Previously published at Progressive Blue
Driven by his deeply held beliefs in liberty and God, Simpson said he set out in his first legislative session to restrict government. “One hundred eighty-one people don’t have the wisdom, don’t have the knowledge, to tell 25 million people how to live their lives,” he said. “We’re not wise enough to do it. We’re not a house of God.”
Simpson's Crusade Against Government is a Lonely One
As if we needed a reason to dislike the Tea Party, up steps Rep. David Simpson of Longview, Texas to champion theocracy. To be fair, though, its not only Progressives who don't care for the actions and views of Simpson. Apparently, he's not universally liked even in the conservative little town that elected him.
Tea Party leaders who helped Simpson win a place in the Capitol said they were pleased with his principled stand on many issues, and his commitment to smaller government and budget reductions. Others, though, view their representative as an embarrassing grandstander whose views are too radical even for their conservative community. [my emphasis].
“We’re not wise enough to do it. We’re not a house of God.” Of course, implied in this statement is a firm belief that a house of God would be wise enough to govern Texas. I wonder which God Simpson would give that job over to? Oh, that's right, he's a Reformed Baptist, so I guess that would be the God of the New Testament. How would Simpson feel if it was a group of Pagans, or perhaps Orthodox Jews, that were given the job of governing Texas? Do you think he would consider them wise enough?
People who believe that government should be driven by the principles of their religion have no place in government, and I don't care what religion they espouse. Radical Muslims, Christians, Jews, no matter the faith. History has shown us that giving civil authority over to religion is a very bad idea.