The Koran or The Bible?

Once again the right-wing repugnants in the person of pundit, Dennis Prager, are showing their racism and religious intolerance - this time directed at the representative from Minn., Keith Ellison, who is a Muslim convert and whose wife is a Christian. Prager pretends to be outraged about Ellison's stated intent to use the Koran instead of the Bible, in his private ceremonial swearing-in next month.

The real unstated motive of Prager, is his objection to a Muslim serving in the U.S. Congress. On top of that, Ellison is also Black and a Democrat, so that adds an additional layer of angst for White supremacists like Prager, who hide behind the fig-leafs of patriotism and religion while indulging their hatred for non-Whites and their intolerance for any religion that is not Judeo-Christian based.

As a religious Jew, Prager does not even believe in the full Bible - just the Old Testament, yet he wants to force Ellison to use a book that he only partially subscribes to. So far Ellison has ignored this right-wing attack and his mostly White constituents have been overwhelmingly supportive of his plans.

In spite of the Constitution's stated prohibition of 'religious tests, Prager and his Taliban-like ilk, want to impose them where, when, and on whom, they see fit. They have no regard for the tenets of the document they pretend to love, and constantly try to re-write it to suit their anti-democratic agendas.

In the public mass swearing-in ceremony of congress persons, there is no religious texts used at all - just a pledge to uphold the Constitution. In the private ceremony, which is basically just a photo-op, I would recommend that instead of pledging on a Bible or other religious text, all congress persons should merely place their hand on the shoulder of a constituent, and pledge to do the best possible job for those who sent them to congress.

That's the way it should always be - nothing more and nothing less!