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America's Book: The Bible?Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006 3:43 PMAt least one conservative columnist has an issue with Rep. Keith Ellison taking his oath of office on the Koran, perceiving some kind of precedent and insisting that the Bible is America's holy book, not the Koran or the Torah or the Book of Mormon or anything else. Ironically, Prager writes that, "America, not (Keith Ellison) decides on what book its public servants take their oath." He spins a horrible what-if, proposing that if elected officials are allowed to choose the book which they hold sacred, a racist might choose 'Mein Kampf'. "On what grounds," Prager writes, "will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?" I really wonder what these people put in their morning coffee. Islam is a recognized religion; Nazism is a political ideology. Prager points out that no one else has ever asked for such favors, not even those of other (or no) faith. He replays the 'Mein Kampf' argument by musing about a Scientologist taking the oath on a copy of L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics. He observes that allowing Ellison to use the Koran won't change the minds of American-hating Muslims, but will embolden them, because the act will be perceived as the Islamicization of America. That might be true, if Ellison weren't trumped by a government trashing our Constitution and making moral judgments on things like abortion and same-sex unions. As a proud and loyal American, I have no problem with a Muslim congressman using the book of his own faith. It does not mock the Bible nor dispute its contents or importance, but allows Ellison to acknowledge his own faith and its value in his life.
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