Date: 9-23-2015
Summary:
During an episode of "Meet The Press" Presidential
candidate Ben Carson stated that he would not support a Muslim in the White
House. Ben Carson, currently in 3rd place, took some big criticism and negative
comments regarding his response. Muslim advocacy groups and Democratic and
Republican personalities alike were quick to denounce Carson for his comments’ insensitivity. And he walked back his comments in
a Facebook post where he acknowledged “peaceful Muslims” but insisted that
only Muslims who renounced Shariah could be considered for the presidency.
However, according to a Gallup survey published in June, 38%
of Americans polled said that they would not support a Muslim presidential
candidate for president. In support of Carson's comment and beliefs, people are
sending in a lot of money. CNN reported that "he raised $1 million within
24 hours following the CNN debate on Sept. 16, and that donations have poured
in after remarks he made over the weekend about Islam and the presidency."
As much as religion and politics have in common, there are things said by
political figures that could affect others and in fact harm the outcome of candidate’s
popularity and support. Remembering the Adventist
experience in American life could point Carson’s campaign in a different
direction. This may mean the loss of support from voters who would love to see
him deepen his anti-Muslim rhetoric. But it might be worth it, if only eternally
speaking.
Question: Do you think that a comment like this shared on a national level
should be allowed ? Do you think that religion should be brought into politics?
And lastly would you support or vote against Carson due to his comment?
JJ- what do you think of Carson's statements? Both in this life & the next?
ReplyDeleteI feel that Carson was very bold for the things he said out loud on public television. It's both shocking and almost repulsive, comments like this i feel should not be shared. However he gained more support from saying it then not, so I conclude that some people support and like people to be open and straight forward when saying what they believe in and support.
DeleteIn my opinion, this comment counts as derogatory hate speech, which, as we know, is not allowed under the first amendment. Comments like this, particularly on the national level, could very much cause violence and discrimination against certain peoples, which is the reason for limiting speech. I can only make guesses on a legal level, but on a moral level I can be nearly positive that these comments hurt Carson's image. I suspect that many Americans (despite the poll referenced above) would find this comment offensive and change their votes. The supreme court has established a precedent for the separation of church and state, which, theoretically should apply in this circumstance. Realistically, however, the comment might be allowed. Recognize that our currency still has the phrase "in God we trust" printed on the back. Separation of church and state is not absolute.
ReplyDeleteI think that legally, Carson is allowed to share his opinion on the subject, as it does not pose a serious threat. However, morally, he should not be allowed to share that on a national level. Someone with that much influence should know that their words may be taken too seriously, and could result in hate crimes. In addition, his implication that someone cannot balance their religion and their duty to their county is extremely offensive. I feel that while some candidates may be able to use religion in their favor, going against a religion will almost definitely result in backlash. Unless it is about the freedom to express an individual's religion, I do not think that religion should be involved that greatly in politics. According to the Constitution, the government and religion should be separate, and one should not have the power to greatly influence the other. Personally, based on this comment, I would vote against Carson, due to the ignorance presented and his opinion based solely on the public's response. As shown in the article, he changed his opinion to one that was not as severe after he faced backlash from the public.
ReplyDeleteI think that Carson is allowed to make the comment because, although it is not necessarily the most polite comment, it is still considered free speech and therefore, protected by the first amendment. However, I don't believe that it was morally right of him to make this comment. I also don't think Carson should be rewarded for this comment, he shouldn't be allowed to collect the money that was donated in support of this comment. Carson should not feel like he is right in what he said just because he received so much money so quickly. I do not believe that religion should play a part in politcs, although I feel like it is inevitable (as all our money says "In God We Trust," and since the Pope recently spoke to Congress). If I were voting, I would vote against Carson, because what he said was hateful and rude. Why would I vote for a candidate that is insensitive to certain religions, when our Constitution clearly states that all citizens have the freedom to practice the religion they please? Despite his new found support, Carson is not in the right here.
