by Stephen Dietrich, Managing Editor
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an outspoken socialist who once praised communist dictators Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, just established an unconstitutional religious test for President Donald Trump’s nominees.
And (surprised?) it was used to discriminate against those of the Christian faith.
That’s no exaggeration. A sitting senator just acted in direct violation of the United States Constitution to attack a Trump nominee for the White House Budget Committee — but because Sanders is liberal, the mainstream media hasn’t said a word.
At a confirmation hearing for Trump’s deputy budget director nominee Russell Vought, Sanders went on the attack over a 2016 blog post where Vought defended his Christian faith as theologically separate from Islam.
Last year, Vought wrote on the conservative website The Resurgent on the difference between Christian salvation and Islamic theology: “This is the fundamental problem. Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.”
During the confirmation hearing, Sanders asked Vought, “Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?”
Vought responded, “Absolutely not” and began to explain — and was aggressively interrupted and shouted down by Sanders multiple times.
Sanders concluded, that because of Vought’s faith: “I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about.”
The Washington Times reponded brilliantly: “Let’s cut to the chase here. Ultimately, Sanders announced he wouldn’t vote for Vought because Vought wouldn’t renounce his Christian faith. That’s a religious imposition — a religious test.”
Religious tests are expressly forbidden in the U.S. Constitution.
“It got worse,” The National Review wrote. “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland doubled down, attacking the same expression of belief all while absurdly stating that ‘no one’ is questioning Vought’s faith. Leading media outlets need to immediately ask Senator Sanders and Senator Van Hollen if they believe that orthodox, traditional Christians aren’t fit for public office.”
They’re absolutely right.
Folks, what Vought said isn’t a controversial statement.
In fact, this is what all members of the Christian faith learn during day one, hour one of any decent Sunday school stuff. One must accept Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior to find salvation; it’s a cornerstone of the Holy Trinity, and essential to the Christian faith.
Christ is risen. He is the living God, the right hand of the Father Almighty.
Without knowing Christ, one cannot know God. To not know God is to be condemned.
Simple and straightforward, this is part of the very basics of Christianity.
What’s next? Will Sanders force government nominees to deny the Resurrection of Christ because it’s not in the Quran?
This so-called “Islamaphobia” witch hunt is out of control. Sanders questioning is an attack on Christianity itself.
A sitting senator literally violated the constitutional rights of Vought — and the media is going to let him get away with it.
Stephen Dietrich is the Managing Editor of The Horn News