George Washington wouldn’t have approved of what happened at a recent County Commission meeting.
Last week, Clark County Commission Chairman Michael Naft welcomed Aron Ra to the podium to offer an invocation. The horn-wearing Ra announced that he was with the “Satanic Temple, an atheistic organization.” He then proceeded — not to pray — but to offer a diatribe mocking religion, especially Christianity.
“Let us never bow our heads or bend the knee in obeisance to any faith from the past that is based on ignorant bigoted savagery,” he said. He continued, “Let us not fear the Tree of Knowledge but extend our grasp and devour its fruit.”
Later he said, “Let us recognize that humans are fully capable of choosing kindness, empathy and helping those in need regardless of any religious faith.”
The irony of making that statement after hijacking an invocation to mock those with traditional religious beliefs appeared lost on him.
After Ra urged those listening to “Hail Satan,” Naft led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance.
This sequence of events wouldn’t have made sense to the Founding Fathers. They believed religion and morality were intertwined and that Christianity was the country’s indispensable religion. This strikes modern ears as two shocking contentions. But they are well supported by primary sources, not the agenda-driven propaganda that passes as history curriculum today.
Guess who said this:
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.”
Further, “let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Today, a statesman who said that would be smeared as a Christian nationalist. But those words of wisdom are from George Washington’s farewell address.
Nor was he alone. In his Inaugural Address, President John Adams urged schools and other institutions to propagate “knowledge, virtue and religion among all classes of the people … as the only means of preserving our Constitution from its natural enemies.”
In 1782, Congress officially recommended the “Aitken Bible.” Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both attended church services in the House of Representatives. So much for the left’s claims about the separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers didn’t want a national Christian denomination, but they knew Christianity was essential for the nation’s health.
Commissioner April Becker condemned Ra for “mock(ing) and ridicul(ing) other religious groups.” She called for him to be “prohibited from participating again.” Jennifer Cooper, Clark County’s chief communications &strategy officer, said the county and its presiding elected officials didn’t endorse Ra’s comments. The county, however, “is unable to limit those eligible to participate in the process,” she said.
Washington would disagree. You aren’t obligated to platform those who mock the “indispensable supports” of the country’s political prosperity.
Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow
@victorjoecks on X.
