Bernie Moreno's Religious Test
Michael Luciano at Mediaite:Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said on Wednesday night that anyone who does not believe that Jesus died for their salvation is unfit to serve in the Senate and “should be nowhere near Washington.”
Moreno spoke at a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was joined by President Donald Trump and Sen. Jon Husted, who is in a close race against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
During his remarks, Moreno turned his attention to Michigan, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is in a similarly tight contest with former Rep. Mike Rogers. If El-Sayed wins, he would be the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“On Monday, I went up and campaigned with Mike Rogers because he’s in a race with somebody that just is an affront to me as an American,” Moreno said. “By the way, an affront to me as a naturalized citizen to this country.”
Moreno was born in Colombia. El-Sayed was born in suburban Detroit.
“This character, Abdul El-Sayed, can be nowhere near Washington, D.C.,” he continued before saying non-Christians have no business in the Senate. “Do you think he understands that concept? That our rights come from God Almighty? That Jesus came here for our salvation. He should be nowhere near Washington, D.C. And Mike Rogers is gonna kick his ass on Tuesday.”
Moreno’s litmus test – that only people who believe that “Jesus came here for our salvation” should serve in the Senate – would exclude not only Muslims, but Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, atheists, and everyone else who does not subscribe to his religion.
It is worth noting that Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a Hindu, also spoke at the rally.
Article VI of the Constitution famously bans religious requirements as a precondition for public office, stating that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
