Leading Democratic Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been accused of being 'shockingly ignorant' after citing a candidate's religious beliefs as a reason to oppose him for a senior position in the Trump administration.
During a confirmation hearing for Russel Vought, President Trump's nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Sanders brought up a controversial blog post which discussed the theological position of Larycia Hawkins, the Wheaton College professor who ignited an evangelical firestorm when she said Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Vought's 2016 blog post argued that 'Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.'
Although Article Six of the United States Constitution states that 'no relgious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any offence or public trust under the United States', Sanders has been accused of doing just that on Wednesday's hearing.
He repeatedly quoted the passage from the blog post and said: 'In my view, the statement made my Mr Vought is indefensible, it is hateful, it is Islamophobic and an insult to billions of Muslims throughout the world.
'This country, since its inception, has struggled, sometimes with great pain, to overcome discrimination of all forms... we must not go backwards.'
The president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC), Russell Moore, was one of those to criticise Sanders' comments.
'Senator Sanders' comments are breathtakingly audacious and shockingly ignorant – both of the Constitution and of basic Christian doctrine. Even if one were to excuse Senator Sanders for not realising that all Christians of every age have insisted that faith in Jesus Christ is the only pathway to salvation, it is inconceivable that Senator Sanders would cite religious belieds as disqualifying an individual for public office in defence of the United States Constitution.
'No religious test shall ever be required of those seeking public office. While no one expects Senator Sanders to be a theologian, we should expect far more from an elected official who has taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution.'
Answering Sanders' questions, Vought said the blog post was written in defence of 'a Christian school that has a statement of faith that includes the centrality of Jesus Christ for salvation'.
He also said: 'All individuals are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect, regardless of their religious beliefs.'
The former Obama faith adviser, Michael Wear, also criticised Sanders. On Twitter he said: 'Today, Senate Budget Cmte Dems made a disappointing, ignorant attack on the theological convictions on salvation of a budget office nominee. Senators Sanders and Van Hollen, in particular, chose to spend precious minutes questioning the theological views of a budget nominee.
'The nominee of an Administration that has proposed one of the most draconian budgets in recent history, and they spend time on that.'
Sanders concluded by saying he would oppose Vought's nomination and that Vought 'is not someone who is what this country is supposed to be about'.
