting my personal beliefs somehow constitute a threat to freedom.
Romney's new math suggests that because I don't want creationism taught in public-school science classes, I'm opposed to freedom.
It's tolerance, Republican style.
I'd tell Romney to go to hell, but, well, you know.
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