Religious freedom for ALL, no exceptions.

There are a lot of people out there coming to stupid conclusions about the issue of an Islamic community center maybe being built 2 blocks away from Ground Zero. Newt Gingrich, in an obvious move to keep himself in the news and relevant, has become their champion.

On his own site Newt writes about his reasons for opposing the building of this community center. He thinks that radical Islam is trying to take over America. He has to dig so deep to reference a Marie Claire article for his proof. One article from Marie Claire magazine (isn't that a fashion magazine that helped create the show Project Runway? I love that show! Everyone knows that, "in fashion, one day you're in and the next day you're out." But I digress) does not proof make.

Now, I'd like to explain to Newt about our first amendment and religious liberty but he shows in his essay that he understands this. He stays, "in these and other instances, sharia is explicitly at odds with core American and Western Values. It is an explicit repudiation of freedom of conscience and religious liberty as well as the premise that citizens are equal under the law.

Sharia is the Islamic law that a lot of Islamic theocratic governments subscribe to. Yes, sharia is at odds with our constitution as it would be, at its simplest, endorsing one religion. Our first amendment forbids that so anything short of a violent Islamic revolution that overthrows our government and army there is no possibility that sharia law would ever become our law no matter how many mosques are built in this country.

To tell you the truth, I'm more concerned about a violent Christian revolution by American citizens who wrongly attribute our constitution and Declaration of Independence were formed by Judeo-Christians and think we need to go back to the way things were. Our forefathers were deists and the "creator" they speak of is no more from the Old or New Testaments than he is from the Koran. But that is for another post...

I also want to ask Newt about his belief that "citizens are all equal under the law." Does this mean Newt thinks gays should have the right to marry? I know he talks about being pro "traditional" marriage but to him the word "traditional" means that you can marry as many times as you want and cheat on said wives whenever you feel like.

At the end of Newt's essay he says Islamists are trying to confuse people. I think really either one of two things are happening. Either Newt is confused or he is the one doing his best to try and confuse American citizens.

In the end, the real reason Newt has injected himself into this and many other national conversations is his thinly veiled ramp up to running for president.

Well, a man that doesn't even understand the constitution that he might have to swear to defend one day (again) does not make a good president. Newt should take some time for some meditation or something and try to figure out what his values are. Not what he thinks Americans want his values to be or what the GOP machine wants his values to be, but what it really means to be an American and defend our constitution. Because if you swear to defend it you have to defend the rights of every American and not just the one's you agree with. Anything less would be, well, stupid.