CNN host Michael Smerconish invited on Christian right leader Tony Perkins to discuss the invocation given by Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, a Republican from central Pennsylvania’s Clinton County, who asked for God's forgiveness before the swearing in of a Muslim lawmaker -- only to challenge him on why prayer has any place in government affairs.
According to Perkins, protestations about Borowicz's prayer are just an attempt to "silence Christians, " but Smerconish pressed the point as to why religion belongs on the legislative floor.
"I'm not asking it to be hidden. I'm not asking it to be totally reigned in. I'm saying [Jesus] 13 times is too many," Smerconish stated. "Let me ask this question: there were 500 comments appended to the Washington Post coverage of this discussion and I read many of them."
"Many folks' take away is to say this is why there shouldn't be any kind of prayer that begins a public session," he continued. "We really should have a separation of church and state -- respond to that."
"Look we are a people of faith," the visibly disturbed Perkins replied. "You go back to the very beginning, our Congress opens with prayer every day since Benjamin Franklin suggested it happen so that there could be a coming together. Look we are a country of faith, a Judeo Christian faith in this country and it again gives freedom to others to have religious freedom. We are the only country that has [sic] the tolerance as we do. I think that's what should be celebrated, not the fact that someone is offended."
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