ReplyDeleteFree exercise of religion & free speech seem to often cause conflict.
DeleteLegally speaking, it is Carson's right to say these comments freely. But, on the other hand, Carson's word could have been seen as libel, which is a violation of the first amendment. Carson denounced a man in politics for his religion. This is not only a violation of the first amendment but it also goes against the US government's belief to remain secular. Carson, and no one else, should bring up religion in politics because the United States government is suppose to be secular, separate church and state. Candidates will not be criticized for bringing up their own religion but should not pin religion against someone else. Based on Carson's comment, he is a bigot in my eyes and will not be receiving the vote. Americans only consist of 4.5% of the world population, while Muslims consist of over 23%. Carson's closed minded views show his inability to view all sides and, consequently, his inability to be a good president.
ReplyDeleteI believe Carson has the right to say whatever he wants in a debate, and if people don't like what a candidate is saying, just don't vote for him/her. Making an outrageously insensitive claim in a public debate will no doubt result in major backlash anyways. I definitely believe that religion should not even be mentioned in politics. A huge part of our government is making sure that church and state remain separate, so the religion a candidate practices has nothing to do with how he or she may run the country. I would vote against Carson, because not only did he make a racist comment, he tried to take it back once the media started to criticize him. Donald Trump says racist things all the time, but the reason he is so popular is because he never takes it back. Carson tried to deny the fact that he has a close-minded point of view on certain race related issues.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion I do not believe Carson should have the right to state this on a national level. He is entitled to "freedom of speech" but as we are learning in class, this freedom has limitations. I believe that this, although not threatening, is discriminatory against a race and can fall under the 'hate speech' category. Along with this, since he is a presidential candidate he shouldn't even be discussing religion. As we see it, written down on a piece of paper, church and state are separate. Religion should not be discussed in politics. However, as always, religion finds it's way back into the spotlight. Especially since our currency and presidents say "In God we trust" how can we say church is separate?
ReplyDeleteI would not vote for him and shocked that his campaign benefited from this nasty comment.
A comment like this should not be allowed to be said on a national stage. It shows racism and ignorance on his part. He was smart to apologize and change his statement, but religion should not be brought into politics at all. A candidates religion should not affect their candidacy. I would not vote for Carson as his ignorance on world issues is obvious.
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ReplyDeleteA comment like this has to be allowed, as it is not offensive or inciting of violence on the part of Mr. Carson. It is well within his First amendment rights to air such a statement. The only problem with this statement is it is not at all politically correct or acceptable within political discourse. While I do not personally agree with his remarks, such things have to be allowed and protected in this country to keep the liberties and rights of all.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that it is important that people can say what they want and have their right to their own opinions, I do not think it was right of him or necessary of Carson for him to share this on a national level. I think that religion should be kept out of politics because the united state is supped to be a secular nation. I do not think that anyone should be looked down upon for their beliefs. I would definitely not vote for him and it is very surprising that after all this, he benefited from it.
ReplyDeleteReligion and government should be separate and never joined together, even if only expressing one's views such as what Carson had done. We have seen in the past that religion can cause ill feelings amongst the people, the example being of John F. Kennedy being Catholic. This justifies the reasoning to never put the two ideas together, to avoid such a conflict, and keep the government and presidency up to the decision of whether a person is well-suited for the position at hand, not because they are of a certain religious background. Therefore, Carson's comment was both out of line and unnecessary, his opinion did not need to be shared as it added no real value to how we need to and how we should choose out president.
ReplyDeleteEven though the first amendment allows the freedom of speech, I do believe that there should be a separation of church and state when it comes to politics. I do understand how they both will overlap, yet his statement could affect the candidacy of another. Although his statement by the current standards is not offensive or inciting of violence, this can be argued, I believe it was right of him to apologize and change his stance.
