Katherine Harris Tries, But Fails, To Clarify Views

Last week Katherine Harris was involved in her most controversial moment since helping to steal the 2000 election for George Bush:

Katherine Harris says that if voters do not elect “tried and true” Christians, the voters and those elected are going to “legislate sin.”

In an interview with Florida Baptist Witness, a weekly magazine of the Baptist State Convention, Harris said the constitutional separation of church and state is a “lie” that has led people to think they should avoid politics.

“That is so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers,” Harris said.

”If people aren’t involved in helping godly men in getting elected, then we’re going to have a nation of secular laws. That’s not what our founding fathers intended and that’s certainly not what God intended.”

She has now clarified her comments, but perhaps should have claimed the right to remain silent:

Harris’ campaign released a statement Saturday saying she had been “speaking to a Christian audience, addressing a common misperception that people of faith should not be actively involved in government.”

The comments reflected “her deep grounding in Judeo-Christian values,” the statement said, adding that Harris had previously supported pro-Israel legislation and legislation recognizing the Holocaust.

So she was speaking to a Christian audience. If she was speaking to a non-Christian audience would she then agree with separation of church and state? If the answer to this is yes, she’s a dishonest politician who just says what she thinks her audience wants to hear. If her answer remains no, we’re still at her position from last week.

In arguing that people of faith should be actively involved in government she is confusing who is involved in government with the type of government action which is acceptable. Separation of church and state does not mean that people of faith should not be involved in government. It does mean that nobody, regardless of their faith, should make laws which impose their religious views on others.

While legislation supporting Israel and recognizing the Holocaust may be admirable, she should also be aware that there are many people with views other than Judeo-Christian views.

I was happy to see that many Republicans disassociated themselves from her views last week, but I can’t help but wonder if they would have done this if they thought she had the slightest for victory.

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