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Illinois Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger compared his colleague, Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, to the Taliban after she told a crowd of worshippers that she is "sick" of the separation of church and state.
Boebert made the remarks on Sunday, June 26, at the Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt, Colorado, ahead of her primary election, which she ultimately won. She argued that “the government is not supposed to direct the church," adding she is "tired of this separation of church and state junk — that’s not in the Constitution."
Boebert went on to say that the notion of a separation between church and state is only "in a stinking letter and it means nothing like they say it does," ignoring that the concept is derived from the Establishment Clause in the Bill of Rights, which states that Congress "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
The letter she refers to was written by Thomas Jefferson, who would become the nation's third President, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut in which he observed that the American public had built “a wall of separation between Church and State.”
Boebert's remarks worried Kinzinger, who warned his social media followers that there is "no difference" between Boebert's words and the rhetoric of the Taliban, which imposes an extremist interpretation of Islam on Afghanistan's population.
Kinzinger added that Americans must "opposed" [sic] the "Christian Taliban."
\u201cThere is no difference between this and the Taliban. We must opposed the Christian Taliban. I say this as a Christian \n\n https://t.co/zt8mFKc3Jt\u201d— Adam Kinzinger\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u270c\ufe0f (@Adam Kinzinger\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u270c\ufe0f) 1656504229
Others concurred with Kinzinger's concerns.
\u201cThis is VERY dangerous talk. Whether you are a Christian or not (and I am), a theocracy is NOT where we want to take this country. Separation of church and state is necessary for a functioning democracy.\u201d— And Still I Rise \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a (@And Still I Rise \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a) 1656522169
\u201cAs an American, I understand my faith & beliefs are mine & our other citizens get to make their decisions on theirs. And our government\u2019s laws shouldn\u2019t impose those beliefs of anyone else. PERIOD.\u201d— Katie \ud83c\udf31 \ud83d\udef9 \ud83e\udd41\ud83d\udccb\ud83c\udf3b (@Katie \ud83c\udf31 \ud83d\udef9 \ud83e\udd41\ud83d\udccb\ud83c\udf3b) 1656521995
\u201cI said it quietly 2 years ago, because you know, foaming at the mouth Ultra MAGA's completely missing the fact, they are indeed promoting a theocracy, and veering away from a core principle our founding fathers espoused. \n\nSeparation of Church and State.\u201d— Cognitive Dissonance (@Cognitive Dissonance) 1656529660
\u201cBoebert represents the most gun loving, racist, reactionary district in Colorado. It\u2019s like crossing over into 1950\u2019s Mississippi there. It\u2019s no surprise she won her primary.\u201d— IrishDem \u2744\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a \u2618\ufe0f (@IrishDem \u2744\ufe0f\ud83c\udf0a \u2618\ufe0f) 1656513468
\u201cNot everyone in this country is Christian & to be quite frank,I\u2019m really tired of Christians shoving their religion down my throat. I don\u2019t shove my faith down your throat. As a matter of fact, you don\u2019t even know what it is. CHRISTIANS NEED TO GROW UP.\u201d— Jean Winters \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Jean Winters \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1656523929
\u201cAnd I, a non-Christian, agree\u201d— Tio Bruce \ud83c\udfb8 \ud83c\udf3b (@Tio Bruce \ud83c\udfb8 \ud83c\udf3b) 1656527242
\u201cJust say no to the #ChristianTaliban\u201d— Maar A (@Maar A) 1656535484
\u201cSeparation of church and state!\nChristians, speak up!\u201d— Liz McClure (@Liz McClure) 1656514869
\u201cAbsolutely spot on. History shows whenever religion gains power, innocent people die in droves. Separation of Church@and State is a must\u201d— Judy Annabelle (@Judy Annabelle) 1656528099
Boebert has in the past come under fire for her statements about other religions, perhaps most notably when she branded Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim, a member of the "Jihad Squad," a reference to the “Squad,” a group of prominent House progressives of which Omar is a member.
Earlier this year, Boebert stunned a group of Jewish visitors to the United States Capitol after she asked them if they were conducting "reconnaissance" after she ran into them while they waited for an elevator.