Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who happens to be running for governor of the Volunteer State, has caught a bunch of flak for his recent comments on the stump suggesting that Muslims might not merit First Amendment protection. Asked to comment on the proposed construction of an Islamic community center in Murfreesboro, he said, "You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or
is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it. Now certainly we do protect our religions, but at the same time this is
something we are going to have to face."
This has tempted me to wonder out loud if Ramsey's understanding of the First Amendment is that laws can be made prohibiting the free exercise of cults, to point out that one man's cult is another's religion, etc. But averse as I am to shooting fish in a barrel, and always actuated by a desire for deeper understanding, I figured I'd try to determine where Ramsey's coming from.
Where he comes from is Blount
When it comes to cults, the most famous local variety features churches with names like the Church of God with Signs Following and the Church of Jesus with Signs Following and the Holiness Church of God in Jesus Name--all offshoots of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) that, based on Mark 16: 17-18, favor the handling of snakes and the drinking of poison as signs of election. They also follow a distinctive way of life that eschews alcohol, carbonated beverages, coffee, and tea; smoking; dancing; the use of cosmetics and jewelry; and recourse to medical doctors. Male co-religionists greet each other with a vigorous hug and the "holy kiss," a mouth-to-mouth osculation. [continues after jump]Now, as a Methodist Sunday School teacher, Ramsey can be expected to take a dim view of this lineal descendant of Methodism whose most distinctive practices Tennessee sought to prohibit through legislation passed after World War II banning the displaying of snakes in such a way as to endanger others. Indeed, in 1975, when Ramsey was pursuing his undergraduate studies at East Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision prohibiting the handling of snakes and the consumption of poison in a case, State ex rel. Swann v. Pack, involving a church in Newport, 60 miles southwest of the ETSU campus. The case was brought because the local prosecutor feared that Cocke county was in imminent danger and likely to "become the snake handling capital of the world."
To be sure, the number of snake-handling Christians number in the hundreds and the number of Muslims in the hundreds of millions, but I reckon there are comparable numbers of both groups in Tennessee. So Ramsey might be forgiven--well, not exactly forgiven, but, let's say, understood for thinking of Muslims as comparable to the snake-handling folk in his own religious neck of the woods. Yesterday, he did seek to nuance his position, telling the Nashville Tennessean that he has "no problem--and I don't think anyone in this country has a problem--with peace-loving, freedom-loving Muslims that move to this country and assimilate into our society."
"But, he continued, "it's undeniable that there's a portion of Islam that's been co-opted by a radical faction that promotes violence not only against Americans but around the world. That's what I'm talking about." What Ramsey thinks that has to do with the Murfreesboro situation is not clear, but under the circumstances, I'd recommend that he go back and read State ex rel. Swann v. Pack, wherein the justices of the state he hopes to govern take exceptional pains to make clear that in disallowing life-threatening religious practices they in no way wish to undermine the protections offered to religious conscience by both the federal and state constitutions. Here's a taste:
Under our constitutions, a citizen may be a devout Christian, a dedicated Jew or a consummate infidel--or he may be a member of the Holiness Church of God in Jesus Name. The government must view all citizens and all religious beliefs with absolute and uncompromising neutrality. The day this Country ceases to countenance irreligion or unusual or bizarre religions, it will cease to be free for all religions. We must prefer none and disparage none.This is something the Lt. Governor is going to have to face. Or in other words, enuf is enough.
Outstanding! We need more of your insightful commentary on what appears to be a sudden spike in Islam bashing in the US. Ramsey needs more than a little education when it comes to understanding religions outside his comfort level. In this religiously diverse world, one person's religion will always be construed by someone else as an absurdity. That doesn't make their assessment correct. What is destructive is when one person or group maligns and vilifies another religious group. This destructive behavior is unfortunately useful to Ramsey who is using this topic to garner votes from uniformed or misinformed voters.
Great post. I will be bookmarking and sharing it with my social community.
On behalf of all Tennesseans, I apologize for electing people like Ramsey. We're not all this bad, I promise.
I jist wonted to comment on yore aricle. We must rilly be stupid here in Tennessee. If yore artikle is correct, appparently we can't even git in out of the rain by ourselves. I guess you ain't never been to our state, cus if you had, you would realize how silly you artikle is. We do wear shoes, I don't know any moonshiners personilly and I shor don't handle them thar snakes. We have indoor plumbin' and everythang!! And by the way, I thank Mr. Ramsey lives in Blountville not Blountsville.
Now on a serious note....I and many other Tennesseans find your article repulsive. It is obvious that you are a prejudiced jerk. I am 55 years old and have lived in northeast Tennessee all my life and I have never encountered anyone of your description of us. You are free to write about Mr. Ramsey or whomever you want, but please refrain from stereotyping a whole region of fine people. It really shows how intellegent you really are!!
With respect, Minny, I don't think I stereotyped anyone. Northeast Tennessee is a place where moonshine was (and still is) made, where Dr. Enuf is bottled and distributed, and where snake-handling churches are the most familiar form of eccentric religion. OK, so maybe I was poking a little fun at local folkways. But I was also paying a compliment to the Tennessee Supreme Court for such a stirring defense of religious liberty. Go Vols!
Heather, why do you automatically feel that the people Mr. Ramsey represents is an "uninformed or misinformed" people? How did you come to that conclusion? Sterotyping maybe? Just for the record, I am from Mr. Ramsey's area, but just so you know, I didn't vote for him last time and I don't plan on voting for him for Governor. I would like to think that we are just as "informed" as you are. You might try opening your eyes and seeing that the poeple of Tennessee are a little smarter than you think!! As Mr. Silk has already said "enuff is enough"