Right-wing radio host Bryan Fischer says First Amendment only protects Christians

[DonViejo]

Right-wing radio host Bryan Fischer says First Amendment only protects Christians

By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 10:45 EST

Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association said Tuesday that the founding fathers intended the First Amendment to only protect Christianity, not Islam or any other religions.

On his radio program, called Focal Point, Fischer said the word “religion” in the First Amendment referred to Christianity alone. That is why, according to Fischer, Satanists cannot seek equal representation at the Oklahoma statehouse grounds.

“At the time of the founding [of the United States], 99.8 percent of the population of the colonies were Christians. The other 0.2 percent were Jews,” he said.

“But the point is, by ‘religion’ the founders were thinking of Christianity,” Fischer continued. “So the purpose was to protect the free exercise of the Christian faith. It wasn’t about protecting anything else.”

“They weren’t providing any cover or shelter for the free exercise of Islam or even Judaism or even atheism. They weren’t saying you can’t do it — I want to be clear on that — they weren’t prohibiting that, they were just saying that is not what we are talking about here.”

Fischer noted that a group of Satanists are seeking to erect a monument at the Oklahoma statehouse. The Satanists say the statehouse cannot erect a Ten Commandments monument but deny religious displays that honor other faiths.

“Here is where the definition of the word religion becomes absolutely critical,” he said. “If by ‘religion’ the founders meant Christianity, then you can ban a monument to Satan because that is not Christianity.”

“But if by ‘religion’ you mean any system of belief, whether it is Christian or not, then you have no way to tell the Satanists you can’t have your monument.”

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/11/right-wing-radio-host-bryan-fischer-says-first-amendment-only-protects-christians/

Full article posted with permission

[Shrike47]

1. Gee, he's wrong and he loses.

[Swede Atlanta]

2. Sorry but he is old, white and ugly (no offense intended)....

When he has croaked and is living among the worms the world will be a better place.

He has no idea what he is talking about. The Founding Fathers were well aware of other religions. The fact that most of the country professed to be Christian has absolutely no bearing on whether the 1st Amendment protects Christianity only or also other religions.

The Fathers knew how to write things clearly. If they meant only Christianity or even a branch of Christianity they would have done so.

For example they could have written, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of Christianity as defined by the right-wing of the Republican Party at their annual bacchanal.....

But they didn't.....

[pangaia]

3. Are people like this born this way?

What happens to them?

[shenmue]

7. Maybe he fell and hit his head?

[Rectangle]

4. It did NOT say christianity in the 1st amendment. It said RELIGION(S).

If they wanted to say christianity, they would have expressed it
specifically!!!!

[muntrv]

5. No mention of Jesus in the Constitution. Jefferson owned a copy of the Koran.

[on point]

8. Obviously doesn't know anything about history, the letter nor spirit of constitution

[louis-t]

9. His program is called "Fecal Point"?

That's how I read it.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

10. I think I will have to let Santa know this guy is being an ass

And this Santa doesn't bring coal:


and neither does his helpers

[Kablooie]

11. Well, I think he's right.

Just because Thomas Jefferson said:

“Neither Pagan nor Mahamedan nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the Commonwealth because of his religion.”
 — Thomas Jefferson 1776


Doesn't mean that he really meant it.
He was just confused when he said it.

[Orangepeel]

12. “But if by ‘religion’ you mean any system of belief, whether it is Christian or not,

“But if by ‘religion’ you mean any system of belief, whether it is Christian or not, then you have no way to tell the Satanists you can’t have your monument.”

Stopped clock right once today.

[Arkana]

13. Hey, Fischer, you piece of dogshit

Here's Thomas Jefferson himself on freedom of religion:

"Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination."

[ellie]

14. Awww,

look how precious this moron is! Making up his own facts, just like that.