Willful ignorance combined with anti-Christian bigotry: not a pretty sight. Bill Keller, former New York Times executive editor turned Times columnist, put both on display on today's Morning Joe.
Joe Scarborough played a clip of Santorum criticizing President Obama and Hillary Clinton for at times speaking of "freedom of worship" rather than "freedom of religion." Santorum made his point crystal clear: merely having the freedom to pray is not enough. People must have the right to practice their religion outside the confines of the sanctuary. But Scarborough and Keller claimed not to understand what Santorum was saying. Keller then added his ugly coda: "sometimes Santorum sounds like he's creeping up on a Christian version of Sharia law." Video after the jump.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: I don't even get what Santorum is saying here. Listen to this.
Cut to Santorum clip.
RICK SANTORUM: Listen to what the President says and what the First Lady, not the First Lady, but the Secretary of State says, when they talk about the freedom of religion. They don't use that term all the time. They use a different term: freedom of worship. We're in a hall here for St. Mary's. You go to the hall over there, you go to the sanctuary and talk all you want: you can have your religious faith. But if you come here, and you try to practice your faith: uh-unh. Then the government's going to tell you what to do. Is that how you interpret the First Amendment? Freedom of worship is not just what you do in the sanctuary. It's how you practice your faith outside the sanctuary, and at least in the America I grew up in, and that used to be around, that was freedom of religion.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: What is he talking about?
SCARBOROUGH: I have no idea.
BILL KELLER: Remember earlier in the campaign when Newt Gingrich was worrying everyone about Sharia law: the Muslims were going to impose Sharia law in America? Sometimes Santorum sounds like he's creeping up on a Christian version of Sharia law.
