Asshole of the Week

Think Progress » Rep. King: ‘Every Child’ In American Schools Needs To Learn ‘The Tenets Of The Christian Faith’

Earlier this week, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced legislation recognizing the “importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” The resolution passed 372-9.

Last Wednesday on Fox News, King said he introduced the bill because he believes “we’re a Christian nation founded on Christian principles.” In an interview on Alan Colmes’ radio show yesterday, King went even further, saying that “every child” should “be taught” the “tenets of Christianity”:

COLMES: Should they be taught Christianity, should every child learn Christianity?

KING: I think they should learn it. If you’re going to learn American history, you cannot teach it without teaching Christianity.

COLMES: It’s one thing to teach the history of how religion may have been part of our growth as a country. It’s another thing to actually teach the tenets of a religion. As if the people going to school should learn the tenets of a particular faith. You’re not saying they should learn the tenets of Christianity, are you?

KING: I think they need to understand the tenets of the Christian faith and other faiths that have affected the history of this country.

King’s concedes that if “the tenets of Christianity” are to be taught in school, “other faiths” should be taught as well. But given his contention that “the foundation” of “our American culture is Christian” and his need to recognize “the Christian faith” in the Congressional Record, it is difficult to believe the sincerity of King’s attempt at tolerance.

King has shown animosity towards non-Christian religions in the past. As ThinkProgress has noted, he opposed resolutions recognizing the Muslim celebration of Ramadan and the Hindu Diwali. After nine Democrats voted against his “Christian faith” resolution, King attacked them, saying “how they could vote ‘yes’ on Islam, ‘yes’ on the Indian religions and ‘no’ on Christianity.”