ReplyDeleteA presidents ability to run the country should not be impacted by the religion of the individual. As America is secular government it shouldn't matter what the religion of the party is weather or not they are Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, or any other religion. The comment should be allowed because of the first amendment however the decision should not be made because of the religion of the individual. Because of Carson's attempt to attack anyone because of their religion is unfair and i would vote against him.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the above questions, I believe it can be said that his remarks on muslims were not only racist, but illegal as the constitution has a provision that defines racisim and discrimatory practices as illegal. It should also be mentioned that government and religion are defined as seperate, so his comments should not be considered in the political scheme of things, as religion and government are supposed to remain seperate. Finally, I would vote against Carson for these comments. His comments indicate that he is very close-minded, and an elected canidtae needs to keep an open mind when exercising his or her power, as all sides of an issue need to be considered.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on Carson's comment is that presidential candidates should be able to express their opinions, but when voting time comes, they, hopefully,pay for what they have said, which doesn't always happen. In response to religion and politics, they need to be separate due to the fact that they are very opinionated and can cause major problems if mixed together. Lastly, I would never vote for a president that is racist because in the U.S., we have a lot of diversity and to have a president that doesn't respect it's people, can cause major problems in the future.
ReplyDeleteCarson is entitled to voicing his own opinions even if it is controversial. However in terms of politics and religion, I do not think that he should be mixing the two. Government should be secular and in a perfect world, politics should reflect that. The fact that Carson would bring up such a topic of religion is, to me, distasteful. Besides, I do not agree with Carson. I think his comment is wrongly targeted at Muslims. America is known for being a melting pot and that theme of acceptance should extend to all citizens.
ReplyDeleteI believe that government has no right to limit his freedom of speech. Afterall, even hate groups have freedom of speech. It is one of America's fundamental freedoms. His publicized ignorance will only make him look bad to rational Americans anyways. While I do believe that church and state should be separate, I don't think it is possible to fully separate the two, even if we pretend they are. I would not support Carson because he is racially insensitive and racist, although I do believe his bravery for standing up for his own beliefs. My respect for him is similar to the respect I have for Trump, who I completely disagree with but respect for being so true to himself.
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ReplyDeleteDespite the unprofessional and cruel satire of Carson's comment, he speaks his truth and his freedom of speech should not be limited. The only person he is hurting is himself through his ignorant and disrespectful views. In response to religion versus politics, I believe that it is crucial we keep them as separate as possible when it comes to government. I completely disagree with Carson's comment as it is superficial and following an untrue stereotype that muslims are a threat to the country.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I disagree with what Ben Carson said, I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. And because he is a politician in the running for president, it is important for people to see what type of candidate they are supporting, and national television, in this instance, is helpful. While I stick to my previous statement that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I do not think religion in any way shape or form should have any influence on politics or should even be discussed in such debates. Religion is a personal matter and what you are capable of as a person should not be determined solely on what religion you are affiliated with. Based off of Carson's comment, I would not support him. I agree with what Natalie said, his comment was pathetic and is only feeding an untrue stereotype that muslims are a threat to this country. The comment was incorrect and given on a biased judgement and I do not think that people with this mindset are in any place to run this country.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Carson's comment is protected by the first amendment, it is not a comment that should be made. The comment holds blatant disrespect for a large part of America. It also should not be shared nationally because of the backlash that America could face from other countries. Due to the wide reach of technology and the internet, this comment would not only be heard in America but globally as well. Although every citizen has a freedom to practice any religion they want and speak freely about it, religion should not be brought into politics. There is, sadly, influence in politics because of your religion. I would not support any presidential candidate, like Carson, after this type of comment. It reveals the sort of future they would support for America. An unforgiving, close-minded future would become our reality.
ReplyDeleteLike what everyone said, Carson is entitled to his first amendment however, his attitude leads me to think that Carson is racially profiling Muslims and that just because some Muslims are extremists, doesn't mean they are all terrorists. As a "secular" nation, I believe that politicians should not bring their religious views into their political agendas because of the vast amount of other religions in the US. Not only would this cause endless debate, it would just be easier to keep religion out of the political world. I would not support Carson because he does not know what he is talking about.
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