Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) recently landed himself in hot water by chastising Trump appointee to the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, for his religious views. In his questioning, Sanders accused Vought, an Evangelical Christian, of bigotry due to Vought's declaration that Muslims “do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.” The backlash Sanders faced for this line of questioning from Evangelical and conservative groups was as predictable as the defense provided by liberal and Muslim groups.
Sanders' accusers argued he violated Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states, in part, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States,” if not in letter, then at least in spirit. His defenders argued that Vought's exclusionary interpretation of the Bible is bigoted and inflammatory.
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