ADL Blasts Texas GOP
By Byron LaMasters
It's good to see that others outside of Texas are taking notice at the absurdity of the Texas GOP Platform. The Anti-Defamation League sent a letter to the chair of the Texas Republican Party yesterday urging them to reconsider their inclusion of the "Christian Nation" plank in their platform:
The Anti-Defamation League is one of our country's leading civil rights and human relations organizations. ADL combats prejudice and discrimination and fosters harmonious intergroup relations. We are writing to you today to express our dismay that similar to the Texas Republican Party's 2002 platform, the section of its 2004 platform entitled "Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety" contains a sub-heading called "Christian Nation" which "affirms that the United States is a Christian nation." We are also deeply concerned by the platform's reference to "the myth of the separation of church and state."
On behalf of our constituency across the State of Texas, we are again deeply concerned by this statement. As our founding documents demonstrate, our nation is not based on any one particular faith. Rather, our nation is a democratic one, founded on the principles of pluralism and diversity, including protecting the rights of the individual.
America was founded on the belief that freedom of religion requires that the government take no official stance on, or participate in, religious activity or religion. In addition, our United States Constitution prohibits a state religion and forbids a religious test for holding public office.
Reuters picked up the story as well. It's good to see the lunacy of the Texas GOP Platform get some national attention. Now... if someone would just pick up on the whole retaking the Panama Canal Zone....
Reuters story via Free State Standard.
Posted by Byron LaMasters at June 23, 2004 12:22 AM
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