Rep. Goode is an Unrepentant Religious Bigot

When the U.S. House of Representatives convenes for a new session of Congress in January, one of its first orders of business should be the immediate removal of Virginia Republican Rep. Virgil Goode.

Why? Because his words relative to the election of Democrat Keith Ellison to a congressional seat in Minnesota are in direct violation of the oath he has taken as a House member.

When each House member repeats the oath of office, he or she says: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

Goode obviously forgot that when he sent a letter to his constituents slamming Ellison for being a Muslim, and suggesting that America needs to immediately close its borders in order to stem the tide of people of that faith from coming into the country.

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district, and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," Goode wrote. He added: "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

Based on the oath, Goode is a domestic enemy against those who choose to celebrate a different faith.

Ellison has raised the ire of conservatives because of his decision to use the Quran when he is sworn into office.

Republicans have been up in arms, stating that America is a Christian nation and Ellison's decision is a direct affront to our morals and values.

What hogwash.

For all of these so-called patriots, please, read the First Amendment: "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."

That amendment was ratified 215 years ago on Dec. 15, so it's a little hard for someone to say he or she wasn't aware of it.

This disregard for the U.S. Constitution, especially the freedom of religion, is insulting to all Americans. Ellison was duly elected by the individuals in his Minnesota district, and Goode knows that. Not only that, but Ellison is not a foreigner; he is a native of Detroit who converted to Islam. So why insult him? If he chooses to take the oath on the Quran, so what? He's a Muslim, and that is his choice. If a Jewish member of Congress wanted to put his or her hand on the Torah, or if a Christian chose Eugene Peterson's "The Message" Bible translation over the King James version, that's fine.

This blatant attack on Islam does a complete disservice to the nation, and it shows that so-called Christians like Goode don't respect other religions. His fellow Republicans should be highly ticked off for his insensitivity to Muslims, and they should be as outspoken about it.

A member of Congress is supposed to uphold the Constitution, not a particular faith. That's the price you pay when you get involved in politics. I am a Christian and proud to say that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, but I will never denigrate another person who chooses to worship Allah, Buddha or any other higher being.

We can't stamp out bigotry in the nation when we have lawmakers like Goode who are leading the parade.

Roland S. Martin is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives On Faith." Please visit his Web site at www.rolandsmartin.com. To find out more about Roland Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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